The Cover spot #1 featuring Malin Andersson, Nelson Sobral, Fanny Lumsden and Lykke Li.
A classic song is a classic song for a reason. That being said, there is always room for reinterpretation. Sometimes an act will bash out a crowd-pleasing tune note for note, while others will strip down and reconstruct. Both options can be equally valid artistically, depending on the situation. Today, we present four artists who’ve revisited instantly recognisable tunes. The other plus point of a well-conceived cover is that it will, hopefully, inspire you, the listener. to check out their original material if you’re unfamiliar.
First up, we’ve a wonderful take on an ABBA classic from Swedish-born, London-based singer-songwriter Malin Andersson recently released on June 6th via Revanche Records to coincide with Sweden’s National Day. Malin seems to have the ideal roots to reinvent this classic.
Press release: Known for her reflective songwriting, soft acoustic textures and emotive vocals, Malin breathes new life into this high-energy classic by slowing the tempo and stripping it back to its emotional core. Her version draws out the tenderness in the lyrics, transforming a song about pursuit into something far more introspective and sincere.
“I’ve always been curious about what happens when you take something bold and energetic and strip it back”, says Malin. “With one of ABBA’s most iconic tracks, I wanted to slow everything down and let the vulnerability in the lyrics rise to the surface. It became less about chasing someone, and more about the quiet courage it takes to ask for a chance, having already fallen in love”.
Growing up in the small Swedish town of Tibro, ABBA’s music was ever-present in Malin’s life. “In Sweden, we grew up singing their songs at school. Their melodies are deeply ingrained in our culture. That melodic sensibility definitely influenced my own music”, she explains. “There is a lyrical and tonal quality to the Swedish language that I think has helped shape the international appeal of Swedish pop”.
Produced by Åsa Bennett, the track began with Malin’s simple guitar and vocal demo. Åsa then carefully built a delicate soundscape around it, using analogue elements to preserve the emotional intimacy.
“When Malin first sent over her vocal and guitar tracks, I was floored”, Åsa recalls. “I thought it was a brilliant reinvention. I added textures sparingly and tried many combinations, before distilling it all down to only what was necessary. It was more of a reduction than a production. In the end, I think what we made is a beautiful, delicate and emotional piece of work that shows what an incredible artist Malin is”.
The single was mixed and mastered by Mo Hausler, known for his work with Bat For Lashes, Marina and the Diamonds and HONNE.
Take a Chance on Me follows the critical success of Malin’s sophomore album Space to Feel, which explored themes of emotional sensitivity, self-worth and connection with nature. The new single further highlights her talent for uncovering vulnerability and strength through melody.
Nelson Sobral last graced these pages back in 2021 when we featured the Canadian singer/songwriter in our much-missed Maple Leaf column. Here we are in 2025, and Nelson returns with his take on a song that rates very highly on my all-time list (no pressure then). Luckily, he does a great job on ‘Time After Time’, the Cyndi Lauper classic. Over to Nelson for his thoughts on the track and how he came to record it.
“I play a lot of cover gigs—part of the job. Some songs I play straight. Others, I bend until they feel like they came outta me. Cyndi Lauper’s classic “Time After Time” is one of those.
It started out as just another tune in the set. But night after night, it kept landing differently. Somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like a cover and started feeling like mine—like something I might’ve written. I cut it at home—played all the instruments, sang it the way I felt it. Mattie Leon added some beautiful piano and vocal harmonies on the choruses, and also mixed the track. Mastering was done by Reuben Ghose of Mojito Mastering This isn’t about reinventing anything. It’s about taking an already powerful song and saying it in my own voice.
I’ll be putting out more of these between albums—songs I connect with, reshaped to fit the way I play and feel them.”
For our next choice, we’ve a track of a more recent vintage as Australian Fanny Lumsden shares with us her version of the Gotye classic ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’. Fanny is no stranger to the UK and will return in July/August with an extensive tour that includes multiple dates in Scotland and Ireland, culminating in a show at The Long Road Festival. Check out the video for the song, which features Fanny’s live band, The Prawn Stars.
Press release: Acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden returns with her first new music since 2023’s ARIA, AIR and Golden Guitar Award-winning album, Hey Dawn, unveiling an unexpected and totally glorious new single courtesy of her version of Gotye’s global hit, Somebody That I Used To Know, (featuring Kimbra).
The song features Fanny’s full live band, The Prawn Stars – for the first time on a recording - and was produced by Matt Fell, Dan Freeman and Fanny, mixed by Matt Fell and mastered by William Bowden (who mastered the original Gotye version).
Fanny explains the inspiration behind the single, saying, "After doing our own version of “Somebody That I Used To Know” on ABC’s Spicks and Specks last year, we started adding it to our live show, and have loved playing around with it so much that we thought it about time we recorded it! It's the first song that has my whole live touring band on it, and it makes me so happy that each of these people I spend so much time with on the road, brought a little of themselves to the song. We also wanted to feature the harmonies, which are a big thing for us live."
The accompanying video featuring Fanny and her band The Prawn Stars, was shot in the Upper Murray region of Australia, and directed and produced by Fanny and Dan Stanley Freeman. Fanny says, “We got the band up early when they were down to play the Man From Snowy River Festival and went up on top on the hill and shot it in 1.5 hours!”
Fanny is set to embark on another huge run of touring, playing Queensland festival, Music in the Mulga on June 7 before heading back to the UK and Ireland for 21 shows – her fourth time in 2 years following a triumphant Glastonbury debut in 2023. After selling out her Country Halls Tour in Scotland in 2024, marking the Tour’s overseas debut, Fanny and band The Prawn Stars will also bring the intimate series of shows back here again this year, putting on full band, full production shows of original live music in halls off the regular touring circuit and raising funds for communities in the process. At the end of August, she hits the road with Paul Kelly and Lucinda Williams in Australia.
In the midst of all of this, Fanny and band are currently working on new music, set for release later this year.
FANNY LUMSDEN – 2025 UK TOUR DATES
Fri July 25 TOGETHER AGAIN Festival, Bolesworth
Sat July 26 Brudenell Club, Leeds
Sun July 27 Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
Thurs July 31 Belladrum Festival, Inverness
Fri Aug 1 Arisaig Hall - Country Halls Tour, Arisaig, Scotland
Sat Aug 2 Balquhidder Hall - Country Halls Tour, Balquhidder, Scotland
Sun Aug 3 Three Villages Hall - Country Halls Tour, Arrochar, Scotland
Thurs Aug 7 Coughlans, Cork, Ireland
Fri Aug 8 Dolans, Limerick, Ireland
Sat Aug 9 Róisín Dubh, Galway, Ireland
Sun Aug 10 Whelans, Dublin, Ireland
Tues Aug 12 YES (PINK ROOM), Manchester
Wed Aug 13 Oslo, London
Thurs Aug 14 The Exchange, Bristol
Fri Aug 15 Beautiful Days Festival, Devon
Sat Aug 16 Country Calling Festival, Essex
Sun Aug 17 Komedia Studio, Brighton
Wed Aug 20 Vinyl Café, York (acoustic show)
Thurs Aug 21 Solfest, Cumbria
Fri Aug 22 Greenbelt Festival, Kettering
Sat Aug 23 The Long Road Festival, Lutterworth
Last, but by no means least, we’ve a haunting take on Nick Cave’s ‘Into My Arms’ from Lykke Li. This is one of a trio of covers on a new EP from the Swedish singer/songwriter that also includes wonderfully understated interpretations of ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘Love Hurts’.
Press release: Following the release of her intimate and cinematic album EYEYE (2022), Lykke Li returns with a surprise drop for her fans, her 3 track Covers EP. The focus track is a stunning rendition of "Into My Arms" originally by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Lykke’s haunting vocal delivery and emotional depth is on show as she reimagines the iconic ballad with a beautiful minimalism and vulnerability. Sitting alongside "Into My Arms" are wonderfully intimate covers of "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King) and "Love Hurts" (The Everly Brothers).
Welcome to a new feature here at Red Guitar Music, where we round up a selection of recent and/or upcoming new releases that fall under the broad umbrella of country music. For this first instalment, we have two artists from Canada alongside contributions from North Carolina and Texas. From Canadian bluegrass to Texas country/americana, we’ve got plenty of bases covered. Check ‘em out.