“All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade” – while it may sound a bit peculiar, the title and pulsating heart of the fourth album by Icelandic indie-folk collective Of Monsters and Men turns out to be much closer to everyday life than you might think.

It's a collection of stories, moments, and conversations that weave together to create a narrative about the intertwining of love and pain—feelings seemingly contradictory, yet coexisting and mutually needing. The album encompasses both intimate and larger narratives—from loneliness and longing in an apartment building full of strangers, to missed glances at a grocery store, to the fate of a mouse living in an abandoned house during the winter.

Co-lead singer and songwriter Nanna Hilmarsdóttir and co-lead singer and songwriter Ragnar Þórhallsson often tell their stories from two different perspectives. As Nanna explains, the album explores "the dual nature of things—where there's love, there has to be pain. You can't really have one without the other." She adds, "We were inspired by our lives, our family, our community, and the generations that came before us. Our lives, along with theirs, make up Mouse Parade."

“In some ways, it’s an album about growing up, but in another way, it’s also about coming home through coming to terms with the past,” says Ragnar.

Six years have passed since the release of their last album, Fever Dream, during which the band has had time to catch their breath. After an intense period of touring, interrupted only by the pandemic, the quintet released an EP and a documentary, and then embarked on solo projects—growing families in the process. It was a much-needed break after a decade of relentless momentum that began with the success of "Little Talks" in 2011. "After 10 years of a constant cycle of album-and-
"The tour was a time to reassess everything," Nanna recalls. "It was about a moment where you could step back and say, 'Oh, we're adults now.' We were settling into a life that wasn't just the band's life. It was definitely time for a change of mindset."

Even though Iceland is small and the communities are tight-knit, the band members have remained close. When it came time for their next album, they decided to change their surroundings and temporarily step away from their labels to "rediscover the connection we felt when we started." With this refreshment also came a new sound and energy for the album—the result of, as Ragnar puts it, "having fun and getting back to that core feeling."

Doors open: 18:00 PM