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James Yorkston and friends – Songs for Nina and Johanna
Songs for Nina and Johanna is the beautiful new album from James Yorkston, his sixteenth on Domino and his third to be recorded in Stockholm in conjunction with members of The Second Hand Orchestra. Nina Persson (The Cardigans), who teamed up with James on his previous critically-acclaimed album, The Great White Sea Eagle, this time divides singing duties with Johanna Söderberg (First Aid Kit), the two of them singing separately with James on five and four tracks respectively.
How does an artist approach a new album after over two decades of releasing music? In James Yorkston’s case, he focuses on the things that matter to him; these are songs about family, love and parenthood. He writes gentle, tender melodies that soar and swoop in equal measure and, of course, he ends up being accompanied by two of Sweden’s most recognisable female vocalists. “Who wouldn’t embrace the chance to sing with two great Swedish voices? When the idea for Johanna to join the fold was suggested, I leapt at the chance. Nina and Johanna, they complement, yet never compete. And me? I tried not to get in their way, tried to give them space to interpret the songs as they felt.”
Recording sessions began in January 2024 at Studio Rymden under the watchful eye of studio owner and co-producer Daniel Bengtson, who steadied the ship after a sudden illness meant that Karl Jonas Winqvist, leader of The Second Hand Orchestra, was not present during the bulk of the recording. His absence led to an agreement to not use the band’s name for this release. However, members and associates of the collective appear across the record, including guitarist Peter Morén (Peter Bjorn and John), violinist Ullis Gyllenberg and whirlwind saxophone player, Lina Langendorf. Once again, they were joined by drummer Lars Skoglund, who also worked on The Great White Sea Eagle.
“I tried to steer us towards as much as structure as possible, and to create a less chaotic vibe in the studio compared to the previous album,” Bengtson explains. “James has a very clear vision which enables whoever is in the session to capture whatever emotion needs to be captured. It made for a very vibey and productive recording session.” Yorkston, appreciative of the feeling that Bengtson creates in the studio, explains, “a studio, for me, should be a place where every idea can be explored and given its own time. A place where musicians can suggest ideas knowing they’ll be listened to and considered. Daniel understands and provides that open atmosphere.”
Whereas the band’s previous work with Yorkston was characterised by its improvisation, the sessions for Songs for Nina and Johanna were more structured. “This time James did send a couple of demos, and I felt there was a clearer intent around the album,” explains Morén. As with The Great White Sea Eagle, Yorkston chose to write a number of songs on the piano despite being a more conventionally-talented guitarist. “His limitations as a pianist create a cool style that set the tone for the album,” suggests Bengtson. With the framework and songs in place, the recording process was all-consuming. “We recorded most of the material live in the room, all together, at the same time. It was intense. The energy in the room really comes through on the album, and it’s something that can’t be recreated afterwards. When you get the right take, it’s an amazing feeling,” describes Söderberg.
The first fruits of Songs for Nina and Johanna began with Yorkston and Persson, whose extensive touring as a duo had led to the early composition of one song, ‘With Me, With You’. “We could play and hone it on tour. It was nice to work a song before it had been produced,” she recounts. With her trademark voice that fits so seamlessly with Yorkston’s, Persson has never been preoccupied with trying to make Yorkston’s songs her own. “I think of myself more like a storyteller or actor. I enjoy not being a subject and more of a craftsperson in this format.”
However, when Persson decided that due to timing issues she couldn’t commit to a full album, it was suggested by both Daniel Bengtson and Karl Jonas Winqvist that Johanna Söderberg might be a good fit to join the project. Despite Johanna’s appreciation of James’s music – Bengtson had played her some of James’ music when they worked on First Aid Kit’s Palomino together – she felt some trepidation before entering the studio. “James’ songs, and especially the lyrics, immediately resonated with me. I knew instantly that this was something I wanted to be involved in. That said, stepping into the studio with new people is always nerve-wracking. I hadn’t worked with James before, and I wasn’t sure how our voices would blend. There’s always that moment of uncertainty when you haven’t yet sung together… but I had this gut feeling that it was going to work, and I’m so grateful it did! The process ended up being beautiful.”
James Yorkston – “It goes without saying, singing with Johanna was amazing. It reminded me of countless magical nights spent in folk clubs, leaning in to the other singers, bending the notes, teasing the tunes, the harmonies. Truly special.”
Söderberg was heavily pregnant with her second child during the recording sessions, something which may have seeped into her performances. “Being at that late stage of pregnancy made me especially emotional and open, and I think that added something to the recordings.” Söderberg’s favourite track, ‘Oh Sparrow, Up Yours’, discusses childhood cancer. “I was so moved by it that I started crying. I think you can feel that motherly vulnerability in my voice on that song.”
Heightened emotions were a recurring theme throughout the recording sessions. While recording ‘A Moment Longer’, the tingling Yorkston/Persson duet, saxophonist Nina Langendorf also found herself overwhelmed. “It was hard for me to hold back the tears even from the first note but as soon as James and Nina started singing in harmony, I lost it. Nina told me afterwards that she had turned around and got quite surprised by the view of me standing there weeping. I realised I had to play too and somehow I managed to bring up the horn and catch that moment where I was meant to enter in the song,” remembers Langendorf.
Elsewhere on the record, ‘Love That Tree’ is a mini-drama contained within a song, one that Yorkston likes to think of as an off-cut from Grease, where “some of the bad guys smoked too much weed and lost track of which dance moves they should be doing.” Whereas ‘Oh Light, Oh Light’ deals with the necessity of breaking free from history’s shackles – “Why stress over events that happened twenty years ago? We have this time ahead – use it!” – ‘Love / Luck’ is a pop song that transports Yorkston to sunnier climes. “When Lina Langendorf’s sax solo kicks in, I can imagine us all in a classic convertible car, racing down to do nothing whatsoever in Southern Spain, despite the song having been written in a damp recording studio in North East Fife after an afternoon dolphin watching...”
Tender and heart-breaking yet overwhelmingly life-affirming, Songs for Nina and Johanna is a vital addition to the James Yorkston catalogue. Its release on 22nd August 2025 will include a limited-edition Dinked LP format that contains a bonus CD featuring four alternate reimaginations of tracks by The Second Hand Orchestra, bringing this story of collaboration and creativity full circle. Winqvist jokes, “listening back to what we did, someone in the orchestra said “Well, we could not go wrong, could we? The original versions are so rich and strong, even jokers like us can make quite good things just reimagining it“.
