Sabrina Caires

Sabrina grew up in Sydney, and is now a criminology student in Melbourne. It’s hard to pinpoint where she got her taste in music from (besides her mum’s undying love for ABBA), as her playlists often begin with the likes of Joy Division and end somewhere in the realm of Taylor Swift. You can visit her website here: https://sebcaires.wixsite.com/portfolio

Sep 282021
 
cody fry eleanor rigby

Cody Fry’s new arrangement of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by The Beatles pays homage to the original whilst being a thing of beauty all on its own. Fry released a score video to accompany his cover which he orchestrated and arranged himself. His vocals are accompanied by the ‘Lonely People International Choir’ which involved participants globally sending in recordings of their contribution. This cover features a full orchestra backing Fry’s ominous delivery of the lyrics. Continue reading »

Sep 132021
 
brandi carlile woodstock

Brandi Carlile has added to her slew of Joni Mitchell covers with a live version of “Woodstock,” performed for SiriusXM’s Small Stage concert series. Previously, Carlile has performed Mitchell’s landmark album Blue in its entirety at Disney Hall in L.A. in 2019.

In the liner notes for Blue’s 50th anniversary release, she wrote; “Blue didn’t make me a better songwriter. Blue made me a better woman… No matter what we are dealing with in these times we can rejoice and know that of all the ages we could have lived through, we lived in the time of Joni Mitchell.” Continue reading »

Sep 022021
 
spacey jane scott street

Indie-rock band Spacey Jane, who dominated the Australian music scene last year, have covered another musical juggernaut of 2020: Phoebe Bridgers. Their cover of her 2017 track “Scott Street” for Apple Music’s Home Sessions captures the meandering melancholy of the original even after stripping back its sweeping production.

The guitar-forward sound of the original version means an acoustic cover on its own won’t add anything surprising, but the vocals by Caleb Harper and bassist Peppa Lane bring a contemplative quality to the track. Overall, it’s a moving rendition leading to the stunning outro that “Scott Street” producer Tony Berg has described as sounding “as if you’re looking back on your life, and it was just a failure.”

Check out the cover on Apple Music below. The band also performed acoustic versions of their own “Booster Seat” and “Lots of Nothing” as part of the sessions.

Check out more covers of and by Phoebe Bridgers here.

Aug 312021
 
japanese breakfast romulus

Sufjan Stevens’ track “Romulus,” off of his 2003 album Greetings from Michigan the Great Lake State, sparkles with its vulnerable meditations on parenting. Stevens whispers confessions about a strained relationship between child and mother, one filled with shame, guilt, and confusion, yet also gratitude. Japanese Breakfast’s cover of the song for SiriusXMU Sessions puts this vulnerability on display. Continue reading »

Oct 212020
 
uncommon denominator

With its undeniably catchy hook and sharp lyrics, Lizzo’s “Juice” has been a hit for the past two summers and is sure to see many more covers. Uncommon Denominator’s new version cover moves the horns, which sneak into the end of the original, to the forefront, blending them with soulful vocals and all the intricacies of the original’s rhythm section.

This Eau Claire-based cover band, who have described themselves as “a group of friends that united over a passion for playing music that is fun,” bring a life-affirming attitude to the track. Along with it, the eight piece band released a video which captures their vibrant group dynamic, making for an impressive effort at their first-ever music video.