Back in June, Norwegian indie-pop singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche announced a reissue of his album Two Way Monologue for its 20th anniversary, including a handful of previously unreleased tracks. Today, he’s sharing “September Something,” an upbeat, jangly song he wrote over two decades ago but hadn’t completed until now.

Of the song, Lerche explains in a press release:

“September Something” felt — at the moment I wrote it, at least — like the centerpiece of the album that would become Two Way Monologue. But the excitement and self-confidence with which I had written the song gradually evaporated with each attempt we made at recording the song. By the time we were mixing the album, “September Something” was not even finalized, and remained incomplete and alone on my hard drive. Hearing it again today, I instantly remembered the burst of inspiration I had felt — and the humiliating disappointment as it dawned on me that this was nobody’s favorite, not even my own. I could sympathize with what the original lyrics had been trying but failing to express, and I now felt compelled to give my old self a hand. I tasked my former guitar player Kato Ådland with rearranging and finalizing the original recording, using as much as possible from the 2002 sessions, including my old vocals where possible.

In order for me to want to share “September Something” with the world, the lyrics would need a lot of help and revisions. I gave it another go, wanting to fulfill my intentions from back then, with the added luxury of time and perspective. I now feel happy to have been able to free the song of its composer’s original failure to rise to the challenge. And to get to unite my 2002 voice with the sound of my current self, as we trade lines and harmonize, 22 years apart. As the observant listener may notice, the outro section of the song went on to become a part of the Dan In Real Life score, creating a life of its own, beyond its frail beginnings.

Listen to “September Something” below.