Bay area-native and Noe Valley resident, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Rachel Garlin today releases her music video cover of “Boys of Summer.”
Garlin tells us, “It’s always a risk when you cover a well-known song, and maybe we doubled that risk by recording an all-female version of a Henley anthem, but the risk is what made it fun. In the end, it’s still Boys of Summer, but we flipped the script and got to bear a different kind of witness to someone longing for a past love while feeling the impermanence of a season.
I give credit to my producer Julie Wolf for re-imagining the song and writing the harmonic arrangement and to Kate Isenberg for coming up with the idea that we should cover this particular song in the first place. I greatly value both of them as collaborators.”
Garlin has been spending her time during the shutdown performing Sidewalk Sessions, weekly concerts performed from her garage for a socially distant audience.
Watch Rachel’s Sidewalk Sessions Here.
From a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle: “Now that we’re in this period of COVID and there are really strong restrictions against social gathering, we’re being very cautious and it’s a whole different concept,” she explained. “People can listen and share a smile behind their mask, and if they linger, there’s a shared understanding about staying 6 to 10 feet apart at all times.”
Rachel Garlin released her latest full-length LP, Mondegreens April 3rd. Produced by Julie Wolf, the album features performances from top-shelf musicians like bassist Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco, Hadestown), harmony vocalist Vicki Randle (Mavis Staples) and drummer Allison Miller (Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile) among others. Deftly weaving together instrumental elements, producer Wolf illuminates each song’s emotional landscape while also creating the album’s cohesive sound.
Mondegreens embodies a contemporary take on the Bay Area’s long history as a folk music standard-bearer. The 10-song album was recorded at Berkeley’s legendary Fantasy Studios, where bands like CCR and Green Day recorded era-defining works. Garlin’srecord—nine originals, plus an unlikely but not-to-be-missed cover of Don Henley’s anthem “Boys of Summer”—is a love a letter to today’s uncertain times, each song evoking a blend of heartache and hope, social reflection and self-discovery.
Connect with Rachel Garlin
Official: https://rachelgarlin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelgarlinmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelgarlin
YouTube: http://shorturl.at/gmnAP
