Dusting off the classic folk ballad “Reason to Believe,” Vagabon and Courtney Barnett lay down a doll drum version that is even more somber than Tim Hardin’s original.
Vagabon’s Lætitia Tamko noted she was inspired by another cover of the song from folk/blues singer Karen Dalton — a version that is a soft, lush waterfall of heartache — the duo takes it down to a new level of heartsick.
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“I recently discovered the Karen Dalton version of ‘Reason To Believe’ for the first time. I became obsessed and so a few days after discovering it, I was encouraged to record a cover of it in my garage,” said Tamko. “The decision to have Courtney sing it with me came after we performed it together live at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day 2020, a month before lockdown. It was fresh in our brains then so not long after the show, CB came over and we recorded her parts. Oliver Hill plays slide guitar on it.”
Whereas other versions capture the willful suffering and lament of the song’s main subject, this cover creates a distance between the words and emotions, making it less willful and more numb; thanks in part to the grunge tinged melody paired with Barnett and Tamko’s vocals .
And, with a road trip music video depicting soft palette landscapes and playful moments of our road trippers, the song has a unique enveloping nature to it. You’re not sure whether the subject will feel better or sink lower, but you’re along for the ride.
For more on Vagabon make sure to follow her social media or visit her website. Keep up with Courtney Barnett here.
More From Vagabon:
Vagabon recently released a new version of her song “Home Soon,” featured on the film ‘Antebellum.’
