In 2015, Sam Beam, the singer/songwriter better known as Iron & Wine, teamed up with Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell to release Sing into My Mouth, a collection of 12 eclectic cover songs. Now, Beam and Bridwell, who are childhood friends, have joined forces for another covers project.
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Making Good Time is a five-track EP that scheduled for release on September 12. It features songs by U2, Foreigner, Roxy Music, indie-pop supergroup boygenius, and rapper Kendrick Lamar.
[RELATED: Iron & Wine and Band of Horses Announce Covers Album]
Making Good Time can be pre-ordered now and will be available as a limited-edition vinyl EP and via digital formats. The vinyl disc will feature a custom etching on the B side.
Bridwell and Iron & Wine recorded Making Good Time with Grammy-nominated producer/multi-instrumentalist Brad Cook in North Carolina. The duo collaborated with Cook and his house band to, according to a press release, “channel the easy, lived-in feel of a shared mixtape amongst friends.”
Bridwell and Iron & Wine have released a cover of “Luther,” Lamar’s chart-topping 2024 duet with R&B artist SZA, as an advance digital track from the EP.
“Luther” is a song from Kendrick’s chart-topping 2024 album GNX. The single spent 13 straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March through May 2025. The track features a sample of Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 version of the Motown duet “If This World Were Mine.”
Bridwell’s Comments About the New EP and the “Luther” Cover
In a statement, Bridwell discussed the new EP, including details about how he decided to record a cover of “Luther.”
“Working with Sam again feels like a homecoming in so many ways,” Ben noted. “To circle back ten years after Sing into My Mouth and expand the project is a wonderful dream relived.”
He continued, “I chose to focus on ‘Luther’ after kinda hitting a wall wondering which songs would be best to contribute. After much hand-wringing, it hit me, ‘Why not just do my favorite song?’ I’d been playing the then newly released GNX album on repeat and that song in particular with my girls to the point of exhaustion.”
He added, “About a week later, Kendrick strangled the game at the Super Bowl [halftime show] and ‘Luther’ would soon become a number 1 hit for so many weeks. Seems a little late now to share this as it’s been many months since recording it, but I knew that damn song was headed for big things. Praying we did some justice.”
About Band of Horses and Iron & Wine’s Upcoming Joint Tour
Shortly after Making Good Time’s release, Band of Horses and Iron & Wine will hit the road on a brief U.S. co-headlining tour. The shows will feature sets by both acts, as well as a collaborative set that will include songs from Beam and Bridwell’s two releases “and a few surprises.”
The 12-date trek will visit various venues in the Western U.S. The outing kicks off September 18 in Seattle and runs through an October 3 concert in Santa Barbara, California.
Tickets to the shows are available now.
Making Good Time EP Track List:
- “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (U2)
- “Luther” (Kendrick Lamar and SZA)
- “I Want to Know What Love Is” (Foreigner)
- “More Than This” (Roxy Music)
- “Ketchum, ID” (boygenius)
Band of Horses and Iron & Wine Co-Headlining Tour Dates:
9/18 – Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Park
9/19 – Eugene, WA @ The Cuthbert Amphitheater
9/20 – Portland, OR @ McMenamins Grand Lodge
9/22 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
9/23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
9/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
9/26 – Del Mar, CA @ The Sound at Del Mar
9/27 – Las Vegas, NV @ Bel-Aire Backyard
9/28 – Chandler, AZ @ Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass
9/30 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Pepsi Amphitheater
10/2 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
10/3 – Santa Barbara, CA @ The Arlington Theatre
(Photo by Will Dearborn; Photo by Stevie and Sarah Gee)
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