The Sounds of Simon: Tobias Froberg

Photo by Nikola Adamovic

TOBIAS FROBERG WAS once a successful journalist. He was an editor at the Swedish version of "Elle" and a columnist with "Aftonbladet," Scandinavia's biggest daily newspaper, before he turned 30.

There was just one little problem: "I never wanted to be a journalist," Froberg said from his home in Stockholm. "I wanted to be a musician."

Young Tobias grew up playing drums and piano before asking his jazz-bass-playing dad, Ante, to show him some guitar chords when he was 18. "I wrote my first songs when I was 5 or 6, so I've always been doing music, but I had never given myself a chance to do it in a proper way until a few days ago," said Froberg, 33. "I think I was too much of a coward to give myself a chance."

But one fateful day gave Froberg the courage. He was writing a book about the time film director Ingmar Bergman spent on the isle of Faro, a land mass that's considered part of Gotland — Sweden's largest island and the place where Froberg grew up. After interviewing the reclusive Bergman, Froberg flew to New York and saw Neil Young play — all in one day. "That was the sign I was waiting for, I guess," Froberg said.

Froberg quit journalism, returned to Gotland and over the course of a year made 2004's "For Elisabeth Wherever She Is," a gorgeous collection of delicate, '60s- and '70s-steeped folk-pop that recalls The Byrds, The Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel.

His follow-up album, 2006's "Somewhere in the City," is equally captivating — filled with more beautifully layered, Paul Simon-like melodies and clever production quirks — even if its subject is more depressing.

"It's an album about confusion," Froberg said. "I had broken up with my girlfriend. I was living in Stockholm, as I do now, but I was visiting New York a lot, I was visiting London a lot, and when you're single, there are a lot of temptations that cities offer."

Such as?

"You party a lot. You meet a lot of new girls. ... It's just a single thing, I guess. I'm not special; everyone does that."

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