The English singer-songwriter PJ Harvey has teamed up with the British-Canadian composer and songwriter Tim Phillips to offer a new rendition of Leonard Cohen’s 1974 hit “Who By Fire.” The cover comes off of the new Apple TV series Bad Sisters, acting as the first release off of the series’ soundtrack.
While preserving many aspects of the original track, especially its structure and melodies, Harvey and Phillips rendition of “Who By Fire” uses faster tempos, modern clean production and Harvey’s distinct vocals to create a highly unique version of the original track. Guitars, while still present, are less emphasized in this new version, which prefers a subtle but massive sounding piano-focused arrangement.
Speaking on the creation of the new rendition, PJ Harvey has explained that “It was a very enjoyable day spent recording the version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Who by Fire’ for Bad Sisters. I had spoken to Sharon Horgan in advance of the recording session, so I understood why she felt the song’s lyric was so perfect for the series, but also understood what nuances of Leonard’s performance she most loved, and therefore what to try and recapture but in my own way. Tim Phillips and I worked together on my performance for the song. I found Tim to be an inspiring and exciting work partner which made the whole experience flow.”
Listen to both Harvey and Philips rendition of “Who By Fire,” and the 1074 original version, below.
PJ Harvey has recently kept fans updated about her upcoming album, saying that she feels “very happy with it.” Harvey has previously released reissues of many of her oldest albums, including Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea and Is This Desire.
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