Bria – the lead-singer of Montreal punk band FRIGS and Orville Peck band member Bria Salmena – will release her follow up EP Cuntry Covers Vol. 2. This six-song EP features the standout covers ‘Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?’ (Paula Cole), ‘Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)’ (Loretta Lynn), ‘When You Know Why You’re Happy’ (Mary Margaret O’Hara) and ‘I Dream A Highway’ (Gillian Welch).
“Physical space and environment have greatly informed each iteration of Cuntry Covers” shares Bria Salmena. “With Vol. 1 we had acres of beautiful farmland in summer to explore. With Vol. 2 we had a small apartment in Toronto during the dark winter months that created a kind of claustrophobic creative energy.”
Bria originally heard the lead cover song, ‘Where Have All The Cowboys Gone’ originally performed by the Grammy-winning songwriter and producer, Paula Cole when she was seven years old on the Women & Songs compilation that was released in 1997. Bria says “the song stuck with me – I found Cole’s delivery to be both brooding and chilling. The lyrics all together are confused; discovery, disillusionment, despair. I wanted to make it even more dystopian by turning it into a dreamy dance track. This track became the first song to inspire the “Homage” approach to these covers, embracing the spirit of experimentation. We wanted to stretch this song as far as it would go while honoring the elements of it that make it memorable.”
Listen to Bria’s cover of ‘Where Have All The Cowboys Gone’ here: