It's festival season in the Faroe Islands, and our favorite three days in the calendar are pretty much here. We talk to the music director of the G! Festival about which bands to look out for at this year's event. And we are, indeed, still in fundraising mode. If you can help us reach our modest goal, you can throw some coins in the tip jar (or ope…

Brimheim is a Faroese/Danish musician who has a deep musical pedegree in the Faroe Islands. Last year, critics singled out her G! Festival performance as a highlight of the event. Following that performance, she sat down and talked to us. She talks to us about her journey to her triumphant G! Fest perfromance, and how she considers herself a Faroes…

On this episode, we talk to Ragnar Olafson about his new book, Definitely Maybe. It's a book about music in the Faroe Islands and attempts to answer that age-old question: "How can a country so small put out so much music?" This is a subject that has intrigued this podcast for more than 15 years. We'll also hear a little bit from Ragnar's band Árst…

On this mini-pod, we explain why there hasn't been a new podcast in the last five months. Unlike other episodes, there isn't much about the Faroe Islands. But never fear, a new podcast that has actual audio from the Faroe Islands has just posted, too.

This week, we offer a very special episode of the podcast. We talk to Elin Brimheim Heinesen about her new album, which is a collaboraion between Elin, musicians, composers, and arrangers in three different countries, and Elin's late father Jens Pauli Heinesen. Elin has set some of her father's poems to music and set them to an orchestral arrangeme…

On this episode, we launch our 16th season of the podcast by tying up some loose ends from our last show, then we head to a church and struggle to describe some absolutely gorgeous music. If you want to see the highlights of the football (soccer, for all you Americans out there) match, you can watch them here.…

On this podcast, we talk about history being made, both big and small. We start with a bried update on the remarkable rise of KI Klaksvik in the Champion's League qualifying rounds. They've already dispatched teams from Hungary and Sweden, and now stand poised to knock out a team from Norway. They've already become the first Faroese football team t…

On this podcast, we talk about the 20th edition of the G! Festival. We'll hear some of the artists who will perform in Gota next week, and hear about the amenities and atmosphere you can expect at the three-day celebration of music. After that, we'll hang out in a hotel lobby like we're Duke Fame (that's a deep cut). We're also still in fundraising…

On this episode, we visit an old salt silo on Suduroy that has been converted to a performing arts center. We'll hear our impressions of the place back in 2010, when it was abandoned and in pretty rough shape. Then we'll see how it's been transformed into what it is today. There will be music. There will be food. There will be a bit of vertigo as w…

On this episode, we talk to Glenn Larson who heads up Faroe Music Export (FMX). We talk about the music scene in the Faroe Islands, the challenges of promoting music from a remote country, and how this Norwegian ended up living in the Faroe Islands. Also, we stand in a big parking lot where we can see both the future and the past of the Faroe Islan…

On this episode of Home and Away, Stella talks to Iuliia from Russia. She's a professional volleyball player, an coach, and a... lawyer? That's right, she can spike whatever you set, then help you sue the other team because they were cheating. (Not absolutely sure that's the type of law she practices, but we can dream.) We'll talk sport, law, and w…

On this episode, we finish up our conversation with Gudmund Helmsdal. He's the Faroese filmmaker whose short film "Brother Troll" has racked up awards at festivals around the world. He's also worked on "Peter Pan and Wendy" and the last James Bond film, both of which were partially shot in the Faroe Islands. We'll talk abotu the future of filmmakin…

On this episode, we talk to filmmaker Gudmund Helmsdal about his short film, Brother Troll, which has been hoovering up awards at film festivals around the world for more than a year. We'll talk about his journey to becoming a filmmaker, which started in the Faroe Islands and took him to Denmark and Austrailia before returning him to his home. Then…

On this special episode of Home and Away, Stella talks to an Icelandic and a Faroese comedian about an upcoming (now in the past) comedy show in Torshavn, and the gowth of comedy in both the Faroe Islands and Iceland. As always, if you'd like to hear the full episode with including the musical breaks, you can stream it from the FM1 website.…

On this episode, we talk with the head of Visit Faroe Islands about the tourism industry in the Faroe Islands and how its holding up during the weird few years we've all lived through. We also talk about fun things to do when you're visiting in the winter. We also talk about the (almost) announcement of a new Atlantic Airways flight to New York, an…

This week, Stella starts a new series of episodes where the talks to mixed couples about how they met, why they married, and why they chose to make their lives in the Faroe Islands. The first couple is Nelia and Jan Erik Niclasen. Jan Erik is from the Faroe Islands and Nelia is from the island of Saint Vincent in the Caribbean. They talk to Stella …

On this episode, we talk to Sveinur Trondurson about the results of the recent Faroese election. We'll get super-nerdy on the new coalition, the challlenges ahead for the new government, and we pour one out for Self Rule Party, which was one of the original political parties in the Faroe Islands, but was shut out in this most recent election. Then …

On this episode, we cover the national election for the Faroese Law Thing. 160-ish candidates are running for 33-ish seats in the parliament. (There are 33 seats in the Law Thing, but ministerial jobs can push that number up a bit.) We'll visit a polling place, talk to a journalist and a candidate, then head over to the Nordic House and wait for th…

This week, Stella talks to Rosappin Croos from Sri Lanka. Rosappin (who would likely be called Sister Rosappin in Sri Lanka) joined a convent in her home country years ago and was sent to the Faroe Islands last summer. She talks about her time growing up in Sri Lanka, getting used to the cold of the Faroes, and even speaks a little bit of Tamil wit…

On our special Christmas episode of the podcast, we capture some of the sounds of the Faroe Islands during Christmastime. We'll visit a museum in Surudoy, and we'll listen to lots and lots of music. This episode features a lot of music from a concert in Runavik that was being taped for KVF. You can watch the first half of this concert here. Watch t…

On this episode, Stella talks to Christian Imhoff about coaching volleyball in the Faroe Islands, growing up in Argentina, and the usefullness of Vitamin D.

Faroese voters head to the polls this week to chose who will represent them in the Law Thing. On this episode, we'll get an overview of the upcoming election with Sveinur Trondarson, he's the editor of Faroese newspaper Dimmalaetting. We'll also visit a candidate forum in Torshavn and trail our own Heri Simonsen as he casts an early vote at city ha…

This week, Stella talks to Melanie Mellemgaard who was born in South Africa to a South African mom of Indian descent and a Faroese dad. Her family moved to the faroe Islands when she was in school. Stella talks to Melanie about the differences between the two countries and why cooking with butter just isn't the same as with ghee. Note: When this pr…

On this edition of Home and Away, Stella talks to Michael Feldballe about growing up in Denmark, his life in the Faroe Islands, and the benefits of archery. For copyright reasons, we have to remove the music that plays during the breaks, which is a shame because it's quite good. But if you want to listen to a version of this show with the songs inc…

It has been a year of ups and downs for everyone here at Podcast HQ. So many swings that we had to suspend production of the podcast for a large portion of this year. On this short podcast, we answer the question many of you have been asking, "Are you okay?" We'll also answer questions like, "when are you going to put out podcasts on a more regular…

This week we talk to Heri Simonsen about the Faroe Islands Men's National Team's stunning 2-1 victory over Turkey in the Nations League and ask a previously unthinkable question: is the National Team actually good?

Eivor spent part of July and August on her first headlining tour of North America. On this episode, we hop in Eivor's tour van and travel from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia. On the way, we'll stop in Seattle, spend WAY too much time at the Canadian border, and finally make it to the venue with not a moment to spare. It's a rare gl…

We're taking a brief hiatus from our hiatus to bring you this Olavsoka-themed episode. This time out, our good friend Andrias Høgenni takes us to the Torshavn Cathedral to show us a special altarpiece made just for Olavsoka. We'll hear a little music from the historic 2012 Pride rally (which takes place one day before Olavsoka) and feel all warm an…

This episode is short, but after you listen, you may consider that a blessing. On this show, we make a bunch of unhappy announcements about this year's reporting trip, and the near-term future of the podcast.

On this episode, take a tour of the World War Two museum with Dánjal Poulsen. We'll learn about the history of the war that many outsiders may not have even realized touched the Faroe Islands. Heri Simonsen is also on hand to take us to the village that once housed the British officer's quarters.

This week, we check out the new feature on Microsoft Translator that now features Faroese. The results are... sort of funny, really. But despite some giggling, the inclusion of Faroese on a major translation app is a big deal. You can try out the app here. Then we check out the new-ish stadium where EB/Streymur play. We're still raising funds to he…

On this episode, we take a look at FOUR new traffic lights in Torshavn. That's right, in the course of a year the number of traffic lights in the capitol has DOUBLED. That seems like a big deal, which may explain why we've used ALL CAPS in THREE DIFFERENT SENTENCES. Also, at the top of the show, we'll get an update on our annual fundraiser. If you'…

On this episode of Home and Away, Stella talks to Savior Mifsud about his life in the Faroe Islands, what he misses about Malta, and the perils of photography in windy places. Also, we're raising money to fund a new season of podcasts If you can help out, please follow this link and toss a few bucks into the tip jar. Note: This is the last episode …

On this episode, we talk to the director and sound designer of a play that adapts a book written by Carl Johan Jensen. We'll hear about the sounds on stage, and why the director calls the adaptation a "massacre." Also, we're headed back to the Faroes to record more epsiodes of the podcast. If you can help us fund this new season, please go to our g…

On this episode, Stella talks to Lucas Frayssinet about moving to the Faroes, his documentary project and... dried fish. Really!

On this episode, we talk to Hogni Lisberg. He has been a prominent musician in the Faroe Islands for more than 20 years, having performed with the groundbreaking Clickhaze, performing with Eivor, and having a successful solo career of his own. Now he's launched a music publishing company to help get Faroese songs into TV shows, movies, and advertis…

On this episode of Home and Away, Stella talks to Cory Wiggins about growing up in Barbados, his new life in the Faroe Islands, and maybe, just maybe, getting some people to play cricket.

On this episode, we talk about how the war in Ukraine is affecting the Faroese economy and people. We'll also get what may be our final COVID update, talk about Faroese bootlegging, and congratulate a bunch of people who won a bunch of prizes. You can find the Danish website with the COVID entry requirements here. Wanna see the artist's rendering o…

On this episode, we talk to Jens L Thomsen about a sound art installation he created for the new subsea tunnel connecting Streymoy and Eysturoy. Then we drive down into the tunnel to have a listen. If you find yourself in the Faroes and want to listen to this piece, tune your radio to 97.0. (There are no signs near the tunnel that tell you how to t…

On this episode, we pay a visit to... well... kind of the G! Festival, but not really. The 2021 festival was cancelled one week before the music was to start, but on what what would have been the third night of the festival, some music happened on the field that would have held the festival, and that was enough reason for us to show up. We'll hear …

On this edition of Home and Away, Stella talks to Matildu Sivertsen about her time living in Norway and Dubai. Also... why so many cats?

On this episode, it's part two of our conversation with Teitur. We talk about the changes in the Faroe Islands over the past decade both in how it's perceived by foreigners and the Faroese themselves. Then we step outside and contemplate the year to come.

This week, we talk to Teitur about getting knighted, the nature of fame in a country where fame doesn't matter, and why he considers his entire career "career suicide." Then we listen to a little bit of a stunning song from Elin Brimheim Heinesen, and get a little misty about Christmas. To hear the whole song from Elin, follow this link. UPDATE: On…

This week, Stella talks to Juliana Arias Agudelo, who grew up in Colombia, but is now in the Faroes. She'll talk about having children in the Faroes, and why this Christmas will be extra-special for her.

On this podcast we have an uncomfortable conversation about the events on September 12. On that day, more than 1,400 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed on a beach in Eysturoy. We'll gather facts to help you understand exactly what happened, and then talk to our friend Runi Nielsen about what it all means, and what changes might be in store i…

This week, Stella talks to Manjiao Li Ryggstein who grew up in rural China before meeting and marrying a Faroese man. It's a fun story. Also we'll get a COVID update and hear some audio from the Faroe Islands-Denmark match. UPDATE: When we posted this podcast, the Faroe Islands was the only team to score on Denmark during this round of World Cup qu…

This week, we travel to the village of Sund to visit a small farm surrounded by factories and other industrial development. We'll ask why the farm is still there, and what it was like before the development came.

On this episode of Home and Away, Stella talks to Theresa from Germany. Theresa saw a quirky ad for a Faroese bus service and that led her on a journey from her native Germany to the Faroe Islands. We'll here how she's adjusting to life in the Faroes, whether you can be an artist and also "normal," and how sobriety affects Theresa's art.…

On this show, we document our return to the Faroe Islands after being away for two years. There's a little anxiety, a little frustration, an little impatience, and even a couple of tears And, of course, there's cotton swabs at the back of the throat, triggering a gag reflex.

This week's Home and Away is a tribute to Eyðfinn Drewsen, who died last week at the age of 52. He was a DJ, producer, sound tech, voice over guy, and basically a person who could do everything at a radio station. He was literally the voice of FM1 and Ras 2 before that. On this special episode, Stella talks about her memories of Eyðfinn and the thi…