After emerging as an up-and-comer to keep an eye on in 2021, 17-year-old Glaive is having a terrific 2022 so far. He shared five new songs on a deluxe edition of his All Dogs Go To Heaven EP and teamed up with Machine Gun Kelly on “More Than Life.” Now, he’s gotten his own Spotify Singles release which features a pretty cool cover of the Death Cab For Cutie classic “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.”
The original song is of course an acoustic tune with a straightforward arrangement and a tender and reserved vocal performance from Ben Gibbard. Glaive opts for a different direction, though. Although it begins true to the original recording, he switches things up starting with the second verse, when he switches to a more fast-paced rock guitar riff and impassioned vocal performance, gradually turning up the knob on the intensity until he abruptly returns to more intimate territory for another hook. It’s one of those covers that bends the source material without breaking it, adding a compelling new dimension to the song while still properly honoring it.
In a statement, Glaive says of the recordings:
“Around the time of the recording, I was listening to a lot of Death Cab For Cutie. The idea for the cover came about when during a session one day I was tired of working on my own music but still wanted to make music. It’s one of the only songs I know how to play on guitar so I started to work through it with Ralph and Danny and Jeff and it just clicked.
The original (minnesota) is my favorite song I’ve ever made. It’s so energetic and crazy whereas the Spotify Single is a lot more thought out and beautiful. Again, I’m a sucker for acoustic guitar on a song and I’m glad it worked so well with this version.”
Listen to Glaive’s Spotify Sessions above and revisit Death Cab’s original “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” below.
