On Friday 10th July, Indie darlings Bombay Bicycle Club shared their cover of the hit song, Two Lives. Two Lives is a Bonnie Raitt original from her 1977 seminal album, Sweet Forgiveness.
Bombay’s brand new cover arrives in the wake of their upcoming EP, also entitled Two Lives. Consisting of tracks Is It Real, Racing Stripes and Let You Go, their new EP features acoustic versions of these previously released singles from Everything Has Gone Wrong, their fifth studio album that arrived in January of this year.
With tinges of country blues, Bombay’s Two Lives is a refreshing revision of the already beautiful song. Sonically stripped back, an understated acoustic guitar guides the calming cover to a chorus rife with celestial harmonies. Conjuring a vintage feel, Steadman’s emotive guitar pays homage to Raitt’s original and echoes other 1970’s classics, particularly Stevie Nicks monumental track, Landslide. Tranquil and soothing, Bombay’s Two Lives is a must-hear for anybody who loves the acoustic guitar.
The diverse reimaginings of the Two Lives EP convey Bombay’s dualism as artists, their aptitude for turning songs on their head to offer a fresh new spin remains abundantly clear. When speaking on Two Lives, frontman Jack Steadman maintained that “We felt it was a fitting title for our EP where we showcase the two lives of our songs, one that is layered and one stripped back.”
Yesterday, (July 10th) Bombay Bicycle Club posted their cover to their official Instagram page. Sharing with their 86,000 followers a short clip from the music video, the post featured origami-like animations that were perfectly synchronised with Steadman’s soft vocals.
The London-formed band captioned the post with some context behind their latest release. Steadman wrote that “My dad introduced me to this beautiful song on one of our long car journeys and I instantly fell in love with the harmonies.” Obtaining over 8,000 views and likes, the post was met with a jovial reception from the band’s dedicated fanbase.
Geared to drop on the 24th July, sales for Two Lives will go by a pay-what-you-want initiative and will be available from the band’s official website. Sales for the upcoming EP will be split directly between two organisations, Chineke! And Youth Music.
Established in 2015, Chineke! Is a British classical orchestra that provides opportunities for Black and Minority ethnic musicians in the industry. Funded by the National Lottery, Youth Music is a National charity specialising in music-making programmes for underprivileged young people. Donations for Chineke! And Youth Music can be made here.
Following a few years of creative hiatus, Bombay Bicycle Club reunited this year and delighted the music community with their comeback record, Everything Has Gone Wrong. The band was all set for a European tour, which has now been rescheduled due to the Coronavirus crisis. Bombay Bicycle Club released the following statement regarding the postponement of their tour: “We’re devastated to have to reschedule our upcoming European tour date.”
