I’m a big believer that there’s no point covering a song unless you can bring something new to it. It might not always please the purists, but if you’re putting your own artistic stamp on a song and saying something new through it, you’ve done your job. imbi’s take on Muddy Waters’ classic “Mannish Boy” is a dramatic departure from the original, but it makes a heartfelt commentary on gender identity that is worth listening to. There’s also no denying their vocal chops.
“I really tried to keep it as raw as possible; taking that authenticity as the baseline foundation. After that we added the decorative moments, made it really build and swell … it was a really beautiful process … [it’s] how I bring my essence to all the music I make,” imbi explained. “In paying homage to ground-breaking African American artists, I wanted to maintain that spirit of breaking the rules and shifting the norms and speaking to your lived experience unapologetically.”
This cover comes from Everybody Knows I’m Here, a 10-track compilation celebrating Chess Records’ 70th anniversary produced by Canberra artist Kojo “Kay” Ansah (Citizen Kay). I’m really looking forward to hearing the rest of the tunes when it drops on May 6. Physical copies of the album, including 12-inch vinyl, will be released later this year.
Image used with permission from Chester Records; photo credit @42069mm