Hear Jesper Lindell Cover of Margie Joseph's 'Sweeter Tomorrow'
(Yep Roc Records) Swedish singer/songwriter Jesper Lindell has released his cover of Margie Joseph's "Sweeter Tomorrow" from the forthcoming album Royal, out June 26 via Yep Roc Records.
In 2024, 30-year-old Jesper Lindell took his band The Brunnsvik Sounds on a pilgrimage across the Atlantic to better understand where his favorite music comes from. The destinations were two truly classic studios in particular: Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama and Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Two days were booked in each studio, and they managed to record two albums' worth of material in four days. The first album was the life-affirming and powerful declaration of love 3614 Jackson Highway, a tasteful collection of songs originally recorded at Muscle Shoals, released in March 2026 via Yep Roc Records and was documented in the film From Muscle Shoals to Memphis: Jesper Lindell's Four-Day Soul Pilgrimage Pt. 1. This second selection of songs, Royal, celebrates the rich musical history of Memphis.
Of the song, Lindell offers, "While digging deeper into that Memphis Stax sound, Margie Joseph's 'Sweeter Tomorrow' just kind of jumped out at me. I'd never heard it before, but it had that same feel as those old Aretha Franklin and Etta James records. Doing it with a male vocal, we could stay pretty true to the original-cool and funky as it is-but still push it a bit further into that raw, gritty Memphis vibe."
In Memphis, Lindell and his band were welcomed by studio owner and engineer Boo Mitchell (son of the legendary founder and forever musical mayor of the city, Willie Mitchell). Exhaustion and jet lag were countered by a hefty dose of adrenaline-caused by suddenly standing in a studio that remains nearly unchanged since its glory days with Hi Records, when Al Green, Otis Clay, Ann Peebles, and Syl Johnson recorded there. On Royal, they've created their own but respectful versions of songs associated with giants such as Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Willie Nelson, The Box Tops, Rod Stewart, and Dusty Springfield. At the same time, they give just as much love to songs tied to lesser-known but equally important artists like Margie Joseph, Dan Penn, Donnie Fritts, Tony Joe White and The Amazing Rhythm Aces.
"I know some might think it's presumptuous of us to tackle a bunch of immortal songs that already exist in exquisite versions. But to dive deep into the material, to actually play and sing the songs instead of just listening to them-that was an invaluable experience for us, one we learned a lot from. I'm grateful I got to do this and proud of the result," says Lindell.
Born and raised in the small lakeside town of Ludvika, Sweden, Jesper Lindell first came up through the local scene playing soulful rock, roots, and R&B in modest bars and rehearsal rooms, developing a reverence for classic American songwriting and the warm, analog textures of the '60s and '70s. His breakout EP, Little Less Blue, recorded with members of First Aid Kit, revealed a strikingly emotive voice and a natural instinct for blending retro soul with contemporary Americana. Lindell's subsequent albums, including the lush, horn-streaked Twilights and the expansive Before the Sun, cemented his reputation as a craftsman capable of turning personal stories into widescreen, roots-steeped soundscapes. Now a staple of the Scandinavian soul-rock resurgence, he continues to refine a style that feels both vintage and vividly present, echoing influences from Van Morrison to The Band while carving out a world unmistakably his own.
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