Eight years after his untimely death, American musician Mark Linkous’ unique blend of dreamy, intimate music continues to inspire listeners from around the world.
Recorded as a tribute to her musical hero, British-Lebanese singer-songwriter Nadine Khouri offers a cover of the track ‘Spirit Ditch’, also our Song of the Day.
“I still remember the first time I heard Sparklehorse as a kid. I was completely arrested by the music and it was unlike any I’d ever heard. Mark had beautiful songs of course – from the raucous to the most delicate – and yet it always felt like a privilege being allowed into his musical world. I think he was a musical genius and under-rated for the incredible talent that he was.
I was touring with my friend Adrian Crowley earlier this year and he had a Mellotron with him on the road. It came up that we were both huge fans (Linkous played Mellotron on many of his recordings) so we played ‘Spirit Ditch’ a few times on tour… For me, it was a reminder of how much beauty and power a song can carry, and how indebted we are to Mark Linkous to what he gave us musically — in our case, as songwriters who are as interested in songs as they are in the sonic spaces they inhabit. His music had a huge influence on us both. I hope people will continue to discover and honour his work.”
The cover features Irish singer-songwriter Adrian Crowley on backing vocals & mellotron, Huw Bennett on double-bass, Basia Bartz on violin, Lizzy O’Connor on percussion, and was mixed by Virginia-based producer and engineer Alan Weatherhead.
Her forthcoming EP ‘A New Dawn’ is due for release in October 2018 and she has a number of upcoming shows in October, visit her website for more details: http://www.nadinekhouri.com/
Photo Credit: Maryam Khastoo
