It’s not often you hear a cover that completely transforms a song into something brand new, but Sturgill Simpson pulled it off with his rendition of Nirvana’s “In Bloom.” The track – which is the second single from Simpson’s upcoming album A Sailor’s Guide To Earth, out April 15 – wipes the grit from the grunge legends’ original version, replacing Kurt Cobain’s heavy guitar with rich pedal steel.
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Simpson recently discussed the cover in an interview with Rolling Stone. “I remember in seventh or eighth grade when that album dropped, it was like a bomb went off in my bedroom. For me, that song has always summed up what it means to be a teenager, and I think it tells a young boy that he can be sensitive and compassionate — he doesn’t have to be tough or cold to be a man. I wanted to make a very beautiful and pure homage to Kurt.”
Check out the video below.
