5 Folk Covers of Non-Folk Songs that Might Be Better than the Original

It’s not often that you hear a solid cover of a famous folk song. What’s even rarer is to hear a folk cover of a notoriously not-folk song. These five folk covers of popular rock and electronic tunes are almost better than the original tracks themselves. Let’s take a look!

1. “Drain You” by Horse Feathers

“Drain You” is one of the most underrated tracks from grunge band Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind. The original song is widely considered a “super grunge” track packed with iconic lyrics and fuzzy electric guitar riffs.

Surprisingly, indie folk outfit Horse Feathers managed to cover the song quite beautifully, without making the song sound unrecognizable. Both bands originate from the Pacific Northwest, so maybe kindred spirits had a hand in how good their cover was.

2. “Midnight City” by Last Bison

“Midnight City” was released by electronic synth-pop band M83 in 2011. It’s one of their biggest hits to date, and most listeners who were around in M83’s heyday can recognize the song immediately by the “honking” melody that kicks off the track.

Covering an electronic song as an acoustic outfit is no easy feat, but American indie folk band The Last Bison did a fascinatingly good job with their cover of “Midnight City”. If you’ve never heard their cover, we promise you will not be able to predict how this folky cover goes. They captured the ethereal vibe of the source material beautifully.

3. “Heartbeats” by José González

Swedish electronic duo The Knife have always been very experimental with their synth-pop techno-leaning albums. “Heartbeats” is the lead single from the band’s 2003 album Deep Cuts. It’s quite a haunting song that sounds distantly influenced by the likes of Bjork and Siouxsie Sioux.

Fellow Swedish musician José González covered the song, and it just works. His live performances of the tune are even better than the recorded version. González preserves the haunting vibe of the original with stripped-down, acoustic instrumentation.

4. “Such Great Heights” by Iron & Wine

Singer/songwriter Iron & Wine named his entire 2006 EP after “Such Great Heights” by indie pop group The Postal Service. Ben Gibbard’s songs aren’t exactly easy to cover; they are usually best suited for the original songwriter in his case. However, Iron & Wine’s version lends a more folky energy to the source material. The cover even made it to the soundtrack of the 2004 film Garden State.

[See Iron & Wine Live]

5. “Where Is My Mind” by Trampled By Turtles

When it comes to folk covers that are better than original, this notable bluegrass-tinged cover of an alt-rock song comes close. The 1988 song “Where Is My Mind” by alternative rock legends Pixies has been covered quite a bit through the years. Placebo’s 2003 cover is one notable version, as are the renditions by Nada Surf and James Blunt. However, the bluegrass-inspired folk outfit Trampled By Turtles turned “Where Is My Mind” into something totally different. Their cover was featured on the 2013 live album Live At First Avenue.

Photo by David McClister

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