Anchoress Shares New Cover Of Suede B-Side 'The Living Dead'

Anchoress Shares New Cover Of Suede B-Side 'The Living Dead'

Released for Bandcamp Friday

April 05, 2024

By Mark Redfern

Anchoress (aka Catherine Anne Davies) has shared a new cover of Suede B-side “The Living Dead.” The cover was released via Bandcamp as part of Bandcamp Friday. The original song was the B-side of Suede's 1994 single “Stay Together” and was later included on the two-CD compilation Suede B-sides. Sci-Fi Lullabies, in 1997. Suede is known for having some of the best B-sides of any British band of the 90s (or perhaps any band period). Listen to The Anchoress' cover below, followed by Suede's original version.

Davies had this to say about the cover on Bandcamp: “It would take a very special song to make me reconsider the idea of ​​doing another 'Version', but I'm obsessed with hearing Suede's prog-tastic 2018 album again The Blue Hour lately, and it also led me down a neighboring rabbit hole of the amazing collection of B-sides the band has amassed over the decades.

“I think I've always been a bit uncomfortable with the idea of ​​doing a Suede song, given that I've collaborated and done an album with former member Bernard Butler – our 2020 album In the memory of my feelings. But now, for today's Bandcamp Friday, it's time to revisit what I think is one of their best moments, the wonderfully dark and understated “The Living Dead.”

“Originally the B-side of the stand-alone single 'Stay Together,' it has all the elements of the song I love and appreciate: a novella built into [Brett] Anderson's taut lyrical account of addiction and its devastating impact is perfectly paired with Butler's perfectly written understated yet beautifully emotional arrangement.

“While this particular song (along with Radiohead's back catalogue) was definitely in my beginner teach-me-guitar school repertoire, I wanted to depart from a faithful rendition of the original acoustic-guitar arrangement—as flawless as it is—a translation Instead, it throws in a synthesizer orchestra to accentuate its cinematic aspects.

“I hope you like this performance.”

Anchoress released a cover album, album/versions” target=”_blank”>publications, in 2023 with covers of songs by REM, Radiohead, The Cure, Depeche Mode and more. The Anchoress' final studio album of originals, The art of losing, released in 2021 via Kscope. Read our interview with Davies on the album here.

Suede's last acclaimed album was 2022 Autofiction. Read our rave review for Autofiction here.

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