There is something deeply personal at the heart of New Sunday’s music. “Here I Am Meant To Be,” released on 14 September 2026, is the fourth single from the Icelandic studio project, and it continues the sound established through “Echoes In The Dark” and “The Empty Street.” But more importantly, it continues songwriter Einar Askelsson’s belief that a song should begin with a story.
Einar approaches songwriting from the words outward. Many of his songs grow from poems and personal experiences, with the lyrics providing the emotional direction before the music is built around them. Rather than creating a melody first and fitting words into it later, he uses the story to determine the chords, melodies, and overall musical atmosphere. It gives New Sunday’s work a deliberate sense of purpose.
That process has developed considerably over the years. Einar initially came to music almost by accident during a difficult period of recovery. Picking up a guitar each morning became a way of managing anxiety, and what began as a therapeutic exercise gradually became a passion for songwriting and poetry. Twelve years later, that personal relationship with music has developed into New Sunday, a studio project built around Einar’s writing, vocalist Elizabet “Lizzie,” and producer Simon.
Interestingly, the three have never met in person. Their collaboration instead happens through constant communication, with each contributor given room to shape the finished song. Einar creates the initial instrumental arrangement, Lizzie brings the vocal performance, and Simon works on the production and final arrangement. The process remains collaborative rather than rigid, with decisions made together until they reach the version they want to release.
There is also something refreshing about Einar’s approach to technology. Using Hookpad, he manually establishes the time signature, tempo, key, chords, melodies, instruments, and structure before exporting the initial arrangement. It is not an automated songwriting process; the technology functions more like a framework through which he can translate his ideas into music.
“Here I Am Meant To Be” therefore represents another piece of the larger New Sunday puzzle. Einar describes the project’s recent releases as helping the band discover its own sound without turning that sound into a formula. That distinction matters. The goal is not to reproduce “Echoes In The Dark” or “The Empty Street,” but to carry forward the songwriting philosophy that connects them.
New Sunday may currently exist primarily as a studio band, but there is a strong sense of evolution behind the project. Einar’s journey from poetry and guitar to music theory, digital composition, professional vocals, and collaborative production has given the project an identity built on storytelling rather than image.
“Here I Am Meant To Be” is ultimately another expression of that philosophy: start with something real, let the words lead, and allow the music to find the shape of the story.
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