News, music, politics, and culture from the Faroe Islands.
On this episode, we travel to London to meet up with Kate Sanderson. She's the Head of Representation of the Faroe Islands to the United Kingdom. It's kind of like an ambassador, but with many more words in the title. We'll talk about representing the Faroes in the UK and the life of a Faroese diplomat. Then we head to the center of Torshavn and accidentally participate in a church service.
2/24/26 • 31:16
On this episode, we talk to out good friend Hogni about this year's G! Festival. We'll hear about the crowd pleasers, emerging artists, and the occasional curve ball that make the festival what it is. Then we'll listen to a silent disco, which is a little difficult due to the whole "silent" part. Also, we're raising money for a new season of podcasts, if you want to pitch in, here's the link.
7/12/25 • 41:40
On this episode, we learn the history of a Faroese boat whose name, translated into English is "Northern Lights" but whose Faroese name contains characters this American keyboard doesn't have. The creators of this podcast thought the boat was a sailing ship from the late 1800s. Turns out, we couldn't have been farther from the truth. Step onboard as we learn the unexpected history of an iconic Faroese ship.
6/3/25 • 31:19
On this episode, we talk to one of our favorite Faroese musicians, Sakaris. We'll revisit his performance at the 2023 G! Festival and talk about what it takes to write a great song (hint: it often involves writing a lot of bad songs first.) Sakaris has put out a new single, it's well worth a listen. We'll also talk a little about Sissal, the Faroese singer who made it to the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, making her the first Faroese person to achieve that. You can hear her song here.
5/19/25 • 31:15
On this episode, we talk to Faroese hip hop artist Marius DC. He's making a name for himself in both the Faroe Islands and in Europe with his mix of Faroese and English language rap. Then we'll sit on a rock and look at the harbor.
3/18/25 • 32:04
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 open guitar case, whichever metaphor works for you) at our gofundme page. And thank you for everyone who has already donated. It has really made a difference.
7/17/24 • 28:22
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 Faroese nepo-baby, but also an outsider in the Faroes. Brimheim's latest album is called RATKING and it's getting positive notices on both sides of the Atlantic. Also, we've got a brief update on the resolution of the Faroese labor strike. We're also in fundraising mode. If you can help us fund this odd project we're involved with, head over to our gofundme page and show us some love.
7/7/24 • 29:16
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 Árstíðir. We'll also hear some sound recorded high atop a hill overlooking the strait that separates Streymoy and Eysturoy.
5/31/24 • 32:36
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.
5/31/24 • 09:21
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 arrangement. Also, she's translated those poems into English and recorded English-language versions of those songs. The album is gorgeous and emotional and we spend more than 30 minutes talking about how the album came to be, about the life and work of Jens Pauli Heinesen, and his impact on Faroese culture. We'll also hear some of the songs. We open with a bit of A Chasm Of Precious Time and Sorrow Is Beautiful, Too and near the end you'll hear a little of The Chasm Deep Within. If you'd like to buy a copy of the album on vinyl or CD (and we highly recommend you do) it's for sale on the TUTL website. Also, Atlantic Airways has started selling tickets for its 2024 flights between the Faroe Islands and New York. If you'd like to learn more, head on over to the Atlantic Airways website.
12/11/23 • 54:06
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.
12/2/23 • 17:35
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 to qualify for the group stages of a European tournament. History, indeed. Then we talk to the CEO of Atlantic Airways about the historic opening of air service between the Faroe Islands and New York. And finally, we'll visit a long vanished river that has been brought back to life... in the form of a fountain. Also, we're still in fundraising mode and could definitely use your help to nudge us over the finish line. If you're able, please visit our gofundme page and show us a little love.
8/9/23 • 21:23
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 mode. You can help us pay for another season of podcasts by heading over to our Gofundme page and showing us a little love.
7/6/23 • 30:15
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 we ascend a small spiral staircase. What more could you want? Also, we're still in fundraising mode. If you can help us head back to the Faroes to record more episodes of this show, head on over to our gofundme page and show us some love.
6/22/23 • 35:07
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 Islands at the same time. At the top of the show, we announce our fundraising campaign for the year. We're heading back to the Faroes to record more episodes of the podcast, and we could use a little help. If you can help, here's the link to our gofundme page.
6/8/23 • 24:20
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 what it takes to learn a language while also trying to play a team sport.
5/25/23 • 19:26
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 filmmaking in the Faroe Islands, and about plans for his first feature film. Then we go to a church and listen to music from our good friend Stanley Samuelsen,
5/12/23 • 29:25
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 we'll sit on a bench in Torshavn and think about change.
4/27/23 • 36:15
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.
4/9/23 • 21:18
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, and we (almost) stand in the snow in one of the most touristed spots in the Faroes. Note: The story about the Atlantic Airways story could change at any moment. If there are updates, we will post them in the show notes here, and we'll also do a special podcast when the official announcement comes out.
3/28/23 • 32:41
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 about how they met, why they decided to live in the Faroes, their time living in Denmark, and why they came back. If you'd like to hear the full, unedited version of this show, and hear more from the Home and Away archives, you can visit the FM1 website.
3/6/23 • 34:30
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 we'll visit a candidate forum at a university and think about small-scale politics.
2/12/23 • 49:59
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 the results to come in. It's a unique opportunity to view the Faroese electoral process as it happens. But this is a long episode so... pack a lunch.
2/3/23 • 51:04
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 with Stella.
12/31/22 • 41:20
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 the second half here. Merry Christmas to all of you.
12/23/22 • 29:12
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.
12/19/22 • 30:36
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 hall. The Election is on Thursday, December 8th. No matter where you are in the world, you can watch live coverage of election returns on the KVF website.
12/7/22 • 48:07
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 program aired on FM1, it had songs that we had to remove due to copyright restrictions. If you want to hear the episode with the music, you can listen to the original version streamed from the FM1 website right here. Also, we're close to reaching our fundraising goal for this year's reporting trip to the Faroe Islands. If you can nudge us over the finish line, visit our gofundme page and toss a few dollars in the tip jar. Thank you.
11/21/22 • 31:36
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 included, you can listen to it on the FM1 website. Also, the Faroe Islands Podcast is returning to the Faroe Islands in about two weeks. This trip is rescheduled from it's original July dates. When we paused the original trip, we also paused out fundraising campaign. Now that it's back on, we're restarting that campaign. If you can help us out, please head over to our gofundme page and toss a few dollars into the tip jar. Thank you.
11/11/22 • 41:40
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 basis," "are you ever going back to the Faroes," and, "seriously, are you okay?" Not to give anything away, but the answers are all good. Want to make things more good? Come on down to our gofundme page and kick in a few bucks and help us make our next reporting trip to the Faroes a success. (Okay, that was also kind of a spoiler.)
11/10/22 • 08:15
