Irish outfit Fontaines D.C. have released a cover of Nick Drake’s beloved ” Cello Song’, as part of an upcoming covers album titled The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs of Nick Drake. The double-LP will feature 23 tracks from across Drake’s short but illustrious career, covered by acts such as David Gray, AURORA, Bombay Bicycle Club, Ben Harper, Let’s Eat Grandma, Liz Phair, and more.
The full album will land on Friday, 7th July. ” Cello Song’ is taken from Drake’s debut album, Five Leaves Left, which was released in 1969. Fontaines D.C. put their typically frenetic spin on the track, retaining its dark urgency. Listen below.
Fontaines D.C.: ” Cello Song’
Elsewhere on the tribute album, Norwegian artist AURORA will tackle one of Drake’s best-known songs, ‘Pink Moon’; Bombay Bicycle Club team up with sibling folk trio The Staves for ‘Road’; Ben Harper takes on ‘Time Has Told Me’; and David Gray covers ‘Place To Be’.
Drake died in 1974 at age 26 from an overdose of anti-depressants. While he flew under the radar for much of his career, he became hugely popular in the decades after his death, and is now regarded as one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century.
The idea for The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs of Nick Drake came from the manager of Drake’s estate, Cally Callomon, and Chrysalis Records CEO Jeremy Lascelles. “Nick Drake was not that concerned with promoting himself as an artist,” said Callomon. “But I think he would have been overjoyed to hear his art revisited and newly promoted by so many vibrant and talented artists.”
“It was really humbling to hear so many similar responses, with everyone saying how important Nick’s music was to them, and how much they wanted to be part of this project,” said Lascelles. “As the results came in one by one, we were thrilled by the brilliance and invention that each artist had shown. They had done exactly what we hoped for – they had made the song their own.”
The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs of Nick Drake
- The Wandering Hearts – ‘Voice from the Mountain’ (prelude)
- Fontaines D.C. – ” Cello Song’
- Camille – ‘Hazey Jane II’
- Mike Lindsay featuring Guy Garvey – ‘Saturday Sun’
- Bombay Bicycle Club & The Staves – ‘Road’
- Let’s Eat Grandma – ‘From the Morning’
- David Gray – ‘Place to Be’
- John Parish & Aldous Harding – ‘Three Hours’
- Stick in the Wheel – ‘Parasite’
- Ben Harper – ‘Time Has Told Me’
- Emeli Sandé – ‘One of These Things First’
- Karine Polwart & Kris Drever – ‘Northern Sky’
- Craig Armstrong featuring Self Esteem – ‘Black Eyed Dog’
- Bombay Bicycle Club & The Staves –’Road’ (reprise)
- Nadia Reid – ‘Poor Boy’
- Christian Lee Hutson featuring Elanor Moss – ‘Which Will’
- Skullcrusher & Gia Margaret – ‘Harvest Breed’
- Katherine Priddy – ‘I Think They’re Leaving Me Behind’
- AURORA – ‘Pink Moon’
- Joe Henry & Meshell Ndegeocello – ‘Time of No Reply’
- Famous Blue Cable featuring Feist – ‘River Man’
- Liz Phair – ‘Free Ride’
- Philip Selway – ‘Fly’
- John Grant – ‘Day is Done’
- The Wandering Hearts – ‘Voice from a Mountain’
Further Reading
Love Letter To A Record: Jack Carty On Nick Drake’s ‘Pink Moon’
