Ilsey and Justin Vernon from Bon Iver have collaborated to release a cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” from Harvest. According to Pitchfork, the cover was produced, mixed, and engineered by BJ Burton, a frequent collaborator of Bon Iver. Listen to the new cover by watching the official lyric video below.
The cover has an iconic indie sound: light strumming on a guitar backing sweet vocals, with light percussion and brass with electric notes backing it all up and giving it a more atmospheric feeling. In regards to why they made the cover, Ilsey said in a press statement that “This song has always spoken to me in a deep, personal way… There’s something about the plaintive melody and the simple, evocative lyrics that go straight to the heart of what we all feel. The image of a miner searching for a precious metal—searching for love, connection, something true… it’s a difficult, often frustrating process, but the reward is so worth it. I kept coming back to the thought and the song. I listened on repeat one day before meeting up with Justin and BJ and it just felt right to see if we could play it in a new way, that felt like us, and would do it justice.”