For the latest episode of our podcast, host John Fleming recently interviewed Björn Yttling of Yttling Jazz and Peter Bjorn and John.

Yttling Jazz’s latest single, “Strange,” is a collaboration with Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie. The track is included on the deluxe edition, “Illegal Hit (Out Of Bounds),” which was released today. 

Also on the new release is the single “Distant Star,” with Little Dragon’s Yukimi providing vocals. 

“She was really, like, nailing that track, for sure, and we wrote the lyrics together over, like, texting each other back and forth, and then recorded it in a day, so she’s a lovely person; it was great,” Yttling said. 

The music video for the track was directed by Henry Moore Selder, whose credits include The Hives. 

While Yttling Jazz is sonically different from Peter Bjorn and John, there’s always at least one consistent for Björn: a love for melody. 

“I think it’s not so much difference in, like, arranging,” Yttling said comparing jazz and rock music. “You have a little piece of music, and you repeat it and then you do something else and you repeat it again.”

Those who hear the “Illegal Hit” album, which was originally released in 2025, may notice whistling. It’s something listeners will likely find reminiscent of Björn’s other band. 

“Yeah, you know, whistling is kind of the easiest instrument to pick up,” Yttling said with a laugh. 

While working on Peter Bjorn and John’s 2006 global hit, “Young Folks,” Yttling began whistling as a placeholder for an instrumental part. But it ended up being better than anything else they could have planned. 

“It started to grow on you,” he recalled. “We used whistling quite a lot on that album.”

The lead single from Peter Bjorn and John’s third album, “Writer’s Block,” would be the breakthrough in Yttling’s career that would inevitably lead to a notable selection of collaborators. 

That list of credits includes Natasha Beddingfield, Franz Ferdinand, Lykke Li, the late director David Lynch, Tom Odell, and Weezer.

And in 2014, the Swedish artist and producer added Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chrissie Hynde when she released her solo album, “Stockholm.”

“She’s a legend,” Yttling said. “So I was a little bit … intimidated and like, ‘Is this gonna work?’”

Despite his love for Hynde, Yttling knew emulating  The Pretenders frontwoman’s signature sound would be hard work.

He’d go on to co-write nearly every song on the album solely with Hynde, playing multiple instruments. 

“She wanted me to come up with melodies … that she could … write lyrics to.”

Yttling’s involvement with the record would evolve when Hynde found out (through Google, Björn recalls) that he was also a producer. 

“I said, OK, I’ll produce your record if you get Neil Young to play guitar on it, and she said, ‘No problem.’”

Young would, indeed, perform on the song “Down the Wrong Way.”

“Maybe it was the favorite moment of me working, you know, period,” Yttling added. 

Additionally, Yttling Jazz recently collaborated with Miike Snow on the single “Ingrid The Sailor.” The extra “i” in the artist’s name is a nod to film director Takashi Miike. 

Credit: Henry Moore Selder