Acoustic folk-rock hero Ben Harper has teamed up with celebrated bluegrass singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens to release a poignant duet cover of the Nick Drake song, “Black Eyed Dog.” The song features both singers offer moving vocal and guitar performances to create a more subtle, bluesy version of the Drake tune.

According to a press release, after recently meeting at an event in Los Angeles, the two artists naturally connected on their shared approach to music and quickly saw the potential in a future collaboration.

Speaking about the tune and working with Giddens, Harper says, “I’ve always wanted to cover ‘Black Eyed Dog’, but the song was intimidating in its haunted perfection. Only through collaborating with Rhiannon would I have ever attempted it. When I step back from it, this collaboration should’ve happened long ago, but I’m thrilled that it’s finally here.”

Recipient of the MacArthur “Genius Grant,” Giddens has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award six times and in the past month has appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’s #playathome series as well as an NPR Tiny Desk from home.

Ben Harper has won three GRAMMY Awards during his celebrated career and is currently working on his 16th studio album, scheduled to be released later this year. His previous 15 studio albums have accumulated Gold and Platinum certifications worldwide.

In 2018, Harper and blues legend Charlie Musselwhite released the studio album, No Mercy In This Land, to critical acclaim.

Photo credit: Owen Ela