Kurt Vile has announced the release of his latest EP, Speed, Sound, Lonely KV (ep), out digitally October 2nd. The five-song set is a love letter to some of Vile’s music heroes and to Nashville, where it was recorded at The Butcher Shoppe studio. It includes two covers of John Prine, and a “Cowboy” Jack Clement cover, as well as two originals.
The announcement comes with the release of a duet with the late John Prine on a new version of his hit “How Lucky”. Vile calls the song “Probably the single most special musical moment in my life.“
Vile goes on to say: “The truth is John was my hero for a long time when he came into The Butcher Shoppe to recut one of his deepest classics with me. And, man, I was floating and flying and I couldn’t hear anything he told me while he was there till after he was gone for the night.”
With gentle guitar strings and cozy ambiance absent of percussion, the cover certainly has a Vile vibe that allows it to stand alone from Prine’s original. Nevertheless, Vile and Prine have great chemistry on “How Lucky”; they trade singing duties throughout and come together for the final verse in a way that’s exemplary of the continued influence and significance of Pine on today and tomorrow’s musicians.
Listen to “How Lucky” below or on streaming platforms.
Speed, Sound, Lonely KV (ep) was recorded and mixed in sporadic sessions that spanned four years at The Butcher Shoppe studio. It also features a cast of legendary Nashville session players including Bobby Wood, Dave Roe, and Kenny Malone. Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) and Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Superwolf) are also thrown into the mix.
The digital version of the EP will arrive next Friday, October 2, via Matador, and a physical edition will arrive early next year on pink-colored vinyl and CD (pre-order HERE).
