RAKEL, a singular presence in the Icelandic music landscape, has released “rescue remedy,” the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, a place to be. The album is scheduled for release in October 2025 via Ólafur Arnalds’ OPIA Community label.
“rescue remedy” is a gently defiant anthem about reclaiming your sense of self. The track builds around a steady, heartbeat-like pulse from an arpeggiated acoustic guitar, played by Ómar Guðjónsson. Floating above this are delicate, layered brass and flute melodies from Bergur Þórisson and Björg Brjánsdóttir, which weave around RAKEL’s distinct vocals. The song’s texture moves between warmth and tension, mirroring what the artist calls “the moment you start to choose clarity over confusion.” It’s a quiet yet powerful declaration of release.
“I wrote rescue remedy back in november 2022 on the couch in my home in Reykjavík,” says RAKEL. “It was inspired by the moment you realize that holding onto someone, or the idea of them, has started to drain your sense of self. I was exploring that turning point where you start to choose clarity over confusion, and self-worth over attachment. The song captures the lingering pull of someone’s presence, but also the growing sense that it’s time to let go. It’s a reminder of my boundaries, my clarity, and the strength it takes to walk away, even when part of you still feels the pull.”
The upcoming album, a place to be, co-created with Danish producer Sara Flindt, is described as part diary, part landscape. It folds together voice, field recordings, and intimate sounds captured in meaningful locations—from her family farm to a Copenhagen dorm room. The record explores themes of presence, longing, and quiet transformation, creating a sonic world that feels both lived-in and emotionally precise.
As a first glimpse, “rescue remedy” offers a compelling introduction to an album that promises not resolution, but a space for being—a room, a landscape, a place to be.