After Hours: Peter Morén

We’ve had The Last Tycoon, the debut album from Peter Morén on heavy rotation at TLOBF for weeks now. On a brief hiatus from his day job in Peter Bjorn & John, Morén has proved he has the chops to make it on his own as a solo artist. But what makes him tick? We caught up with him last week to find out.

Who’s your favourite new band at the moment?
Probably a swedish band called Park Hotell. They’ve only released one ep last year, which I really enjoyed. Kind of New Orderish. I also really like White Williams.

What’s been the best album you’ve heard in the last 12 months?
12 months is a long time to remember. Probably a classic reissue. I get a lot of those. But if you mean new, I’d say this swedish girl Anna Järvinen. She used to sing in English, in a band called Granada, but her solo debut is in swedish and is called “Jag Fick Feeling” (“I got feeling”).It’s hard even for a swede to hear what’s she’s singing though. The album is recorded with the Dungen musicians and has a really special sound, kind of old brittish folkrock (it has that Fairport Convention/Vashti Bunyan-feel) but filtered through fragile (brittish again) 80′s indie-pop.

What was the last book you read?
The last book I finished was Peter Guralnick’s biography over Sam Cooke, “Dream Boogie”. I really like Cookes music, but he seemed to be a real man of contradictions, kind of an asshole really. The last really great one I read was Ian McEvans “On Chesil Beach.”

What was the last film your saw in the cinema?
A french film called “Le Fils de l’épicier”. Really a bagatelle, a feelgood film with lovely sceneries from the countryside in Provence. Makes me wish I was there.

If push came to shove, what’s your all-time favourite song?
I honestly can’t say that, but today it’s “Take On Me” by A-ha,

MP3 / CD / Vinyl: what’s your format of choice?
MP3=fast food, CD=Lunch, Vinyl=A’la Carte

What’s the best TV show you’re currently following?
I don’t really follow anything on TV, but I watch on DVD. A Swedish thriller/criminal-series called “Graven” (“The Grave”), really got me totally hooked. I also love “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Father Ted” and “Brideshead Revisited”.

What one piece of criticism has stuck in your mind and was it justified?
All my girlfriends criticism of me is justified. She’s very wise and keeps me grounded.

What one thing has caused you to waste your free time in the past 6 months?
This that I’m doing right now. Computers, internet, Youtube. Dreadfull.

Do you follow any type of sport? If so, who’s your “home team”?
No I don’t follow sports, especially not team sports. I enjoy watching cross-country-skiing.

What’s your poison?
Definately coffee and pastries. I’ve been off alcohol for almost 4 weeks and it works just fine, but I would have a hard time giving the caffeine/sugar-rush up.

We want you to make us a mix-tape. Pick five tracks with a theme of your choice.
The songs that made me wake up to pop music as a 5-7-year-old:
ELO: Confusion
Steve Miller Band: Abracadabra
Paul McCartney: Take It Away
ABBA: When I kissed the teacher
Elvis Presley: Heartbreak Hotel

The Last Tycoon is released April 8th (US) and May 5th (UK). He sets out on an exstensive tour on April 9th, check his myspace for details.