Drink This In: Emily Mure Covers Elliott Smith’s “Between The Bars”
I love when a new artist comes to me…I love it even more when an artist I have come to know over the years continues to wow me with new material. Original and cover songs. Emily Mure is one of those artists that just continues to impress. Her voice is pure gold and the choices she makes when she decides to tackle a cover of a song are always well thought and pensive.
This time around she takes on a song that I have heard covered many times over (perhaps, not always so gracefully) and completely baffles me with how she is able to encompass all that the original song had in terms of emotion and feeling, yet still injects a bit of herself into the song that shines through.
A solitary guitar rings crisp to lead in the tune and then Mure’s voice is layered on top of itself and it is pure bliss. Haunting and poignant but with this sense of light that her voice brings to the song. Melancholy, but with some glimmer of hope. I have listened to this tune about 15 times through already and each and every time it elicits chills down my neck and gives me this uncontrollable tightness in my chest. I have been slain by beauty.
I caught up with Emily to talk about what this song meant to her and why she decided to take it on. Check it out and head on over to Emily’s Bandcamp page to download the song today RIGHT HERE.
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RLR: This song in particular has become one of my favorites (Glen Phillips also does a killer cover of this too). So why did this song speak to you?
EM: I love this song. It gives such an honest glimpse into a troubled mind and into addiction itself. I used to play it at shows a lot, but was drawn to it again after my husband’s cousin lost his life to alcoholism. It’s become increasingly clear to me that so many people suffer from anxiety, depression and addiction. And often, that struggle is quiet. When I was going through my own battle with anxiety, this song gave me hope. Though it’s a dark song, there’s comfort in knowing you’re not alone. This is why I sing this song and ultimately why I wanted to record it, in hopes that others who hear it might feel the same.
RLR: How about Elliott Smith as an artist? His music is a bit tortured in some fashion…you can feel the pain in his voice when he sings. A lot of emotion there. Why does that particular emotion and vibe speak to you?
EM: What I admire most about Elliott Smith is the honesty in his lyrics. When I first heard him, I was drawn to his rawness, though undeniably tortured, there was bravery in how he verbalized his emotions. For me to love an artist, they don’t have to have a perfect voice or be an amazing guitar player, etc.. But I have to believe them, and when people really speak and play from the heart, no matter the genre, it’s easy to feel connected to the music. My songs are generally pretty emotional, so I find inspiration in others that are as well.
RLR: So, what is it about covers that you dig? We featured another cover of yours (Cake’s “Mexico”) a while back. Is it a tribute kind of a thing for you or a challenge perhaps? You are a heck of a songwriter in your own right, so what pulls you towards covering tunes?
EM: Covering songs is a passion of mine, both for the tribute and the challenge. Detaching enough from the original in attempt to make a unique version, while still trying to maintain the integrity of the song, is a challenge that I love. When you hear a song that you relate to, you feel a sense of belonging. Singing or arranging songs that are not your own, but internalizing them as if you belong to them, is powerful. It’s a different creative process than writing your own. It’s refreshingly less personal.
And paying homage to the musicians who have inspired me is also important. Admittedly, I was worried that this cover was not different enough. My co-producer, Dan Cardinal, recommended I record double vocals for it like Elliott Smith had, and I was worried it would sound too similar. But once we tried it and listened back, it made sense, and we felt it was a way of honoring a production technique that was so clearly part of his style.
Other news for Emily Mure…
There is a video coming out for her take on “Between the Bars” in just a few weeks. So keep your eyes peeled for that!
Emily will also be releasing a new single this summer called ‘The Wedding Song’. I have had the pleasure of getting a sneak peek and assure you that you are in for a real treat.
Upcoming shows:
May 21 / All You Need is Love Benefit Concert (a Beatles Benefit) / Me & Thee Coffeehouse / Marblehead, MA
May 25 / Concert Window / With Caroline Cotter and Michael Howard / Online
May 28 & 29 / Campfire Fest / Club Passim / Cambridge, MA
emilymure.com for more info
