Photo Credit to Raymond Flotat

New York singer songwriter Sharon Van Etten’s taken on a new project to cover Donovan’s track “Teen Angel”. She’s working with Rock the Cause Records, contributing to their latest instalment Gazing with Tranquility: Tribute to Donovan.

The proceeds from Gazing with Tranquility: Tribute to Donovan will be donated to Huntington’s Hope, an organization that provides higher education support for families affected by Huntington’s disease.

“I’ve admired Donovan’s voice and minimal psychedelic songs since I was a child. In the folk world he was still very ‘left’ and it stood out to me. Even though he was a trippy cat, he was still a romantic and I loved seeing both of those sides.”

-Sharon Van Etten via NPR.

Sharon Van Etten’s own material is shining, whether it be her album I Don’t Want To Let You Down released this past June or her new track “Words”, created for a documentary. She is an artist of many talents, and it’s incredible to watch her use them to honour an artist and a great cause.

“Teen Angel” is a simple acoustic track, and Sharon Van Etten really takes her own twist with it. Instead of making it completely different, she makes the high points of the track shine with her electrifying vocals and energy she instills within her cover. As an artist, it’s really showcasing her talent to appreciate other music while still making it very uniquely hers.

You can stream Sharon Van Etten’s cover of Donovan’s “Teen Angel” here through NPR.