Duncan Sheik Invites Fans To 'Hum Along' On Bonus EP

10/14/1998 3:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(10/14/98, 12 p.m. PDT) - Duncan Sheik, whose sophomore album Humming was released by Atlantic Records last week, has recorded a collection of cover tunes from some of his musical influences, for release as a free bonus EP with copies of the album sold at independent music retailers nationwide.

"I did a Nick Drake song, 'River Man,' a David Sylvian song called 'Orpheus,' a Depeche Mode song called 'Blasphemous Rumours,' and a Smiths song called 'Reel Around The Fountain," Sheik told myLAUNCH. "It was just kind of an idea to take some of the things from my past--things I listened to when I was a teenager--and put my spin on them."

The EP, Sheik adds, has a "clever title, which my friend Adam thought up." It's called Hum Along.

According to Sheik, his versions of the songs remain fairly true to the originals, though he does note that they were recorded "in a very casual way," with just "a couple of acoustic guitars, harmoniums, and vocals."

"In the case of the David Sylvian and the Nick Drake [songs], I don't think I really changed them too much," Sheik explains. "The Sylvian version is pretty true, it just sounds like an acoustic version, and 'River Man' is actually almost note-for-note exactly the same in terms of the guitar and vocals. With Depeche Mode, obviously they were using all samples and synthetic instruments, and I did it in a completely organic way. But I tried to maintain the same harmonic palette, so that was an interesting challenge."

According to a spokesperson for Atlantic Records, Hum Along will be offered with Humming while supplies last, so fans are encouraged to check with their local independent record retailers to find out if copies are still available.

Humming is the follow-up to Sheik's 1996 self-titled debut, which spawned the hit single "Barely Breathing." The first single from Humming, already released to radio, is "Bite Your Tongue."

A new Duncan Sheik feature will be available on myLAUNCH next week, and a Q&A from last year is available in the myLAUNCH archives.

-- Jeremy M. Helfgot, Los Angeles