VALERIE JUNE SHARES DAZZLING COVER OF GILLIAN WELCH’S “LOOK AT MISS OHIO”

New Track Previews June’s Upcoming Under Cover EP Out August 26^th via Fantasy Records

Today, acclaimed GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June shared a stunning cover of Gillian Welch and David Rawling’s masterful character study, “Look At Miss Ohio.” Watch the visualizer HERE.  The track is the second release ahead of June’s specially curated upcoming 8-track covers collection, Under Cover, available digitally and on CD + vinyl, August 26^th, 2022, via Fantasy Records.

June’s version wrings every bit of emotion out of Welch’s mini epic, expanding on the original’s arrangement, adding dreamy pedal steel, soft drums, and her of course, her remarkable, Southern drawl.  When she slowly intones the song’s unforgettable refrain: “She’s a running around with the rag top down / She says I wanna do right but not right now” you can practically see the steam rising off the asphalt — a flawless match between cover song and artist.

Under Cover features extraordinary interpretations of songs by some of June’s favorite artists including previously unreleased versions of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed”, Joe South’s “Don’t It Make You Want To Go Home,” Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Into My Arms, ” and the aforementioned “Look At Miss Ohio,” by Gillian Welch. The EP also includes two tracks that appeared on June’s (digital only) The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers Deluxe Edition: John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon.” Bob Dylan’s transcendent “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You,” (previously available as an Amazon Original exclusive) and June’s captivating reading of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You,” released earlier this year, rounds out the set.

Pre-Order Under Cover: HERE

As one of American music’s most admired sonic voyagers, June approaches these carefully chosen songs with equal parts reverence and child-like freedom.  It’s her one-of-kind balance between modern and traditional influences that makes June a such special artistic force and these timeless songs her own.

Valerie June’s most recent full-length album, 2021’s acclaimed The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, was one of last year’s most celebrated releases. Produced by June and Jack Splash, the album is “a psychedelic tour de force” that is “powerfully, elegantly subversive” (UNCUT) and “a stunning song cycle of redemption and reclamation” (Rolling Stone). June’s spellbinding vocals and infectious sense of wonder ground the record, and “her every quiver bespeaks emotional honesty” (New Yorker).

The follow-up to her 2013 breakthrough, Pushin’ Against A Stone, and the widely adored The Order of Time — a 2017 effort that earned the admiration of Bob Dylan and landed on best-of-the-year lists — The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers is a landmark work for the Memphis-born, Brooklyn-based auteur. The album’s “Call Me A Fool,” featuring Stax legend Carla Thomas, was nominated for Best American Roots Song at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, the first nomination of June’s illustrious career.

Under Cover Track List:

1. “Pink Moon” (Nick Drake)
2. “Fade Into You” (Mazzy Star)
3. “Look At Miss Ohio” (Gillian Welch)
4. “Godspeed” (Frank Ocean)
5. “Imagine” (John Lennon)
6. “Don’t It Make You Want To Go Home” (Joe South)
7. “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” (Bob Dylan)
8. “Into My Arms” (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)

Catch Valerie June ON TOUR:
7/29 – Kaslo Jazz Fest – Kaslo, Canada
7/31 – Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA
8/2 – Capital Ballroom – Victoria, BC
8/3 – Alma Mater – Tacoma, WA
8/4 – Hult Center for the Performing Arts – Eugene, OR
8/5-8/7 – Pickathon – Happy Valley, OR
8/18-8/21 – Green Man 2022 – Crickhowell, UK
8/23 – Blues Kitchen – Manchester, UK
8/24 – Thekla – Bristol, UK
8/26 – All Points East Festival, London, UK
9/2 – George, WA – The Gorge Amphitheatre
9/10 – CT Folk Fest – New Haven, CT
9/16 – The Big Climate Thing – New York, NY
9/17 – XpoNential Music Festival – Camden, NJ
11/5 – Emelin Theatre Mamaroneck, Mamaroneck, NY – SOLO SHOW
11/8 – Musikfest Café – Bethlehem, PA – SOLO SHOW
11/9 – The State Theatre – State College, PA – SOLO SHOW
11/11 – Center for the Arts of Homer – Homer, NY – SOLO SHOW
11/12 – Universal Preservation Hall – Saratoga Springs, NY – SOLO SHOW
11/13 – Shalin Liu Performance Center – Rockport, MA – SOLO SHOW

Photo Credit: Renata Raksha

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