Music News

Kate Rusby Reinterprets “Shake It Off” For Upcoming Album

July 26, 2020July 29, 2020 Lesley Hastings country music, kate rusby, shake it off

By pure coincidence, Yorkshire artist Kate Rusby chose last Friday to release her fantastic version of ” Shake It Off”, the same day Taylor Swift dropped her surprise new album! You definitely can’t get more timely than that!
Talking about the track, Kate says ” Aw, the amazingly-fabulous Taylor Swift!!! As a family, we have danced the floorboards bare to this song, especially on our recent 10th wedding anniversary. It was the soundtrack to the whole day. I hope she likes banjos!!”. She is referring to the wonderful playing by Damien O’Kane on the pared does version of this song, which Kate has truly made her own.

It is taken from her upcoming album of covers , “Hand Me Down”, and although Kate is known as a folk singer the songs she has chosen to re-interpret reflect her appreciation and love for many different genres. The project started life a few years ago while rehearsing for the Jo Whiley Show on BBC Radio 2, in which Jo asks her guests to perform songs of their own plus any cover of their choice. Kate explains ” As a folk singer, it’s what I do, re-interpret existing songs, but usually the songs are much, much older……..it dawned on me that not just the very old songs are handed down through the generations, but also favourite songs of any age, of any generation”.

“Hand Me Down” is set for release by Pure Records digitally and on CD on 14th August, with vinyl to follow in November, track listing as follows…..

Manic Monday (written by Prince and a hit for The Bangles in 1986)
Everglow (Coldplay)
Days (The Kinks/Kirsty McColl)
If I Had A Boat (Lyle Lovett)
Maybe Tomorrow (from The Littlest Hobo, a Canadian TV series, performed by Terry Bush)
The Show (Connie TV series theme song, written by Willy Russell, performed by Rebecca Storm)
Shake It Off (Taylor Swift)
True Colours (Cindi Lauper)
Carolina On My Mind (James Taylor)
Love Of The Common People (Paul Young)
Friday I’m In Love (The Cure)
Three Little Birds (Bob Marley)