[1][2] After forming in January 2011, Samaris entered and won the 2011 Icelandic Músíktilraunir competition.

[4] Following this, the group self-released their Hljóma Þú (2011) EP, which won the band an Icelandic Kraumur award.

[7] A further self-released EP, Stofnar falla, followed in 2012 before the group signed with One Little Indian Records.

[9] Samaris's self-titled debut album was released in July 2013, which combined the tracks from their two previous EPs along with four remixes,[10] to generally favourable reviews.

[10][12] The follow-up album Black Lights (2016), which had been recorded in Berlin the year prior, marks their switch to making music in English.