For his latest Pinecastle Records single, young North Carolina grasser Liam Purcell has taken on a pop mega-hit of recent vintage, sung in duet with west coast bluegrass diva AJ Lee.
It’s Somebody That I Used To Know, recorded in 2011 by Gotye featuring Kimbra, which dominated the international pop charts when it was first released. The song was nearly inescapable for the next few years, and still appears on social media in various forms. For those unfamiliar with its charm, let’s just say that it didn’t readily suggest a bluegrass cover.
But Purcell is an adventurous lad. He explained a bit of how this single came to be.
“Growing up, I would always make cover songs of my favorite tunes in GarageBand. I’d layer all the bluegrass instruments over classic rock, pop, country, and even electronic music. This was one of those songs I did back in high school for the first time. But it was never right without the female vocals. I became friends with AJ Lee out on the road and we’ve had the chance to collaborate several times now. When I found my old high school demo of this song, I knew it was time to get in the studio together and re-cut it for real! Her voice fits the track so perfectly and it was an honor to collaborate with her on the project.
We had a lot of fun with the backing vocals and the mix, trying to get a little vibe of the original version in there while completely grassing it up!”
The song takes the form of a breakup/heartbreak lament, with the two sides each offering their thoughts as the duet unfolds.
Have a listen.
Somebody That I Used To Know is available now from popular download and streaming services online.
