With 17 more or less finished songs in their Guitar case, Coca Carola checked in for an explosive weekend at the legendary Nacksving Studio in Gothenburg. Nine songs were recorded, and eight ended up on the new När sen är försent. Everything was then mixed and refined by Håkan Sörle at Humlegrottan and Ronnie Björnström at Björnström Sound & Production.
“Winberg and I started messing around with new songs two years ago without deciding it would be for Coca. We just wanted to see if there was something worth doing. Two of those songs are now on
the record,” says Curre Sandgren, the band’s singer and guitarist.
When Coca Carola suddenly reappeared on stage for a few carefully chosen shows in 2023/24, it was clear how much the audience had missed them. The band’s reputation had grown during their long
slumber.
“Of course, it was great fun when we started playing again, and the response was bigger than we dared hope for. At the same time, we all felt that if we were going to continue, we probably needed
some new songs too,” says drummer Mårten Tolander.
Another reason this record became so important for the band is that drummer Mårten Tolander was diagnosed with cancer just before the recording. Mårten passed away in September ’25, and according
to his own wish, Coca Carola continues with David Persson as his replacement.
21 years is a long time, and the question hanging in the air is whether the audience will still recognize Coca Carola. The answer comes instantly.
“Yes! Some of the songs, I don’t think you even need to listen for a full bar before you know what it is. And then there are probably a few surprises too,” says Curre Sandgren.
Few bands in the country—if any—are like Coca Carola, living proof of the importance of stubbornness and sheer grit.
From their shaky start in 1986 as a bunch of leftovers and rejects, to becoming one of Sweden’s most popular punk bands. Always with the will and determination to do things themselves—if
something’s going to get done, it’s best to do it yourself. Now they’ve done it again, and this time the attack begins on a whole new level. När sen är försent will also be promoted with an
extensive tour around the country this fall.
“For me, it’s always been that you don’t do things to analyze them. You do things because it’s fun,” says Mårten Tolander.
Let the fun begin. Coca Carola is back!