Northern Transmissions got to chat with Peter Morén, known for his work with legendary Swedish group Peter Bjorn and John, about his newest project, SunYears and the upcoming release of their sophomore album, The Song Forlorn. It’s a passionate project about an artist who has grown and is embracing the changes of life with a quiet, respectful reflectance. The Song Forlorn drops on August 21.

Northern Transmissions: Hi Peter. Thanks for taking the time this morning. Well, morning for me, afternoon for you. I’m glad we were able to connect. I wanted to talk about your new project coming out in August. The project was born out of a desire to find your identity, to sort of find yourself again. Do you want to talk about that a little bit?

Peter Morén: Yeah. I guess what started it was during the pandemic. We were supposed to tour with Peter Bjorn and John after Endless Dream came out in 2020, but of course everything got canceled. I was just sitting at home with my guitar, playing a lot of acoustic stuff. I had some old songs I never recorded, and I wrote new ones too. I got a small group of friends and collaborators here in Stockholm, and we recorded. I also invited singers to collaborate—there ended up being four duets on that record.

I’m not sure this project would’ve started without the pandemic. Like everyone, I had this mix of anxiety and reflection, looking backward and forward at the same time. I reconnected with the guitar, in a way, remembering who I was before the pop band, even before Peter Bjorn and John.

I’d made solo records before, mostly in Swedish, but those were clear side projects—experimenting with genres, writing in Swedish, and then going back to the band. But during the pandemic, and also just getting older, something shifted. Now I feel like, creatively, this is the main project. Maybe not economically, but in my head, this is where the songs go. That’s why I wanted a fresh start. Not just “another solo record,” but more like doing a debut again, even at 45. So I put a band name on it. There’s a rotating group of musicians—it’s not always the same lineup—but it still feels like a band.

I’ve been reflecting: before “Young Folks,” before our first two records, I think this is the kind of music I might’ve made if Peter Bjorn and John hadn’t taken off. Back then I was relaxed, just doing what came naturally. That’s where I am again. I’m not overthinking—is this song too long, too soft, too many chords, too few? I just write..

NT: Do you think having this outlet—where you don’t overthink and just let the music flow—helps you in other ways? In Peter Bjorn and John, or even in your life in general?

PM: I think mentally it’s great. When I recorded that first record, the songs were already old—I’d started them around 2020. And as soon as I finished that record, I started this one. It felt like a floodgate opened. I just kept writing and recording, because I had nothing else going on.

On this new record, there are songs that could fit with Peter Bjorn and John, maybe more so than on the first record. But then there are others that are almost like, really folky, that wouldn’t fit at all. So it’s everything in here at the moment.

With the band, I’m not sure right now. We just did an anniversary tour, and we’ll continue next year since it’s the proper 20th anniversary. We’ve recorded a couple of things, but I don’t know when those will come out. Having this outlet helps, though. It means I’m not stressed about delivering for the band, or thinking too much about the other guys. I just write, the way I did when I was younger.

I’m also trying new things on the guitar, writing more. On the first record, there was one instrumental; on this new one, there are one and a half. So there are certain threads that hold these records together—duets, instrumentals, live-in-the-studio playing. If I do a third record, maybe I’ll drop the duet thing so it doesn’t become a gimmick, but I do love it. Hearing another voice sing your song—it gives it more depth. So yeah, it’s all open-ended. That’s kind of amazing.

NT: There were two songs that almost brought me to tears: “Last Night on the Mountain” and the final song, “Song Forlorn.” Both were exceptional. Could you talk about them a little?

PM: Yeah, thanks. They’re quite different. “Last Night on the Mountain” I wrote during the pandemic with Sam Genders, who used to be in a British band called Tunng. They were kind of folk-electronica. He lives in Sweden now. We connected on Zoom, and unlike some of the pop sessions I tried, it just worked. We wrote a couple of songs, and this one stuck with me. I’ve always loved British folk rock—Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, that tradition. So for this one, I thought of Lisa Hannigan. I didn’t know her, but reached out on Instagram. She loved the song, recorded vocals, and sent them over. Then Sam added harmonies. It turned into this beautiful three-part harmony piece. Lyrically, it’s a metaphor: someone stranded on a cold mountain, being rescued. About hope, trust in people. It’s ironic, because the world right now doesn’t always inspire that trust, but maybe a song like this can.

“Song Forlorn” came to me in a funny way. My wife is from the north of Sweden. One Christmas, I was skiing at night alone on a lit trail in the woods. The song just came to me, lyrics and melody, without an instrument. That doesn’t happen often. A lot of my songs now are about mortality—friends struggling with addiction, kids growing up, relationships lasting decades. Hardship, but also glimpses of spirituality. Not religious exactly, but a sense of connection. For me, that comes from family, love, music, and nature. Music especially, it’s like an addiction, but a good one. Even if no one hears the songs, it keeps me going.

That’s why “Song Forlorn” became the title track. It’s about dead ends—like numbing yourself with substances, or chasing constant validation. But the last verse is about how music, or nature, or creating something can give meaning.The recording was raw. Just me, Andreas on bass, and Kyle Crane on drums. We tracked five songs in two days. On “Song Forlorn,” it’s basically one guitar through delays, live. We even ran the drums through tape delay. It forces you to react in the moment, which I love. The only overdubs were vocals and a bit of organ. Later, Madison Cunningham added vocals, which was beautiful.

Northern Transmissions: We only have a couple minutes left. Is there anything else you’d like people to know about this project?

PM: My main focus is that I hope people find Sun Years and listen. There’s one record out, and this new one comes August 21st. It’s hard starting again with a new project, but I’d love to play shows eventually. For now I’m playing a few in Sweden, usually as a trio, just bass, drums, and me. That setup feels right, comfortable, and ya know, dynamic.

This fall I’m also touring with Robert Forster from The Go-Betweens. I produced his new record, Strawberries. He and I met in 2016, stayed in touch, and last year we recorded his album from scratch in Stockholm. It just came out and is getting great reviews, so I’ll be in his band on tour in Europe.

Next year will be more Peter Bjorn and John, since it’s the actual 20th anniversary. We just toured the U.S. playing Writer’s Block because of the Just Like Heaven festival. It was funny, it wasn’t planned, but once we rehearsed it, it felt great. The audience was mixed, a lot of younger fans who grew up with us. Next year we’ll probably do more for the anniversary. And yeah, I’m writing all the time. Maybe too much. I get stressed by all the unfinished songs. But that’s how it is.

NT: Well, I can say it’s a great record, and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully I’ll get to catch it live at some point!

PM: Thank you, I hope so too.

NT: Thanks so much for chatting with me

PM: Sure. Take care.

order The Song Forlorn by SunYears HERE