Why Was This Icelandic Band Just Cast in 'GoT'?

HBO's fantasy hit Game of Thrones has a history of dragging modern indie bands into its vast world of monarchical intrigue and now, they're at it again — Game of Thrones Season 4 cast Sigur Ros for an appearance the producers are keeping mysterious for the time being.

When bringing the sounds of Westeros to life, the creative team of Game of Thrones has gone indie instead of Renaissance — last season's "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" (which memorably played in the end credits after some pretty graphic de-handing) was performed by Brooklyn ska band The Hold Steady. It's been an interesting — and so far dynamic — choice on the part of showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. After all, how easy would it have been to just go for the standard medieval fare?

Diving into production on Season 4, Benioff and Weiss have once again turned away from the Renaissance fair staples of flutes and pipes and instead towards Icelandic art-pop band Sigur Rós.

Benioff and Weiss are professed fans of the band, so it's no surprise they would approach them for some kind of musical role in the show. Now, Sigur Rósv—vwhose band members have such truly amazing names as Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Orri Páll Dýrason — is on the set in Croatia filming their appearance.

Everyone is being typically coy about what it is exactly they're doing there and what their appearance will actually entail, but it seems pretty obvious it'll probably involve some sort of music. You heard it hear first.

Game of Thrones doesn't come back to our TV screens for ages, unfortunately, so here's some Hipster Jon Snow to tide you over.

[Image: Wired]