It's been over a decade since the late and great Nina Simone passed away. The vocalist, pianist, arranger, and songwriter has influenced decades of musicians along with pop culture itself. This would include avant-garde California indie rockers Xiu Xiu.
Here, we hear their cover of the icons 1958 song "Don't Smoke In Bed." Translating it using their own interperative sounds, the song pays tribute to the original in such a way that it is just as authentic in its soulful delivery.
Jamie Stewart in a press release stated:
The idea came being back stage in Austin TX, opening for Swans and feeling like I did not play well. Michael Gira and I had the night before talked about our mutual love for Nina Simone and how her intensity and crazy political truthfulness always pushed us to try harder. After watching the Swans that night and knowing the difficult ups and downs of their history and now their epic and beautiful persistence, they made me want to try harder as well. Nina Simone’s singing is way over my head and while I was back stage feeling like i blew it that night, hearing the swans be amazing and thinking of Nina made me want to not give up. The idea came from wanting to honor her, challenge myself to be better than I think I can be and to say thank you to music. Ches Smith is the only person i know who could understand this in his heart and also handle the technical side of fearlessly reorienting such wonderful music.
The track will be appearing on their tribute album Nina.
Stream the artful cover below: