Tag: cover songs

LISTEN: Colin Hay, “Wichita Lineman”

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Artist: Colin Hay
Hometown: Topanga Canyon, California
Song: “Wichita Lineman”
Album: I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself
Release Date: August 6, 2021
Label: Compass Records

In Their Words: “‘Wichita Lineman’ was the first song where I realized the importance of the written song, in and of itself. Before that, I had always put artists and songs together, like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, and many others, who all primarily wrote and performed their own songs. ‘Wichita Lineman’ spoke of things I could only wonder at. The geographical vastness of the land, the hopes and dreams of the man working the line, and indeed of all people who inhabit this country. And, a love story contained within achingly beautiful music and melody. I can’t think of a better song.” — Colin Hay

Photo credit: Paul Mobley

WATCH: Scythian, “Buddy Holly”

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Artist: Scythian
Hometown: Front Royal, Virginia
Song: “Buddy Holly” (Weezer cover)
Album: Quaranstream: The Album
Release Date: July 8, 2021
Label: Aerotone Records

In Their Words: “‘Buddy Holly’ was a product of a rabbit trail (no pun intended) while the four of us were practicing for our ill-fated 2020 Roots and Stones CD release tour. We were talking about some adjustments needed in the set when Dan started playing a couple chords, which were the same progression as ‘Buddy Holly.’ We then joked that it would make a rippin’ bluegrass tune, and left it at that. Next thing we knew it was mid 2020 and we had started these online shows that racked up about 30k+ viewers every other week called ‘Quaranstreams.’ We literally survived that whole year off of the amazing goodwill of our fans supporting us and tipping us while we played. The shows were kind of like a reverse SNL, lots of music, and a couple skits featuring a variety of recurring characters, so we thought that this would be a great place to experiment with writing and recording songs to release for our amazing fans.

“We remembered that we wanted to give this song a try, and ended up recording it all in about a day. After it was mixed and mastered, we were racking our brains with how to present this on the stream since we had limited time and wanted to do the song justice, so we took inspiration from the original Spike Jonze-directed video and just added crocheted puppets. We spent a good hour or so cutting out cardboard instruments and making mic stands out of Q-tips, then literally shot the whole thing in about two hours with an iPhone. When we released the video on our live stream for the first time, people were losing their minds, and kept requesting us to play the video every chance they could get. People wanted it so badly that they watched the whole four-hour stream again, just to screen capture the video and bootleg it to other Scythian fans.” — Ethan Dean

Photo credit: Brendan McLean

WATCH: Mike Dawes & Tommy Emmanuel, “Somebody That I Used to Know”

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Artist: Mike Dawes with Tommy Emmanuel
Song: “Somebody That I Used to Know” (Gotye cover)
Release Date: June 25, 2021
Label: Qten Records

In Their Words: “There are a few reasons why this collaboration had to happen, and I’m so glad it did. ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ is one of the biggest songs to come out of Australia and Tommy is an Aussie national hero! Not only that, but this month marks the 10-year anniversary of the song, as well as the nine-year anniversary of my 2012 arrangement. We’re also announcing our 2022 USA tour together. I am so proud of this collaboration, the arrangement and production. Once you add Tommy to a track, everything falls into place. … Tommy tracked his part to my original recording, then I reworked my part into a re-recording with extra licks, structure and harmony based around what he played. That way I could get Tommy’s DNA into the tune in a way that avoided a lazier approach of just having him play over the top of an old arrangement. I’m so happy with the result and I hope the fans of the original enjoy it too!” — Mike Dawes

“I became aware of Mike through YouTube videos and people in England telling me to check him out. I loved his playing and his personality on stage — he has a generous spirit with his audiences! When my manager took him on as a client, he asked me if I’d like to have Mike on some shows and I jumped at the opportunity to have Mike on a EU tour. We got on as friends and found a good way of making our shows exciting for our audiences and I found I could rely on Mike to always give his best out there on stage. We had fun together and my team became his team too! … Mike’s style is so different to mine and that makes for a good chemistry between us. I ask him to play his arrangements as he did solo, then I found a way to blend in, harmonize, strengthen choruses and stay out of his way, musically, yet add to what he’s doing! His approach to melodies is solid!” — Tommy Emmanuel

Photo Credit: Mike Dawes (Adam King Photography); Tommy Emmanuel (Alysse Gafkjen)

LISTEN: Cat Clyde & Jeremie Albino, “Hello Stranger”

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Artists: Cat Clyde & Jeremie Albino
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Hello Stranger” (The Carter Family cover)
Album: blue blue blue
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Label: Cinematic Music Group, Majesticsilk (CAN)

In Their Words: “It’s amazing to think the first recording of this old folk song was done about 80 years ago. It feels sad, but also beautiful. Playing with the perspectives brings out the vulnerability in the song. We’re all strangers really — but great connection can come from this knowing and an openness can unfurl that may not be there with someone you are already close to.” — Cat Clyde & Jeremie Albino

Photo credit: Second Prize

LISTEN: DoomFolk StarterKit, “Look at Miss Ohio”

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Artist: DoomFolk StarterKit
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Look at Miss Ohio”
Album: Like You Mean It Records Sampler Vol. 1
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Label: Like You Mean It Records

In Their Words: “Recording any of Gillian Welch’s work is such an honor. ‘Look at Miss Ohio’ holds this fantastic tension between societal and familial pressures and a deep desire to find new ways of living. The line that pushes me over the edge is ‘I know all about it so you don’t have to shout it / I’m gonna straighten it out somehow.’ There’s so much there — it’s a line you might shout at a parent defensively, but it is also packed with utter humility and self-awareness. For me, this song depicts the story of someone choosing to embrace ambiguity while living with the hope that it’s going to shake out alright, somehow. Making peace with the fact of uncertainty is a theme that’s found its way into some of my own songs here and there. I’ve tried to represent that in this cover with a balance of lightness and melancholy in the arrangement.” — David Swick, DoomFolk StarterKit

Photo credit: Emily Barrett

WATCH: Bhi Bhiman, “Magic Carpet Ride”

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Artist: Bhi Bhiman
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Song: “Magic Carpet Ride”
Album: Substitute Preacher II
Release Date: April 30, 2021
Label: BooCoo Music

In Their Words: “‘Magic Carpet Ride’ is such an instantly recognizable, iconic rock song, but I never realized the lyrics were actually about Aladdin and his magic lamp. The lyrics are super playful and I began playing it for my daughter, who I’ve been homeschooling during the pandemic. Country blues artists like Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Blind Blake have played a big part in my evolution as a guitarist. And it’s still one of my favorite styles to play because it just feels so good. So I took a song basically everybody knew and made it feel like an old country blues song that Steppenwolf merely covered. And I think this version is so soothing to hear, especially as a parent in these times, when everything is uncertain, and we wish we could just float above it all.” — Bhi Bhiman

Photo credit: David Andrako

Colter Wall Covers the Classic “Cowpoke” for Western AF

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Canadian country singer Colter Wall has been slowly diffusing his rich, deep voice throughout the Americana world. In 2020, the singer from Saskatchewan announced his third album, Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs, with the release of a cover of the Stan Jones classic, “Cowpoke.” The album is a gold mine of soothing classic country sounds. Recorded in Texas, Wall performed the music with the band he travels with, fashioning a familiarity with outside material that dovetails nicely with the Western sound that’s heard in Wall’s songwriting, too.

For a long while, Wall only sang “Cowpoke” live, and to the praise of his fans, he has finally committed the cover to record. He possesses a keen sensibility for Western culture — the music he creates is fresh, but bears great resemblance to deeply ingrained musical traditions. Buy it, download it, stream it; do whatever you have to do to hear Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs. You can watch Colter Wall sing “Cowpoke” in Bar Nunn, Wyoming, for Western AF below.

Photo credit: Robert Stilwell

WATCH: Charley Crockett, “I Can Help”

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Artist: Charley Crockett
Hometown: San Benito, Texas
Song: “I Can Help”
Album: The Next Waltz, Vol. 3
Label: The Next Waltz

In Their Words: “We showed up at the studio without any idea what we were gonna cut. Once we got in there I remembered this old Billy Swan number and I’d always wanted to record it. I think we got it in one or two takes. Like everything else at Bruce [Robison]’s place, magic stuck to the tape.” — Charley Crockett

Photo credit: Taylor Grace

LISTEN: Kris Delmhorst, “The Horses”

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Artist: Kris Delmhorst
Hometown: Buckland, Massachusetts
Song: “The Horses”
Album: Long Day in the Milky Way
Release Date: August 14, 2020
Label: CEN/The Orchard

In Their Words: “For me, Rickie Lee Jones represents artistic fearlessness and uncompromising freedom. Her work always offers the inspiration to take risks and reach farther. She’s a deep musician and a serious student of song — I love her covers records so much — but she’s also a free-range seeker, unhindered by the boundaries of genre. There’s such curiosity, joy, humor, and deep compassion running through all of her music.

“I don’t generally include covers on my albums, but while we were in the studio for this one we caught a version of ‘The Horses,’ and it ended up feeling like it belonged. I love how it resonates with the record’s themes, persistence and struggle and hope. And I love the idea of RLJ’s presence gracing the proceedings like an honored guest, a patron saint.” — Kris Delmhorst

Photo credit: Brittany Powers

Trampled by Turtles Revisit Iris DeMent’s “Our Town”

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Over the years, Trampled by Turtles have occasionally added Iris DeMent’s stark folk song, “Our Town,” to their set list, with lead singer Dave Simonett delivering the Midwestern loneliness and wistfulness that the tune calls for. Now the Minnesota-based band has finally recorded “Our Town” for an upcoming EP, Sigourney Fever, which drops on December 6.

The track list also includes covers of Neil Young’s “Pocahontas,” Faces’ “Ooh La La,” Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart,” and Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” The band will be touring in January and February.

“We are getting back into the readiness of making a full record,” Simonett tells American Songwriter. “Right now, I’m starting to write, but it’s kind of a limbo time. This is sort of like an appetizer for us.”

DeMent once told NPR that she wrote the song after driving through a boarded-up Midwestern town when she was 25 years old, and that the song came to her in its complete form. She wisely recognized that musical experience as her calling to be a songwriter. More than three decades later, it’s good to know that the sun still hasn’t set on “Our Town.”

Photo credit: David McClister