Lucy Dacus shares two new Carole King covers
The legacy of Carole King continues to reverberate throughout popular music. Back in January, Jack White’s Third Man Records released Home Again, a vault package that included a live performance from The Great Lawn of New York City’s Central Park on May 26th, 1973, and a DVD of the same concert. To round it out, there was also a special limited-edition 7-inch single included.
That was from contemporary indie rock queen Lucy Dacus, who contributed two Tapestry-era covers to the package. ‘Home Again’ and ‘It’s Too Late’ are two of King’s most beloved songs from that album. The former is a heartfelt album cut that contains some of the starkest emotions present on the album. The latter, of course, was King’s first and only number one single as a solo artist.
Today, Matador Records are releasing Dacus’ covers on digital platforms for the first time. Dacus is going heavy on the covers as of late, having already dropped versions of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ and Cher’s ‘Believe’ over the last few months. All have been delightful additions to Dacus’ ascension to the top of the rock scene with her 2021 LP Home Video.
“When I listened to Tapestry from my mom’s CD collection, I was young enough that it didn’t register as good or bad,” Dacus explained about connecting with King’s music for the first time. “It just defined what music sounded like to me, and it’s still a foundation of how I understand songwriting.”
“She’s clever in the good way – queen of internal rhyme – and I love how her melodies reinforce the tone of the lyrics. She keeps it simple, but that’s what makes it universal,” she adds. “When I was asked to cover a couple of her songs, it was a no brainer. Her work feels like a part of my DNA and I’m grateful for it.”
Check out Dacus’ versions of ‘Home Again’ and ‘It’s Too Late’ down below.
