Året Var releases debut album "Året var 2026" and sets out on tour in December

In September, the prog ensemble Året Var steps onto the Swedish music scene with their debut album Året var 2026, which will be released on September 4, 2026—one week before the Swedish parliamentary election. The album is thematic and draws inspiration from a politically charged year where social issues and personal stories meet, conveyed with an approach marked by sharp social observation, irony, and reflection.

Leading up to the album release, Året Var will release the single ”Ryggraden”, which highlights the working class's fundamental but often overlooked role in society. Guitarist and vocalist Sanna Sikborn Erixon describes the song as a tribute to the people who support the structure of society—their names rarely appear in celebrity columns, but their contributions form the foundation of our communities. The lyrics portray feelings of disappointment and broken expectations, where strength is found in ordinary people like Fatima and Bengt rather than in familiar faces in the media.

Earlier in the summer, the band released the double single "Nämndeman - om medelklassens dilemma / Ljudet i mitt <3" and showcased a broad range of emotions and musical versatility. The tracks, like much of the album, combine incisive social criticism with personal storytelling. The band's live debut at Slakthuset Block Party in Gothenburg was received positively by Göteborgs-Posten, which particularly highlighted the dynamic collaboration between Tove Styrke and Sanna Sikborn Erixon as well as the energy and authenticity of the performance.

The debut album also features Lotta Lundgren and Ulla Skoog, contributing to a versatile soundscape and oxygen-rich narrative style. The entirety balances political observations and personal experiences, charged with the seriousness, humor, and self-irony that have become the band's hallmark.

First tour confirmed for December 2026

Året Var now announces their very first tour, with selected dates in major Swedish cities during December. The band emphasizes their excitement to bring the organic and direct approach from the album recording to the stage and meet the audience in the power of live performance. The tour dates are:

• December 4, 2026 – Grand, Malmö
• December 5, 2026 – Skeppet, Gothenburg
• December 11, 2026 – Kollektivet Livet, Stockholm

In addition, Året Var will support Valter Nilsson at Trädgården in Stockholm and will guest Lisa Ekdahl on September 1, 2026 at Mosebacketerassen. After the tour, the group plans more performances in 2027 to continue their growing engagement with the live music scene.

Året Var was founded from Tove Styrke’s and Sanna Sikborn Erixon's shared love for Swedish prog, indie pop, rock, and lyrics in Swedish. Musically, influences can be heard from Nationalteatern, Broder Daniel, Kjell Höglund and Adrienne Lenker, where social reflections are mixed with personal depth, humor, and self-distance.

In a time of division, Året Var wants to create something unifying and healing. The group's music—rooted in the prog roots of the 1970s but firmly anchored in the present—becomes both a battle cry and a mirror for today’s Sweden, with the ambition to evoke solidarity, reflection, and shared joy.