FEATURE:
Fake Plastic Trees and Weird Fishes
IN THIS PHOTO: Lianne La Havas
Why Some Artists Feel Strange About Tackling Other Artists’ Music – and Why a Well-Judged Cover Can Top the Original
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EVERY week that goes by…
IN THIS PHOTO: Hayley Williams/PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsey Byrnes
reveals an interesting cover version or two. It is a shame that there is not a database of every cover version that comes out – I guess it would be impossible to maintain and keep reliable! I do love a cover version, as I think it is harder for an artist than writing an original song. If you cover a song by a well-known artist, then there is expectation and high standards. If one takes on a slightly less-well-known song, then there is a danger that few people will hear it. I am compelled to write this feature as, recently, two artists have tackled numbers by Radiohead. Hayley Williams explained her reticence after she covered Fake Plastic Trees from the band’s breakthrough second album, The Bends:
“Hayley Williams has shared a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” Williams wrote on Instagram, “Seemed sacrilegious at first until I realized that the band themselves have never once regarded what they do as precious or never-to-be-toyed with.” She continued, “They are never beholden to any one version of their expression and public affections don’t seem to sway them.” Hear Williams’ take on “Fake Plastic Trees” below.
Hayley Williams recently covered “Unison” off Björk’s album Vespertine. She released her debut solo album, Petals for Armor, earlier this year”.
I do love Williams’ approach to Fake Plastic Trees, and it is a song that has also been covered by Amanda Palmer, and Show of Hands (among others). That is not the only Radiohead song that has been given a new angle and lease of life!
One of the best songs of this year arrived from Lianne La Havas. She included Radiohead’s Weird Fishes on her recent eponymous album. In this article from Pitchfork we learn more about La Havas’ attachment and relationship to the song:
“Lianne La Havas’ 2013 tour setlist often included a cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes,” a song the British singer-songwriter/guitarist has described as one of her “favorite songs ever.” Today, she’s shared a studio version of that cover, recorded for her upcoming self-titled third album. Listen to that below.
“I had the most wonderful, nourishing experience recording that,” La Havas said in a press release, explaining that the “Weird Fishes” session informed the recording sessions for the rest of the album. “That’s where I decided: the rest of the album needs to be like this. It’s got to be my band, and I’ve got to do it in London, whenever people have time”.
Whilst some artists take on songs and do not add anything to the original, there are others that can take the song to new levels. One can appreciate the hesitation of covering a song by a beloved artist, and there is a history with that song and, unless the artist does a great job, there is that guilt that they have somehow damaged the original.
I think that is an understandable opinion, but everyone is free to cover any song they wish. I love Hayley Williams and Lianne La Havas’ Radiohead reworkings, as it is interesting learning how two very different artists share a love of the Oxford band and, when you listen to their covers, they have taken two exceptional songs in different directions! A terrific cover version not only shines a new light on a track, but it is a way of introducing an artist to new ears. If Radiohead get new support from La Havas and Williams’ fans, then that is great. I think there is a lot of pressure on artists – especially mainstream acts – to write their own material or have original songs on their records. I feel a brave or unexpected cover version can do so much for an album, and it would be interesting to see more artists look around and put some cover versions out there. In the same way classic Hip-Hop albums used samples and helped raise awareness of other genres and musicians, cover versions have that same sort of impact. There are artists who do cover versions of big artists because that song is trending or can get them a lot of focus. That might be cynical, but it does happen a lot! I will leave it there, but I was interested in Hayley Williams’ comments regarding her cover of Radiohead’s Weird Fishes, and it got me thinking about cover versions now and whether it is harder for major artists to produce covers of newer musicians. When an artist picks a wonderful song and gives it their own spin, they can create…
PHOTO CREDIT: @leecampbell/Unsplash
SOMETHING utterly beautiful.