Advance Base covered Lucinda Williams (listen), playing shows
Advance Base (aka Owen Ashworth, who used to go by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone) has been covering Lucinda Williams‘ 1992 song “Sweet Old World” on tour this year, and following requests from fans for Owen to record it, he did just that. His version is still recognizable as “Sweet Old World,” but he really turns it into something that sounds like it could’ve been an Advance Base original. Owen says:
“Sweet Old World” deals with the grief & confusion that follows the suicide of a loved one. The lyrics are tender & devastating, like many of Lucinda Williams’ best, but the song is ultimately an affirmation of every good & beautiful thing that makes life worth living. Advance Base’s cover replaces the original’s traditional country rock instrumentation with an upbeat electronic arrangement of analog synthesizers, Optigans & drum machines.
I started covering “Sweet Old World” during the Advance Base summer 2019 tour, & this recording was made at the request of a handful of show attendees in the US, Canada & UK who were kind enough to email me or tell me in person how much the cover meant to them. This single is for them.
A stream of the cover premieres below.
Advance Base also has some upcoming shows, including two in NYC. He’s opening the 11/21 show of Stephen Merritt‘s Symphony Space residency, which is sold out, and he’s also playing Brooklyn’s Owl Music Parlor on 11/22 with Brittain Ashford (tickets). All dates are listed below.
Advance Base — 2019 Tour Dates
Nov 21 Manhattan, NY @ Symphony Space (w/ Future Bible Heroes) **SOLD OUT**
Nov 22 Brooklyn, NY @ The Owl Music Parlor (w/ Brittain Ashford)
Dec 04 Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club (w/ Serengeti)
Dec 05 Madison, WI @ The Winnebago (w/ Serengeti)
Dec 14 Chicago, IL @ The Hideout (w/ Gia Margaret, Friendship & Ruth Garbus)
Dec 15 Indianapolis, IN @ Middle Space Gallery (w/ Friendship & Ruth Garbus)
