Lukas Graham on What His Wife's 'Biggest Stamp of Approval' Was on His Song 'Wish You Were Here'

Amanda Taylor
·2 min read

Lukas Graham is celebrating a new worldwide release, which has gotten the attention of not only his fans on TikTok, but his wife, too.

On Friday's episode of the PEOPLE Every Day podcast, the "Wish You Were Here" singer, 33, revealed the moment his wife showed particular interest in his new single.

"I think her biggest stamp of approval was when I, one morning, basically said Khalid was jumping on the song, and she was like 'What?!'" he told host Janine Rubenstein of collaborating with the singer. "She really liked the song."

Graham worked with the "legendary" Ryan Tedder on the track, and it was Tedder's idea to find a "feature" to complete it.

"He stated several times that he thought I could carry the song by myself, but that it would also be cool to get a feature on," Graham said. "When Khalid ended up hopping on this song, I was absolutely stoked — and also very amazed that he decided to come to Copenhagen and actually record his part of the song in my sound studio ... It was a wonderful day."

Lukas Graham
Lukas Graham

IBL/Shutterstock

RELATED: ​​Bailee Madison Reflects on Filming Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

Graham and his wife, Marie-Louise "Rillo" Schwartz Petersen, have been together for years and share two children. And their history means she knows when a song is deeply meaningful to him.

"She's traveled with me over the years, she can hear how much it's about friends of mine," Graham explained. "And there might be a little hint of my dad and a few who've passed away in the song too. They kind of bring in some of the melancholic vibes to it. But it's mainly to all those friends that are still alive."

The Danish singer, who has been based in Copenhagen for the past few years as his music career has been given new life via TikTok, said on the podcast that his career has been full of surprises.

RELATED: R&B Star Tevin Campbell Opens Up About His Life — and Sexuality: 'I've Embraced Me'

"I don't think I ever thought of like, 'making it' in the traditional sense," Graham said.

He has been performing since he was 8, but didn't sign on for a publishing deal till he was 23.

Check out more episodes of PEOPLE Every Day, airing on Apple podcasts, iHeartMedia, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

"It was like the level of making it kept changing and it went from, 'Wow, we can pay rent with money from live shows' to 'I could buy a house with money from record sales,' " he said. "'Making it' just keeps moving, in some weird way."

"I write songs from a pretty egotistical standpoint. It's like, I write them for me and then I release them for you and the world. And then just having millions of people connect to the words [is special]."

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Q1 2024 Hexcel Corp Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 Hexcel Corp Earnings Call

  • Leaving European Convention on Human Rights ‘not necessary,’ Cameron says

    Ministers are braced for legal challenges to the Rwanda plan and the judiciary has made 25 courtrooms available to deal with cases.

  • Frank Field, former Labour minister, dies aged 81

    Frank Field, the former Labour minister and crossbench peer, has died aged 81, his family has announced.

  • FTSE 100: Lloyds sees profits drop by 28%

    Lloyds sees profits slip as the bank is hit by rising competition in the mortgage market.

  • Recap: Tesla stock surges despite plunging profits as Musk talks robotaxis and cheaper cars

    Tesla will report quarterly earnings today, April 23, after market close. The analyst call comes amid the stock price's decline and announced layoffs.

  • Kim Jong Un's sister vows 'overwhelming' military power

    STORY: Kim Jong Un's sister promised to build what she called "overwhelming and the most powerful military power" to protect North Korea and peace in the region.That's according to the North's KCNA news agency quoting her on Wednesday.Kim Yo Jong pointed to the U.S. military's exercises around the Korean peninsula this year, particularly live-fire drills with the quote "South Korean puppet military gangsters", as making the security situation in the area dangerously unstable.The US and South Korea's annual joint drills this year were held at a greater scale and intensity than the year before, part of a pledge by their leaders to upgrade their military readiness against the North.The South's military says around 100 military aircraft carried out a two-week long drill this month.While Washington and Seoul claim the drills are defensive and conducted regularly to maintain readiness, Pyongyang insists U.S. military exercises are preparations for a nuclear war against it. Earlier this month, the North's KCNA news agency reported Kim Jong Un saying now is the time for North Korea to be more prepared for war than ever, citing what he called unstable geopolitical situations surrounding his country.

  • Q1 2024 Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc Earnings Call

  • Nashville Predators level playoff series with 4-1 victory over Canucks

    VANCOUVER — Andrew Brunette liked the way his Nashville Predators put their bodies on the line Tuesday. Down a game in their first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville blocked 31 shots and "committed to the pain" in Game 2, the coach said. The commitment paid off — the Predators downed the Canucks 4-1 and levelled the series at 1-1. "I think that's maybe something we learned from Game 1 a little bit," Brunette said. "Maybe we weren't as committed to the pain and tonight

  • Director H. Stitzer Sells 10,000 Shares of Signet Jewelers Ltd (SIG)

    Signet Jewelers Ltd (NYSE:SIG), a leading retailer of diamond jewelry, announced that Director H. Stitzer sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock on April 22, 2024.

  • Zoe Ball 'bereft' as she announces her mother's death following cancer diagnosis

    The BBC 2 Radio presenter revealed the news on social media, posting a picture of her late mother Julia Peckham

  • Insider Sell: Salesforce Inc (CRM) President and CFO Amy Weaver Sold 4,096 Shares

    Amy Weaver, President and Chief Financial Officer of Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM), sold 4,096 shares of the company on April 23, 2024, according to a recent SEC Filing.

  • Former Labour minister Frank Field dies aged 81 after cancer battle

    Frank Field was director of the Child Poverty Action Group between 1969 and 1979, and the Member of Parliament for Birkenhead between 1979 and 2019

  • Livestream shows Lufthansa plane's rough landing

    STORY: ‘Airplane Videos’ was streaming on YouTube from LAX airport when the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i executed the rejected landing.The commentator of the stream was heard giving shocked reactions, calling the incident the ‘roughest landing, I think, we ever caught on our broadcast’.The plane was seen successfully landing on the tarmac shortly after.

  • Bodycam: Police rescue dozens of dogs from smoke-filled building in New Jersey

    Bodycam footage from April 20 shows Fairfield, New Jersey officers running into a smoke-filled building without safety equipment to save dozens of dogs trapped inside as businesses burned in a fire nearby. All 46 dogs were accounted for and are being checked by veterinarians for safety.

  • Salesforce Inc EVP & Chief Accounting Officer Sundeep Reddy Sells Company Shares

    Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM), a global leader in customer relationship management (NYSE:CRM) software, has seen a recent insider transaction according to a new SEC filing.

  • Verint Systems Inc Chairman & CEO Dan Bodner Sells 35,039 Shares

    Chairman & CEO Dan Bodner sold 35,039 shares of Verint Systems Inc (NASDAQ:VRNT) on April 23, 2024, according to a recent SEC Filing.

  • Q1 2024 Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp Earnings Call

  • Telekom Deutsche Sells Shares of T-Mobile US Inc

    Telekom Deutsche, a Director and 10% Owner, has sold 569,010 shares of T-Mobile US Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS) on April 23, 2024, according to a recent SEC filing.

  • Frank Field: Former Labour minister and crossbench peer dies aged 81

    Former Labour minister and crossbench peer Frank Field has died aged 81, his family announced on Wednesday. Lord Field of Birkenhead died in a London care home on Tuesday night following a period of illness. The statement announcing his death, issued by his Parliamentary researcher Daniel Sanchez, said: "He will be mourned by admirers across politics, but above all he will be greatly missed by those lucky enough to have enjoyed his laughter and friendship."

  • Insider Sell: CFO Michael Brophy Sells Shares of Natera Inc (NTRA)

    Michael Brophy, the Chief Financial Officer of Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA), has sold 1,523 shares of the company on April 23, 2024, according to a recent SEC filing.