For his 11th studio album,Â
Mark Erelli has decided to move forward by looking back.Â
Mixtape is outÂ
January 26, 2018Â and consists entirely of cover songs â Itâs a joint declaration of appreciation, for both his favorite music and his audience.
Mixtape draws on inspiration from the past 50 years of popular music, covering artists Erelli considers to be fundamental influences (The Band, The Grateful Dead, Richard Thompson) alongside newer favorites like Neko Case and Arcade Fire. According to Erelli, âGroups like The Dead were âgateway bands,â because in the process of getting hooked on their music I also got exposed to bluegrass, jazz, early rock nâ roll and so much more.â The album is available for pre-order now at iTunes and Bandcamp.
On Don Henleyâs âThe Boys of Summerâ, Erelli again demonstrates how thrilling it can sound to extricate a hit song from its original production aesthetic. âDespite it being awash in 80âs synthesizers and drum machines,” admits Erelli, “Henleyâs original recording is dark, wistful, and when it shifts to the major key at the end itâs one of my favorite fist-raising anthems.â Henleyâs song has the same tension and catharsis in Erelliâs hands, but the sustained noir vibe and tortured wails at its conclusion give it a tougher edge.
âBefore dragging, dropping or streaming,â says Erelli, âI waited by the stereo, finger hovering over the ârecordâ button, to capture my favorite songs as they were broadcast.â Erelli vividly recalls how the whole process felt like âso much more than just a collection of songs. Working up the courage to give someone a mixtape didnât just say âthis music matters to me,â it also said âyou matter to meâ.
Mixtape features songs culled from thirteen yearsâ worth of Erelli and friendsâ annual Under The Covers shows performed each December at Harvard Squareâs famed folk mecca, Club Passim. The covers show provides a valued tradition for Erelli and regulars like Lori McKenna, Rose Cousins, Jake Armerding and Mixtape producer Zachariah Hickman. âItâs the organizing principle of my entire year,â claims Erelli. âThe day after each yearâs show, I start compiling a new list of potential covers for the following yearâs gig.
Erelliâs elegiac take on Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunterâs âBrokedown Palaceâ kicks off the album, with a string prelude that signals he is forging ahead into new sonic territory. By simply changing the meter of Phil Collinsâ âAgainst All Oddsâ from 4/4 to 6/8, Erelli reimagines the mega hit as a string-drenched soul B-side, more reminiscent of Marvin Gaye than MTV. By the time Arcade Fireâs âMy Body Is A Cageâ hits, deep on Mixtapeâs second side, Erelliâs is howling with abandon, his voice surfing a veritable maelstrom of strings, skittering drums and thunderous, dark piano chords. Perhaps the best example of dynamic control is his simmering cover of the Roy Orbison classic âCrying.â
âOne of the biggest goals we had for this project was to highlight my singing more directly than ever before,â Erelli explains. âCover songs allow me to approach a melody or lyric without the constraints of my songwriting choices or limited formal musical knowledgeâthey unleash me.âÂ
Mark Erelli still has plenty of his own songs to sing, and isnât looking to join any tribute bands just yet. But the joy he gets from covering a song, be it an obvious match or unexpected choice, comes through loud and clear on Mixtape. âEven though itâs been a long time since I made an actual mixtape for someone,â Erelli acknowledges, âI still get a real thrill from turning other people on to the music I love.â
Perhaps that process will be a two-way street, and fans of Phil Collins, Patty Griffin or Arcade Fire will discover Erelliâs own material in the process. When asked to consider that scenario, Erelli pauses for a moment, then says âI guess that would make this the most successful mixtape of all time!â
