I hope everyone had an excellent fall break! In case anyone was wondering, I was sick with the flu for the entirety of the recess. So instead of being fed home-cooked meals in pastoral Pennsylvania, I was stuck in my bed here in the city, only moving to grab Ramen or tea.
On the bright side, during the moments that I was awake (which were few and far between), I was able to find some amazing covers that satiated my current indie addiction and I hope that they will do the same for yours.
In this article, however, I don’t want to focus solely on the music produced, but also the way that it is presented through a live performance or a music video.
So let’s watch some independent music, shall we?
“Take Me To Church” by Ed Sheeren
Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran covered Hozier’s “Take Me To Church” for BBC radio this past September. The English singer stuck with a simple arrangement in the BBC studio, including keys, some background vocals, and his own acoustic guitar playing and vocals. Keeping the song’s structure the same, Sheeran took Hozier’s ambient (the background vocals remind me of Perotin, a group that performed 13th century church music) original and created a raw sound that he owns as he growls through the chorus. Despite the grave tone that the lyrics convey, Sheeran brings an infectious amount of energy to his performance, increasing the tempo and bouncing along to the beat as if the song was his own. And if you have heard and are saddened by the news of Ed taking time off after his world tour, I am sure new music in any capacity acts as consolation.
And in case you are as obsessed with covers as I am, you can subscribe to the BBC Radio 1 Youtube channel for more covers by popular artists than you can binge watch in a weekend.
“Say My Name/Cry Me A River” by The Neighbourhood
Last March at the Hard Rock Cafe, the Neighbourhood covered “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child. The band, known for their fusion of hip hop beats and indie rock guitars, presented the live video in black and white which is one part of their brand; the five piece also wear a lot of black and leather.
If you have heard of the Neighbourhood previous to reading this article, you have probably only heard their name in reference to one of their hit songs such as “Sweater Weather” or “Afraid” or maybe even their song “Honest” featured on the Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie soundtrack. You actually get a better sense of who they are as a band when you listen to their track “Baby Came Home…” on their I’m Sorry EP or “West Coast” on their three-track release, the Love Collection. Their less popular actually gives you a better understanding of where this cover is coming from.
The lounge-like performance that the group produced was fitting for their rendition of the song and polar opposite of the original up-tempo hip hop track. Singer Jesse Rutherford sat front and center as the rest of the band playing softly in the background. He floated between the Destiny’s Child hit and the second verse and chorus of “Cry Me A River” by Justin Timberlake, only breaking his stoic, lonesome character to tell the audience that they would make an appearance on his Snapchat.
“Skinny Love” by Birdy
Eighteen-year-old Birdy covered Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” and posted it on Youtube along with an accompanying music video. She included the cover on her album Fire Within which was released in September of last year. Capitalizing on her youth, the singer, born Jasmine van den Bogaerde, showcased her innocence through her vernal vocals, natural make up and vintage-style dresses. Bon Iver’s layered and comparatively aggressive command “I told you to be patient” becomes a girls plea in Birdy’s high register.
Birdy’s passion for the music that she performs and writes is evident when she belts out her lyrics as she plays. In some of her live performances such as that of her song “Light Me Up ” shows her versatility as she steps out from behind her piano and conducts herself with poise.
Along with the covers that I referenced in this article, I have added some more of each of the artist’s work.