Australian singer-songwriter and indie traditionalist Courtney Barnett has released a cover of Chastity Belt’s 2017 song, “Different Now.” The track is set to appear on an upcoming 7’’ vinyl alongside another Chastity Belt cover, with frequent collaborator Kurt Vile providing a rendition of “This Time Of Night” for the B-side of the single. While “Different Now” is currently streaming everywhere, fans will have to wait until October 27 for the limited vinyl release.
A longtime supporter and diehard fan of the band, Barnett explained the homage in a recent press release saying, “This song is so special to me. I remember when the album came out and I listened to ‘Different Now’ over and over, I thought they were singing directly to me. It’s a perfect piece of songwriting, I showed it to Kurt [Vile] and he would always sing it to me on tour. I love Chastity Belt. I’m pretty sure we met in 2014 at a record store in Seattle, then we toured together in 2015 and we’ve been friends ever since. I originally played it as a little folk acoustic version, then I asked Stella [Mozgawa] to program some drums and it turned into something a lot more fun. We tracked straight to the Tascam 388 and it was a real joy to make.”
Barnett’s cover of “Different Now” comes just a month after her announcement for End Of The Day, her sixth studio album coming out September 8. The new LP is purely instrumental and serves as the soundtrack for the 2021 documentary Anonymous Club. So far, Barnett has released three singles from the forthcoming record, “Start Somewhere,” “Life Balance,” and “First Slow.”
In 2013, Seattle rock band Chastity Belt released their debut album No Regerts. In celebration of the album turning 10 years old, the group is readying a 10th anniversary reissue of the record and is hosting an album listening party at Linda’s Tavern on August 18.
Listen to Courtney Barnett’s cover of “Different Now” below.