SunYears – the solo alias of Peter Morén, best known from the internationally acclaimed indie band Peter Bjorn and John is returning with new music after announcing the release of their album “The Song Forlorn” which is due out on August 21st via Villa Records. The latest single, ‘Last Night on the Mountain’ which premiered on these pages two weeks ago, is a folk ballad about trust, hope, and holding on through hard times. Featuring acclaimed Irish singer Lisa Hannigan and British songwriter Sam Genders (Tunng, Diagrams), the track is the third single from the album following ‘Dark Eyes’ and ‘(Going To A) Cruel Country’.
The single was born out of a long-distance collaboration between Morén and Genders during the pandemic. Despite never having met in person, they wrote several songs together – but this one stood out. Sam Genders says: “We’d both gone through some tough times, but when we started exchanging ideas, hope started creeping back in. The image of someone stuck on a frozen mountain, knowing help is on the way – that really resonated.”. Lisa Hannigan was also delighted to be involved and adds, “I was thrilled to hear from Peter about collaborating on a song. I loved switching between the melody and the harmony as the colours change, my favourite place to be.”
With the new album, SunYears appears to expand the intimate, genre-spanning sound first introduced on 2023’s “Come Fetch My Soul!” which featured guest appearances by Ron Sexsmith, Jess Williamson, Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats), Ron Harvieu and Kathyrn Williams. The focus, this time, seems to be more on organic interplay, raw live takes, and collaborations to add texture and depth. The album also features contributions, this time from Lisa Hannigan, Sam Genders, Nicole Atkins, Madison Cunningham, and De Clair, with musical influences ranging from jangly guitar pop and folk rock to stark piano ballads and gritty garage rock. It was recorded in various sessions and locations – including a Stockholm basement studio with Kyle Crane (Daniel Lanois, Neko Case, M. Ward) and at Studio Rymden with producer Daniel Bengtson.
“The Song Forlorn” Tracklisting:
Where Are We?
Dark Eyes
Last Night On The Mountain (ft. Lisa Hannigan and Sam Genders)
Your Dad Was Sad
(Going To A) Cruel Country
If You Were To Ask (ft De Clair.)
Spanner In The Works
The Body (ft. Nicole Atkins)
Swamp Mob
The Song Forlorn (ft. Madison Cunningham)
