Listen to Sarah Morris and Matthew French cover Simon and Garfunkel
by Luke Taylor
September 30, 2021
Two Minnesota singer-songwriters, Sarah Morris and Matthew French, have released many originals and cultivated their own followings of fans, both on their own as well as through their collaborations.
On Friday, Morris and French will release their cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Song For The Asking." The pair had first performed the song at a Simon and Garfunkel tribute show at the Turf Club in February 2020, and were inspired to release the song as a recording. "The simplicity of the lyric, the way it feels like this tender offering, just guts me," Morris says.
"Something that really struck me about 'Song For The Asking' is how much beauty, vulnerability, and longing Simon and Garfunkel packed into a such short song," French observes. "Our version came in at just under two minutes, yet the song still feels so complete. There's a lyrical economy there that I believe is a hallmark of great writing."
Given the pandemic, Morris and French recorded their version of the song remotely. French recorded in his Minneapolis living room, and Morris in her suburban bathroom — which her fans will recognize as the site of her popular Facebook series, Toilet Tunes. The lap steel was performed by Luke Cyrus Goetze from his home in Munich, Germany.
"I think, ideally, we'd have recorded a close harmony like this in the same room," Morris says, "so there was this challenge: can it feel like together even when you're apart? Which, of course, is some giant metaphor for the last year."
External Links
Sarah Morris - official site
Matthew French - official site
