THE GOOD LYRE - Songs of John Wesley Harding
THE GOOD LYRE
- Songs of John Wesley Harding -
Collection of Covers of Acclaimed Singer/Songwriter’s Vast Catalog now gathered into a Bandcamp album
100% of the proceeds will benefit Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
Covers by Rosanne Cash, Josh Ritter, Graham Parker, Gary Louris, Tanya Donelly, Wreckless Eric, The Minus 5, Steven Page, Britta Phillips, Ryan Miller, Eric Bazilian, Chris von Sneidern, David Lewis, Bob Pernice, Marti Jones & Don Dixon, Bad Scene, Marshall Crenshaw, Dag Juhlin, Dean Friedman, and Casey Neill
To be released on Bandcamp Friday 2nd April: $15
What started, one year ago, as an innocent social media game, when Facebook friends and fans suggested artists they would like to cover Wesley Stace AKA John Wesley Harding’s songs, became a reality with the Community Coronation Covers Project, a community-curated playlist featuring a myriad of well-respected artists. These have now been gathered on Bandcamp as The Good Lyre: Songs of John Wesley Harding. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Sweet Relief.
From the hundreds of suggested artist/song pairings, Stace compiled a list: “Realizing that some of these wild ideas were tantalizingly within my grasp, I wondered whether the musicians in question might be willing to help out, to make someone’s day.”
These are “bespoke covers: requested by a single person, and hand delivered, as it were, to that person,” says Stace. “The object was first to blow the mind of whoever made the suggestion - “You said you wanted to hear Graham Parker sing Devil In Me? Here you go!" - and then to blow the minds of any fans of the performing artists whom they never thought they would hear sing this song or perhaps any other of my songs: handmade custom-built quarantainment.”
“The project started purely as a way to lift spirits at the beginning of the lockdown; a way for musicians to cheer people up. Now we’re bringing it full circle: all the proceeds from this album will benefit Sweet Relief, and specifically musicians affected by the Covid pandemic. It’s a beautiful way to mark the end of the project’s journey. I immediately think of John Prine, Adam Schlesinger, Dave Greenfield, Matthew Seligman, Hal Willner and other friends and/or musical influences lost to complications from the virus.
“These performances were acts of great generosity and kindness by these artists - it’s not necessarily an easy thing to work up a new song by request - and I’d like to thank everyone who contributed. Now, in a further act of generosity, all musicians gave an enthusiastic YES to all proceeds being donated to Sweet Relief. There but for fortune go all of us."
“We’re so grateful to Wes and all of the amazing artists that donated their time and talent to this project. The proceeds will be used to help musicians who have been financially devastated by the pandemic; artists helping artists, so cool!” ~Aric Steinberg, EVP Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
Tracklist:
Ryan Miller (Guster) - Your Ghost (Don’t Scare Me No More)
Eric Bazilian (The Hooters) - The Person You Are
Tanya Donelly (Belly) - The World (and All its Problems)
Josh Ritter - Sussex Ghost Story
Rosanne Cash - I’m Wrong about Everything
Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) - Kiss Me, Miss Liberty
Britta Phillips (Dean and Britta) - Sleepy People
Steven Page - Why Must the Show Go On?
Chris von Sneidern - Negative Love
Graham Parker - The Devil in Me
Wreckless Eric - Sick Organism
Bad Scene - You In Spite of Yourself
Casey Neill - Darwin
The Minus Five - Making Love to Bob Dylan
Marti Jones and Don Dixon - Dreamfader
David Lewis - Infinite Combinations
Bob Pernice - To Whom It May Concern
Marshall Crenshaw - I Just Woke Up
Dean Friedman - Top of the Bottom
Dag Juhlin (The Sunshine Boys) - People Love to Watch You Die
About John Wesley Harding
Wesley Stace was born in Hastings in 1965. Since 1988, he has released many albums under the name John Wesley Harding - his most recent, 2018’s Wesley Stace’s John Wesley Harding, with the Jayhawks as his backing band - and recorded duets with, among others, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and Rosanne Cash. Stace has published four novels, including the international bestseller Misfortune, and recently co-wrote Mark Morris’ memoir Out Loud. He also created Cabinet of Wonders, a monthly show that plays at New York City’s City Winery, and which The New Yorker called “one of the finest nights of entertainment this city has to offer.” He has taught at Princeton, Swarthmore and Fairleigh-Dickinson, and writes regularly for the Times Literary Supplement and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Philadelphia. Learn more at www.wesleystace.com
About Sweet Relief’s COVID-19 Fund
Founded in 1994 by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams, Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of music industry professionals who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. In March of 2020, Sweet Relief launched a COVID-19 Fund, with a limited amount of funds available to be used specifically for musicians and music industry workers affected by Coronavirus. Funds raised will go towards medical expenses, lodging, clothing, food, and other vital living expenses to those impacted due to sickness or loss of work. For those wishing to apply or donate, please visit www.sweetrelief.org/covid-19-fund
