The Swell Season’s Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová love covers. At various concerts, I’ve seen the Once duo pay tribute to spiritual troubadours like Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen and breathe new life into old Irish folk tunes. Disco, though? That’s not a genre I’d ever thought to associate with the Swell Season, but it’s next on their list. Hansard and Irglová reinterpreted Candi Staton’s 1976 hit “Young Hearts Run Free” for “Levi’s Pioneer Sessions: The Revival Recordings,” a new covers series sponsored by the jeans giant. You can download their version if you register at the Levi’s Pioneer Sessions site — or you can stream it exclusively right now at the Music Mix.
Check out the Swell Season’s spin on “Young Hearts Run Free” after the jump. As you’ll hear, they’ve replaced the original’s leisure-suit horns and illuminated-dance-floor beat with their own soulful folk-rock sound. Turns out “Young Hearts Run Free” was a pretty great Swell Season song in disguise all along! Do you like it? (And how does it compare to Hansard’s cover of “Cry Me a River,” anyway?)
After the jump, you’ll also find a list of the other Levi’s Pioneer Sessions artist/cover pairings that have been announced so far. I’m particularly looking forward to hearing Dirty Projectors tackle Bob Dylan’s “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine.” How about you?
Levi’s Pioneer Sessions: The Revival Recordings
Nas: “Hey Young World” by Slick Rick
The Swell Season: “Young Hearts Run Free” by Candi Staton
She & Him: “Fools Rush In” by Rick Nelson
Dirty Projectors: “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine” by Bob Dylan
Colbie Caillat: “Maria” by Blondie
The Shins: “Goodbye Girl” by Squeeze
Raphael Saadiq: “It’s A Shame” by The Spinners
Bomba Estereo: “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic
Jason Mraz: “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum
John Legend and the Roots: “Our Generation” by Ernie Hines
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
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Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed that they’d ever want to remake a disco song. But hey, I really like it! They’re great!!
I love how they run free with all styles and it’s a rush hearing it happen. They made it their own. Beautiful.
Pretty nice. It took me a while to realize how the original song was supposed to be. It seems like one of swell season’s original songs… Good job!
There’s nothing Swell Season can’t do.
God they are the best.
Love the Swell Season. They make beautiful music.
And I can’t wait to hear the She & Him cover too. She & Him FTW!
Love it! Hope they play this in Cleveland on Sunday!
Saw the Swell Season in concert last week and it was, far and away, the best concert I’ve ever been to. They are even better live, and I highly recommend seeing them in concert if you have the chance!
They’re fantastic. They could sing ANYTHING and I would listen to it! And, wow, some of the “revival” covers look like they’d be great. I’ll have to go check out the site. Random: Marketa’s hair is red now? I think I like it.
I never liked disco but Glen and Mar can make anything sound good. It’s a great cover but not really their style though. Hoping they are not pointing in that direction.
deedub:
Check out Marketa’s new song. Youtube
Marketa Crossroad Raleigh. it’s amazing. You need not fear. They do not limit themselves to one style as you probably guessed from the beginning from the Once album!
I love Glen’s songwriting, and I love his covers too. He can make any song sound good.