Producer, singer and songwriter James Blake shared cover of Joy Division’s “Atmosphere,” and it is giving fans chills. Blake began performing this cover on his current tour in support of his acclaimed 2019 album Assume Form. Blake and his band are heard playing a sparse and piano led rendition of the 1980 post-punk classic.
Fans are used to Blake delivering celebrated cover’s of songs by artists like Joni Mitchel, Fiest, Frank Ocean, Bill Withers and Beyonce. Now they can add another classic to the list of well planned covers produced by Blake.
Earlier this year, Blake spoke out about the impacts on mental health and quality of life that touring can have for artists. “There are a lot of musicians just starting out now who might not be aware of the pitfalls of touring, and the pitfalls of a musician’s life. Mental health on the road is something which has generally been left until this generation to really deal with”, he explained. “I think we’ve seen the effects of the artist’s life laid out for us in previous generations, and I think we’re just starting to go, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t use these methods to cope with it, maybe I should talk to somebody.’”
His current tour throughout UK ends at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith and then he is set to return to the UK to perform at All Points East Festival with Christine & The Queens on May 26. The United States will get a glimpse of Blake as he is scheduled in the lineup at festivals over the summer including Made In America.
See Blake’s cover of “Atmosphere” below.
Photo credit: Boston Lynn Schulz
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