Run For Cover Records is rolling out new music from their upcoming tribute album, I Will Swim to You: A Tribute to Jason Molina. The label has now shared two more tracks from the highly anticipated compilation: Trace Mountains’ moving rendition of “The Dark Don’t Hide It” and Teen Suicide’s cover of “Whip Poor Will.” The full album is set for release on September 5th.
Dave Benton of Trace Mountain discussed their cover, saying:
I first heard about Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. when I was trying to find a label to put out my 2020 record Lost in the Country. An A&R I was chatting with said my songs reminded them of Jason’s and it prompted a dive into his catalogue that turned into a minor obsession with certain songs. The label conversation eventually fizzled out, but I was still glad to have discovered all Jason Molina’s wonderful music. ‘The Dark Don’t Hide It’ was always my favourite song of his, so when I was asked to contribute to this compilation, I thought a piano-forward arrangement of the song might be kind of nice. So that’s what we did! Thanks for listening.
Teen Suicide’s Sam Ray says of their cover;
Jason Molina’s music, particularly his records as Songs: Ohia, have been a huge part of my life. His music has gotten me through some of the very dark times in my life, and his songwriting has been immensely influential to me as well. I think the same could be said for a lot of our bandmates over the years, particularly Sean Mercer, who played with Teen Suicide for about seven or eight years. Soon after he joined the band full-time we started doing a cover of ‘Whip Poor Will’ at our shows. We’d play a version similar to the B-side from Magnolia Electric Co—stripped down to two guitars and nothing else, Sean would sing Molina’s lead, and I’d sing Jennie Benford’s.
When Run for Cover asked if we’d like to be part of a compilation honouring Molina’s music and legacy, I asked immediately if we could record a cover of it, hoping to capture the version we’d been playing for so many years.
The album is a celebration of Jason Molina, an enduring and impactful songwriter whose work continues to resonate. The twelve-song collection features some of the brightest acts in modern indie paying homage to his legacy and showcasing the profound influence of his work.
These new tracks follow previously released covers by MJ Lenderman (“Just Be Simple”) and Sun June (“Leave The City”), both of which have already garnered significant attention from major music publications like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, further building momentum for the compilation.
