Description
Back in 2006, Swedish indie pop trio Peter Bjorn and John burst onto the international scene with their inescapable song “Young Folks.” 20 years later, the intro hook remains one of the most iconic whistle melodies in indie music. You’re probably singing it in your head right now. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their breakout hit and subsequent album Writer’s Block, Peter Bjorn and John joined KCRW for a live performance at Bob Clearmountain’s Berkeley Street Studios.
In an era of maximalist pop production, Peter Bjorn and John remind us just how much you can do with guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. The trio delivered tight grooves and catchy riffs, and the quality of their songwriting shines in such a stripped back set up. They blend surfy guitar tones with precision picked bass, crisp drums, and raw vocal energy that captures the album’s emotional vulnerability.
In addition to “Young Folks,” the band played some other standouts from Writer’s Block like the breakup anthem “Let’s Call It Off,” the wistful and lovesick “Amsterdam,” and “Up Against the Wall” with its earworm one-note hook. Taken as a whole, Writer’s Block tells a heartfelt story about love and loss that summons nostalgia for the kind of mid-2000s indie earnestness captured in movies like Juno and Garden State.
The performance is not the first time Peter Bjorn and John joined KCRW in-studio. They performed an acoustic version of “Young Folks” on Morning Becomes Eclectic back in 2009 and graced the School Night stage in their early days touring the US. But 20 years on from Writer’s Block, Peter Bjorn and John are now in their 50s. They bring a middle-aged sensibility and gravitas to the album that catapulted them to fame as young folks. Perhaps at 20 years old, Writer’s Block has become part of the “old style” the band sings about on the song, but its youthful sincerity feels timeless.
Thank you to Berkeley Street Studios, Brandon Duncan, and Ira Becker for hosting and recording the session as well as KCRW’s mixing and mastering Engineer Katie Gilchrest and KCRW producer Zeke Reed.
00:00 Let's Call It Off
04:18 The Chills
09:12 Paris 2004
13:40 Up Against the Wall
21:45 Start to Melt
25:02 Amsterdam
29:25 Young Folks
34:44 Objects of My Affection
42:12 Second Chance
47:56 Teen Love/Teenage Kicks
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Berkeley Street Studios:
Brandon Duncan— Lead Audio Engineer
Ira Becker — Assistant Audio Engineer
KCRW:
Vice Cooler —Director & Editor
Dalton Blanco — Director of Photography
Jack Arthur — Camera Operator
Rommel Alcantara — Photography/Social
Katie Gilchrest — Mixing and Mastering Engineer
Zeke Reed — Producer and writer
Credits:
Artist:
Peter Morén
Björn Yttling
Nino Keller
Berkeley Street Studios:
Brandon Duncan— Lead Audio Engineer
Ira Becker — Assistant Audio Engineer
KCRW:
Vice Cooler —Director & Editor
Dalton Blanco — Director of Photography
Jack Arthur — Camera Operator
Rommel Alcantara — Photography/Social
Katie Gilchrest — Mixing and Mastering Engineer
Zeke Reed — Producer and writer
Tyler Boudreaux — Producer
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