Artwork: Janis Ian
I was honoured to be invited by Janis Ian to take part in her “Better Times” project recently. It’s a project she began in lockdown, centred on a new song she’s written, “Better Times Will Come”.
Head to the Better Times Project to watch my video performance of the song, read more about the project, and to hear lots of great versions by some amazing musicians. There’s a really broad range of people involved, with well-established artists such as Eric Bibb, Aoife Scott, and Sam Bush, alongside artists who you may not have heard before.
Here’s what Janis has to say about the project:
“It’s an illustration of the many ways one song can be used, and a reminder that you don’t have to be a professional to make art. Every version here was done from lockdown and quarantine, with birds, dogs, children in the background. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we enjoy it, give voice to it, and remember that someday, better times will come.”
From Janis:
“George’s version amplifies on my original three chords, lending certain lines a darkness they might not have otherwise, and he manages to convey simplicity and complexity at the same time – one of the hardest things for an artist to do.”
Special thanks to Sam Hindley and James Fagan, and their brilliant radio show Thank Goodness It’s Folk (Fridays at 10am on Sheffield Live), and to Nick and Nicky.
