Paramore’s Hayley Williams has shared clips that were recorded during the production of her 2021 album Flower for Vases/Descansos. Some of these recordings included covers of songs by The Cardigans and Best Coast.
On May 23, Thursday, Hayley Williams made her return on her Instagram page which had remained inactive since 2021. In her first new postings since 2021, Williams shared clips of her then song in progress for the album that were recorded on her phone. Among the clips are slew of cover songs that Williams played. Some of the covers include Audrey Hepburn’s “Moon River”, The Cardigans’ “Communication” and Best Coast’s “When I’m With You”.
Williams rendition on these three songs offer a unique perspective when put into the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Hepburn’s “Moon River” the original a love song sun to wanderlust. Searching for wealth and status to account for her loneliness. For Williams her self serenade of the Johnny Mercer standard adds more weight within the context of the pandemic with Williams wrote in her post “Was there ever a sadder, sweeter song to sing to yourself?”
For her cover of Best Coast, this was done as a gesture of friendship. In a post from NME, Williams revealed that the cover of “When I’m With You” was done as a request from the band’s frontwoman Bethany Cosentino. The two women are fans of each other’s work and Williams’ rendition of “When I’m With You” pays homage to Cosentino’s output. The solo beach rock cover gives fans a quick listen of the original with a hint of same bright dreamy guitar tones that made it memorable.
In her rendition of The Cardigan’s “Communication” Williams reveals that the same NME article that the Swedish band’s 2003 album, Long Before Daylight, is “a comfort album” for her. The original was a country ballad that was attempt to move the band away from the Swedish pop sound that made them a household name. For Williams, the song is an output of solace from the burdens and anxiety induced during the pandemic. Her solo acoustic rendition tries to recapture romantic fatalism of the original, adding her perspective to the cover.
Photo Credit: Jenna Houchin
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