Finding Neverland: Discover the inspirations behind Sportsman's debut album

Formerly the singer with Swedish pop five-piece The Sonnets, Per named his solo project after a pack of cigarettes he found in the sand on a beach overlooking the Indian Ocean. Inspired by nature, Neverland is a record forged in escape and utopia.

The Swedish island of Öland had particular significance for the record. Retreating off-season to his family's summer house, Per and producer and co-writer Johan Cederberg (aka HNNY) found inspiration away from the city. Öland's ambience and light provided a blank canvas for the record's inception. The duo’s creative friendship was also strengthened through slow morning walks, daily fika (the Swedish version of elevenses) and endless conversations that would prepare them for Neverland.

“Our friendship made this music possible,” says Per, “I couldn't have done it with anybody else. Recording this album is some of the greatest times I've ever had.” Three years in the making, Neverland is an unashamedly indulgent exploration of carefree adolescence and how those memory bubbles transition as we move into adulthood. Per wanted to enshrine his past and present in songs: everything from his “dad giving me a little push as I was taking my first steps out into a football field” and “stealing a bike and getting arrested in Greece when we were eighteen” to “getting married in the summer with an eagle flying overhead”.

Below is a playlist carefully curated by Per that goes some way to illustrate Neverland's musical breadth. ”Some of the songs are just songs we have been listening to while having fika. First Aid Kit, for example. We really obsessed with First Aid Kit when we were on Öland recording. I think we listened to that same album about a hundred times. It's just the perfect music when you want to wash your ears with something pure. Others have more directly inspired the album. I guess like Frank and Chet. Johan keeps introducing me to all this amazing music. Stepping into his apartment is like entering a new world of amazing music, where everything is a little bit softer, kinder, cosier. Sitting by his kitchen table, listening to records, drinking coffee is one of my favourite things to do. I guess what goes for all of the songs is that they go straight into my heart”.

Follow the playlist on Spotify. Neverland is out via Best Fit Recordings on June 2. Pre-order here.