TTH Blueprint Episode 18: Peter Sandberg: The Stranger Things Composer on ADHD, Creativity and 700 Million Streams
Swedish composer and pianist Peter Sandberg - whose music features in Netflix’s Stranger Things - talks ADHD, his creative process, and his new album on Warner Classics
Peter Sandberg is the Swedish composer and pianist whose music has been streamed more than 700 million times across digital platforms. His work features in Seasons 3 and 4 of Stranger Things on Netflix, and he has composed for brands including Volvo, Tesla and Vox. His new album, Temporary Coexistence of Humans, is released on Warner Classics on 1 May 2026.
In this episode of The Third Half Blueprint, Scott Hamilton sits down with Peter for one of the most quietly compelling conversations the show has produced. Behind the streams and the screen credits is someone who is genuinely thoughtful, grounded and - it turns out - still a little surprised by how it all happened.
In this conversation we cover:
•Growing up with ADHD - and how music became the one thing that made sense
•How Peter actually writes: from improvisation and accidents to structured “building blocks”
•The tension between creativity and routine, and why he protects both
•The 3:30am moment that nearly derailed a session - and what he learned from it
•The thinking behind Temporary Coexistence of Humans - his most personal album yet
•What stillness, slowing down and human connection mean to him right now
Peter Sandberg doesn’t fit the usual profile of a composer with 700 million streams. There’s no entourage, no hype cycle, no carefully managed persona. What comes through in this conversation - and what makes it one of Scott’s favourite Blueprint episodes - is how quietly honest he is about the less glamorous parts of a creative life.
He talks openly about growing up with ADHD and the way music gave him a structure and a release that little else could. It’s not a sob story - it’s a matter-of-fact account of someone who found the thing that worked and then devoted himself to it. For anyone navigating neurodiversity in a professional context, this part of the conversation alone is worth the thirty minutes.
The discussion about process is fascinating for anyone who makes things for a living. Peter describes writing as something closer to excavation than construction - starting with improvisation, capturing fragments, then slowly finding what the piece wants to be. He’s resistant to over-explaining his own work, which makes the moments when he does open up feel more earned.
The new album, Temporary Coexistence of Humans, sits in the space between classical composition and neoclassical minimalism - think Ludovico Einaudi or Max Richter, but with Peter’s own quieter sensibility. Released on Warner Classics, it’s built around solo piano and explores the small, fleeting moments of human connection that most of us barely notice. It sounds exactly like its title.
There’s also a broader theme running through the conversation that Scott doesn’t force but lets emerge naturally: the value of slowing down. In a media landscape that rewards noise, Peter Sandberg has built a significant career by doing the opposite. It’s a lesson that extends well beyond music.
Genuinely one of our favourite conversations on The Third Half to date. If Peter’s music is new to you, start with Temporary Coexistence of Humans - it really is a beautiful listen. You can find upcoming tour dates and the full album at https://petersandberg.com/ . He’s also on Spotify with over 1.2 million monthly listeners
Want the full story? Listen to Scott’s full Blueprint conversation with Peter Sandberg here.
https://player.captivate.fm/episode/9a352943-16b4-4397-b880-aee7964ae513/
Peter Sandberg, Stranger Things composer, neoclassical piano, Swedish composer UK, ADHD and creativity, Warner Classics 2026, Temporary Coexistence of Humans, ambient music, film and TV music composers, creative process, mental health and music, Blueprint podcast interview, The Third Half