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Stories   >   Olafur Arnalds links with Ella McRobb on new single "and we'll leave it there" / THE LINE of BEST FIT

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Olafur Arnalds links with Ella McRobb on new single "and we'll leave it there" / THE LINE of BEST FIT

Posted: March 23, 2023

Grammy-nominated composer and producer Ólafur Arnalds releases ‘and we’ll leave it there…’, the result of an unlikely encounter between the Icelandic composer and unsigned rising singer-songwriter Ella McRobb connecting by chance through social media. The 23-year-old Londoner was inspired and moved by Ólafur’s short sound check improvisation posted on Instagram reel, which grew into a global viral hit, reaching 2.2 million views and counting. Collaboration is the cornerstone of Ólafur’s work, who lists 2023 BRIT Award nominee Bonobo, Nils Frahm and RY X as collaborators amongst others.

This release of  ‘and we’ll leave it there…’ is the tale of two musical talents coming together through social media to create something special, and resonates like a modern day collaboration story for Ella McRobb. Moved by Ólafur’s music, Ella decided to improvise her own lyrics to one of the Icelandic composer’s improvisations to tell her personal experience on loss and heartbreak.

Wearing her heart on her sleeve, Ella added her soulful vocals to the piece creating a heart-wrenching new composition. Without expectation, ahead of playing netball, absolutely unaware of Ólafur and the colossal dimension of his body of work, she shared it on TikTok, using the duet feature of the platform. Stunned by the quality of the resulting creation and Ella’s talent, Ólafur reached out to her, starting an exchange of voice notes and zoom calls which then developed into a full-on collaboration. In less than two weeks, he offered her the opportunity to record a studio version and film a music video in Iceland.

Speaking about the track, Ólafur Arnalds says: “Social media can often feel disingenuous and detached, but this was one of those moments where I was reminded of the magic that can happen in the digital space. I found Ella on a Sunday doom-scroll, being a little curious about all the people who had used an improvisation I had posted a few weeks earlier in their content. Most of it was cute animals or inspirational quotes but amidst all the noise I found Ella's video. Her mesmerising voice over my improvisation just floored me. And after I had listened to it about 30 times I decided to just get in touch. A couple of weeks later she was on a plane to Iceland where we finished the song and filmed the video. A beautiful reminder of what social media can really bring to creativity."

Feeling grateful, Ella McRobb adds “When I heard Ólafur’s piano improvisation it instantly made me emotional. It sparked a beautiful moment of inspiration that I am so grateful to have had the pleasure of turning into a song with him. My whirlwind of a weekend trip to Iceland was magical as is the story of this all coming together considering the fact that Óli and I didn’t even know each other 6 weeks ago!”

Ólafur Arnalds and Ella McRobb’s unexpected collaboration is sure to leave fans wanting more…


THE LINE OF BEST FIT - Cerys Kenneally writes….Ólafur Arnalds has teamed up with Ella McRobb, a new artist he found while scrolling on social media, on a new single titled "and we'll leave it there...". "and we'll leave it there..." was created by Arnalds and McRobb after Arnalds found her while "on a Sunday doom-scroll," and was "floored" by her vocals. She then joined Arnalds in Iceland to create the song and video, which is directed by Álfheiður Marta. Arnalds said in full: "I found Ella on a Sunday doom-scroll, being a little curious about all the people who had used an improvised piano clip I had posted a few weeks earlier in their own content. "Amidst all the noise I found Ella's video and her mesmerising voice over my improvisation just floored me. After I had listened to it about 30 times I decided to just get in touch. A couple of weeks later she was on a plane to Iceland where we finished the song and filmed the video.

"A beautiful reminder of what social media can really bring to creativity." The new single marks Arnalds' first new material since joining Sandrayati on "Vast" in January. In November last year Arnalds released his Some Kind of Peace (Piano Reworks) album featuring JFDR, Eydís Evensen, Alfa Mist and more. Ólafur Arnalds' "and we'll leave it there..." single featuring Ella McRobb is out now.
 

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