Diamond-selling recording act AWOLNATION have released the tracklisting for their upcoming covers project My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers and Me…
Now available for pre-order, the album will include collaborations with Beck, Jewel, Portugal. The Man and more.
This weekend they also released Beds are Burning (Featuring Tim McIlrath of Rise Against), a new track from the album. The album, which is set for a May 6, 2022, global release, is a fiercely collaborative and celebratory project, a collection of masterfully crafted and carefully curated covers, with each track featuring at least one acclaimed musical artist with whom AWOLNATION’s founder Aaron Bruno has a personal connection. After crossing paths over the years at festivals and other shows, the band joined forces with Tim McIlrath of Rise Against to give a futuristic, raw, and gritty twist to the 1987 Midnight Oil classic. See the tracklisting below.
A hypnotic and visually stunning animated music video was also unveiled today to accompany the “Beds Are Burning” release. Showcasing a series of futuristic funky visuals, it amplifies the next-generation approach to the reimagining of the song. The credits for the project are as follows: Directed and Edited by Jason Michael Hall, CG Assets; Editing and Compositing: Gingerbear Haus Studio Motion Capture Performance; Actors: Aaron Bruno and Jason Michael Hall.
Marking the release, Bruno gave a statement:
“Ever since I was much younger, I would sing along to this song. The singer may have the coolest dance moves in music video history. I think this song speaks for itself in terms of the message and meaning of the song. I was excited that Tim from Rise Against performed on this one in particular, given the power and influence his lyrics and music have had for so many years.”
Originally recorded by Midnight Oil, drummer Rob Hirst gave their stamp of approval, stating, “A tough new light on our old song! The whistle near the end is a deft touch…congrats AWOLNATION and Tim on doing a brilliant job!”
AWOLNATION’S first official offering from the project, a powerful reimagining of Scorpion’s “Wind of Change,” featuring Portugal. The Man and Brandon Boyd of Incubus, earned over 1M streams in its first month of release and was accompanied by a striking visual directed by Amalia Irons. The video’s imagery depicts waves of nostalgia, weaving together different scenes that explore the full spectrum of how the passing of time impacts everyone.
In their exclusive reveal of the album’s title and release date, Billboard spoke with Bruno about his core mission for this collection of songs and collaborations: to illustrate the mental health benefits music brings and the connection within the artist community. Bruno will continue tackling this subject head-on in a series of in-depth conversations with his collaborators throughout the album’s campaign.
Pre-order the album across platforms starting today HERE.
McIlrath said of the collaboration:
“When I met Aaron years ago at one of our shows at the Coliseum in L.A., he disclosed his past time spent in hardcore bands, and we bonded over that. I’ve always been a fan of his, both as a person and his music, so it was an easy decision to guest on his version of Midnight Oil’s ‘Beds Are Burning.’ It didn’t hurt that I also love the song and all it stands for. I’m really impressed with the ways in which he made it his own because it’s not an easy song to reimagine.”
Tracklisting
Beds Are Burning (featuring Tim McIlrath of Rise Against)
Eye In The Sky (featuring Beck)
Take A Chance on Me (featuring Jewel)
Maniac (featuring Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves)
Just A Friend (featuring Hyro The Hero)
Material Girl (featuring Taylor Hanson of Hanson)
Wind of Change (featuring Brandon Boyd of Incubus & Portugal The Man)
Waiting Room (featuring Grouplove)
Drive (On digital only)
Flagpole Sitta (featuring Elohim)
Alone Again (featuring Midland)
