Peter, Bjorn and John (though really Bjorn, John and Peter).
I emailed my friend Peter, from Peter Bjorn And John, and asked him to give you guys a little peek into his Stockholm and Sweden. Below is what he had to say. Not only is this a great little thing to print out if you want good tips on where to eat, drink, walk and buy records but it will also make it SO much easier if you wanna stalk him next time you’re in town.
PBJ are heading to Texas and California soon for some shows and after that you can catch them at various festivals in Europe. See all tour dates here.
Their latest album Gimme Some is out now (StarTime International/Cooking Vinyl).
Three things not to miss when in Sweden?
1.The archipelago outside Stockholm
2.The island Gotland
3. Going up to the most northern part in the summer and have neverending sun all night.
Your favourite Swedish album of all time?
It might not be the best album per se but I like returning to it never the less; Studio by Tages. Partly because I have a weak spot for midly psychedelic 60′s popsike in general and when it’s done in an odd swedish accent with goofy lyrics and folk violins from the part I grew up in (Dalarna) I just can’t resist it.
Sweden in one sentence?
Boring, beautiful and worthwhile.
Three things the rest of the world could learn from Sweden?
1. The benefits of helping out each other through taxpaying and not be totally egoistic.
We are going towards the right like the rest of Europe; but I do hope we can somehow turn the trend and keep Sweden socialistic.
2. We are not there yet by far; but we are pretty aware of the importance of equality between the genders
3. For pop music-writers and performers (English is after all the international pop music language) I think it helps that we don’t dub television series and films here like they do in Spain or Germany and other places.
Favourite…
…walk in Stockholm?
It’s very “bourgeoisie” but I love taking a walk with dog and wife around the beautiful half-island that is Djurgården.
So green and calm it’s hard to understand it’s in the middle of a city.
…music venue?
Debaser Slussen is a proper small rock ‘n’ roll-club.
I love it during the weekdays when there’s not too many people there and some obscure band are playing for us nerds. During the weekend it’s more like a kindergarten and a bit too crowded for my taste. I also really like Strand, and KB in Malmö.
…bar?
Has to be Snottys on Skånegatan. It’s close to my studio, they serve decent food and usually don’t play music that irritate me and you can bring your dog.
…café?
Gilda at Nytorget, probably for the same reasons as Snottys. Apart from maybe the music..
…shop?
Pet Sounds. Also close to my studio. And close to Snottys and Gilda. And they sell records. I like records.
…street?
Ha, ha…this is an extreme cliché but Skånegatan. For the same reason as all the above. On the other hand I really do like walking around on deserted streets in Östermalm where you only meet old ladies and snobs. It’s calming.
…restaurant?
Råkultur serves exceptional sushi; as good as most of the best sushi I’ve tried around the world.
…place?
Hammarbyhöjden is the best suburb, not only ’cause I live there but because it’s really close to the city and still you feel like you’re way out in the countryside.
