Swedish indie duo First Aid Kit has recently performed a cover of Bette Midler’s “The Rose” on a television show in their home country of Sweden. Sisters Klara and Johanna Soderberg comprise the band, performing alongside a few other musicians to create their beautiful, filling sound during the live performance.

The original song by Midler in the 1970s features smooth vocals reminiscent of the era, while the sisters’ new cover takes a more dynamic approach. Klara approached the song with a bit more strength than the original artist’s full yet fragile rendition, and begins the song with her clear, prominent voice. After a few measures, Johanna joins in with her deep, rich vocals, and the pair create a lovely and exquisitely rich feel for the cover.

First Aid Kit adds a bit more twang to their version of the song, with a folksy vibe overall, perhaps a slightly western twinge in pronunciation, and a country-sounding guitar. Both artists performed in front of a stage lit with red LED’s for their live rendition, and were dressed in black and white collared dresses with strong vintage allusions, and white boots to top it off.

Photo credit: Sharon Alagna