For years, Swedish singer-songwriter Mats Dernánd resisted putting his track, Waiting for a Train, to record.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Terése Sundh

“I don’t know why I kept pushing it away for so long,” says Dernánd. “But now, I’m beyond excited for the release.”

Perhaps it’s the songs that linger for so long that are the most worthy.

Waiting for a Train opens with a soft, folksy groove which pairs nicely with Dernánd’s soulful vocals. There’s a sense of wanderlust in every note as the lyrics speak of escape and also an excitement of what’s to come. Things get funky in the chorus with some bright guitar and keys before some Billy Joel-esque harmonica comes in, giving the whole thing a timeless feel. A big finish cements the track in your mind. You’ll be humming it for hours afterwards.

Mats Dernánd is an award-winning songwriter, producer, singer, keyboardist, trumpeter, and harmonica player. He’s appeared on these pages several times, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other York Calling favourites &Tilly and Luna Keller. Like his song was to him, he’s an artist that just keeps coming back to us.

Waiting for a Train is out now and you can give it a listen below.