Come Fetch My Soul!, the debut album from SunYears, a new musical venture from Swedish singer/songwriter Peter Morén of Peter Bjorn and John, is out now on Yep Roc Records. “Last Night I Dreamt That I Met Phil & Don” is the latest single off the new album, a rockabilly-esque track that takes inspiration from a dream meeting pop legends The Everly Brothers. Buy a copy of Come Fetch My Soul! on CD or LP here.
Of the song, Morén offers: “I rather often dream of my musical heroes. The most common one is jamming with Macca on Buddy Holly songs. But a couple of years ago I had this very vivid, clear vision where I met The Everlys in the Army (having read that they served in the Marines), they shared life and career advice and I ended up jamming with them. Exactly as the song goes, word by word more or less. The start of so much music I love, the basic backbone and heritage, often circle back to The Everlys. And as time rolls by they have become one of those things I can put on at any time and just feel right at ease. Like they’re friends or relatives, almost. I really wanted to have a harmony and co-lead to salute Phil & Don and thought of Eric D. Johnson aka Fruit Bats and also now part of the amazing Bonny Light Horseman. He really dug the song and picked up a Grateful Dead/American Beauty-vibe. Well why not…Loved his singing on it.”
Produced by Peter Morén, Ruben Engzell, and Daniel Bengtson, mixed by Niklas Berglöf,, and mastered by Magnus Lindberg, all songs on the album were written by Peter Morén except “Wake Up,” which was written by Peter Morén, Kathryn Williams, and Ren Harvieu. Previously released singles and videos include, “Come Fetch My Soul! (feat. Jess Williamson),”, “Slipping Away,” and “Granddad’s Song (feat. Ron Sexsmith)”.
Ranging from dreamy folk and Beatles-esque pop to psychedelic guitar jangle and shimmering balladry, the album is a result of nostalgic listening habits while being in the present and looking to the future, thematically derived from dreams, relations and existence. The 10-track album’s melodic wisdom immediately feels familiar yet is unexplored territory for Morén, who delivers a collection of tunes that instantly feel timeless.
For the album, Morén enlisted fellow indie artists Ron Sexsmith, Jess Williamson, Eric Johnson (Fruit Bats, Bonny Light Horseman), and Kathryn Williams, which resulted in multiple duets throughout the album. The closing track “Wake Up,” written during a songwriting retreat, features Kathryn Williams and Ren Harvieu. “During that trip, we sang a lot together in different groups,” explains Morén, “and it was that spirituality of singing with other people that I want to bring into this record.”
An open-ended name that references both the classic sound of 1950s Sun Records and the passage of time itself, SunYears has been years in the making with a figurative birth that came during the pandemic. With touring scrapped, Morén rediscovered his love of playing guitar in solitude and the art of collaboration, which he did with a tight-knit group of friends and peers in his hometown of Stockholm. “Those experiences brewed something in me,” he recalls. “Looking at how other people make music and dipping in and out of other environments was really inspiring.”
Come Fetch My Soul! Tracklisting:
- Come Fetch My Soul! (feat. Jess Williamson)
- Day To Day Way
- Two Birds, Mid-Flight
- Granddad’s Song (feat. Ron Sexsmith)
- A Dog’s Life
- Slipping Away
- These Quiet Tunes
- Last Night I Dreamt That I Met Phil & Don (Feat. Fruit Bats)
- Wordy
- Wake Up! (feat. Ren Harvieu & Kathryn Williams)