Photo by Katie Schuering
Fiona Apple may have released her last album The Idler Wheel… back in 2012, but she’s hardly stayed out of the spotlight since then. More recently, she’s teamed up with longtime collaborator Blake Mills, contributed to a Valentine’s Day covers LP alongside Beck and Phosphorescent, and penned a new song for Showtime’s steamy series The Affair. Heck, Apple even made a cameo as a gun-toting villain on a French superhero drama last spring.
This week, the singer-songwriter joins forces with Nickel Creek’s Sean Watkins. Together, they’ve tackled “Banks of the Ohio”, a bluegrass standard that’s been covered by legends like Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, and Dolly Parton. While the track itself features a rather macabre narrative — the protagonist “Willie” murders his girlfriend after she rejects his marriage proposal — Apple and Watkins’ undeniable vocal chemistry makes for a rather pleasant affair. Listen in below.
Apple and Watkins’ “Banks of the Ohio” cover appears on the latter’s forthcoming 7-inch, which is due out on April 1st.
