Swedish dream-pop legends The Mary Onettes are officially back. Today they release “Without This Body,” the latest single from their highly anticipated new album Sworn (out November 14 via Welfare Sounds & Records).
The track is quintessential Mary Onettes—melancholic, cinematic, and drenched in reverb—but with an added intensity that signals growth and reinvention. Frontman Philip Ekström’s stirring vocal rides atop hypnotic synths and existential lyricism, pushing the band’s signature blend of shoegaze, new wave, and Scandinavian pop into more vulnerable territory. It feels timeless and immediate, proof that their emotional pull remains intact after two decades.
Formed in Jönköping in 2000, the band quickly rose to international acclaim with their 2007 self-titled debut, praised by Pitchfork, Stereogum, and The Guardian, and featured in hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy. Their catalog—from Islands (2009) to Hit the Waves (2013)—cemented them as cult heroes.
After a hiatus that saw Ekström composing film scores (Endings, Beginnings, 2020) and exploring solo work as H.Moon, the band’s music found new life in 2022 when their track “Cry for Love” from Islands was featured in Netflix Japan’s First Love. The placement sparked a streaming resurgence, especially in Asia, introducing a new generation to their lush, emotional sound.
Now, with Sworn, The Mary Onettes close the gap between past and present. Songs like “Eyes Open,” “Hurricane Heart,” and the new “Without This Body” confirm their return not as nostalgia, but as a reinvention—refined by time, rooted in honesty, and as immersive as ever.
🎧 Stream “Without This Body” now: Spotify/Apple
💿 Pre-order Sworn (out Nov 14 via Welfare Sounds & Records)