Current – Nordic Festival Talent Exchange Launches at by:larm
Current – Nordic Festival Talent Exchange is a brand new collaborative initiative between Iceland Music, Iceland Airwaves, Music Norway, by:Larm, Music Export Denmark and SPOT Festival. Its purpose is to strengthen Nordic collaboration within the Live Music and Showcase sector, supporting artistic development and increase international opportunities across the Nordic region. The project is supported by The Nordic Culture Fund.
Current advertised an Open Call to artists in late May and the application deadline closed on June 2. The project received 118 applications from talent all across the three participating countries, showing strong interest and highlighting the need for an initiative of this kind. The participating export offices worked alongside the festivals making a shortlist of artists and the festivals chose 6 participants, 2 from each country. The artists will perform all three festivals, receive travel and accommodation grants from Current and fees from the festival partners. In addition Current will curate an exclusive networking program for the participating artists, and their teams, at each stop.
Current will launch next week at by:larm in Oslo, continues at Iceland Airwaves in November 2026 and concludes at SPOT Festival in Aarhus in May 2027.
Meet the artists
Current is proud to announce the 6 participating artists this year, which range from hiigh octane techno to acoustic folk and touches on a variety of genres in between:
Alba Akvama
Alba Akvama is a Copenhagen-based composer and songwriter emerging from the city’s progressive underground scene. Her music blends fluid guitar lines, meditative vocals, and minimalist arrangements into intimate songs shaped by emotional restraint and quiet intensity.
She made her official debut in 2026 with the EP Minute Nothing, introducing a distinct voice within contemporary European alternative pop. Her live career has quickly expanded beyond Denmark. Following her first solo performances in 2025, she recently completed a UK tour supporting Mark William Lewis and performed alongside Joanne Robertson at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. In 2026, she continues to build momentum with appearances at Danish festivals including Bloom, Syd For Solen, and Alter Festival.
Still early in her career, Alba Akvama is establishing herself as a compelling new voice in Scandinavian alternative music, combining intimate songwriting with a strong and singular artistic vision.
Arny Margret
Arny Margret is an Icelandic singer-songwriter known for her introspective folk songwriting and quietly evocative vocal style.
In 2025, Arny Margret released her second album, I Miss You, I Do, via One Little Independent Records. The album marked a significant artistic expansion, incorporating fuller, Americana-influenced arrangements and recordings made across Iceland and the United States.
Arny Margret has toured extensively across Europe and North America and has supported artists including Of Monsters and Men, Leif Vollebekk, Passenger, Wilco, Blake Mills, and Ásgeir. She has performed at major international festivals such as SXSW, Eurosonic Noorderslag, Newport Folk Festival and more.
Her work has received multiple industry accolades. She was nominated for Newcomer of the Year at the Icelandic Music Awards in 2022 and won Best New Act at the Iceland Airwaves Plus Awards the same year. She’s won Song of the Year at the Icelandic Music Awards twice (2023 and 2026) as well as receiving multiple other nominations.
Arny Margret has been featured and championed by outlets including Rolling Stone, The Guardian, NME, Clash, and The Line of Best Fit.
Farveblind
Emerging from Copenhagen’s underground scene, Farveblind are a Danish trio turning raw energy into euphoric chaos on the dance floor. Consisting of Jens Asger Lykkeboe Mouritzen, Magnus Pilgaard Grønnebæk and Anders Norre Arendt, Farveblind built their reputation through explosive performances that transformed venues into communal release valves. Their relentless live energy quickly earned them acclaim on festival stages including Roskilde Festival, Eurosonic and Reeperbahn Festival.
Their latest release Micro Pleasures expands the band’s sonic universe through collaborations with artists across genres and backgrounds, including k.flay, Elliphant, Emmeline, Jesse Markin and Django Django.
Beyond the stage, the trio’s music has reached an international audience through placements in acclaimed TV series such as Gen V and Young Royals.
Fig Tape
With a sound that balances the raw energy of early 2000s alternative rock with forward-thinking production, the Oslo based project Fig Tape is a compelling and innovative presence in the indie and alternative pop landscape.
Fig Tape’s debut album, Forcefed Serenity (October 2025) earned a prestigious Spellemann nomination (Norwegian Grammy) in the Alternative Pop category. This recognition follows years of consistent momentum; since 2023, Fig Tape has been a staple on NRK P3—Norway’s premier radio station—with several singles receiving long-term listing and heavy rotation. This domestic success is mirrored by international attention from tastemakers like Zane Lowe, who has featured Fig Tape on Apple Music’s global radio show.
On stage, Fig Tape is known for high-intensity performances that translate studio experimentation into a visceral live experience. Performing as a three-piece band, the live show brings a raw, organic edge to electronic production. From showcase sets at Eurosonic (ESNS), SOHO Calling, and Vill Vill Vest to supporting pop sensation Sigrid, Fig Tape has solidified a reputation as a versatile and electrifying live act.
Nom De Guerre
Nom De Guerre is an Oslo-based electronic hip-hop duo consisting of rapper and songwriter Vuyo and producer Ultraposh (Ole-Petter Ålgård). Combining house music, alternative hip-hop, UK club influences and South African rhythms, the duo creates a sound that connects dancefloor culture with storytelling, live performance and contemporary electronic music.
The duo’s first two releases were both nominated for Norway’s Spellemann Awards (Norwegian Grammys) in the Electronic category. Their music has received radio support in Norway and South Africa, been featured in film, and helped establish the project as one of the most distinctive new voices in Norwegian electronic music.
Live, Nom De Guerre presents an immersive audiovisual experience combining live vocals, electronic performance and bespoke visuals developed in collaboration with designer Bendik Schrøder. The project has appeared at leading Norwegian festivals including Øyafestivalen, Moldejazz, Trondheim Calling and Bergtatt, building a reputation for energetic and visually striking performances.
SCAM
SCAM debuted their live show at Iceland Airwaves in fall 2025 and immediately got booked for Roskilde Festival, catapulting them to a cult status in the local Reykjavík scene. The multilayered, high intensity electro-pop project of Icelandic composers and music producers Herdís Stefánsdóttir (East of my Youth) and Salka Valsdóttir (Daughters of Reykjavík) started when classically trained musician and film composer Stefánsdottir met Salka as she was performing her music at a small venue in Reykjavik.
Inspired by the sound of Valsdóttir’s unique music production, the two began exchanging ideas as long-distance penpals, trading music ideas over email. This creative dialogue evolved over a few years ultimately forming SCAM.
In an era where electronic music often gravitates toward either club functionality or pop accessibility, SCAM occupy an intriguing middle ground. Their music is undeniably danceable, yet equally cinematic. It feels designed for headphones as much as festival stages, balancing experimentation with immediacy.
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