Listen to King Hannah’s simmering cover Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”

King Hannah have covered Madonna's "Like a Prayer" as a new single. They put their unique, smoky, simmering spin on the song, delivering two connected but distinct versions. Both begin at a deliberately paced throb, with not much more than grimy, low pulses and Hannah Merrick's powerful voice, and the extended version features Craig Whittle's ragged glory guitar.

"We wanted to take this Madonna song and really let it breathe with lots of space and sparse instrumentation that slowly and subtly builds," the duo say. "The delicate arrangement of pulsing synths and scratchy guitars allows Hannah’s voice to take centre stage until the track eventually (in the extended version) breaks out into a noisy instrumental section fuelled by thrashing drums and distorted guitars. We wanted to take a song by such an iconic artist and drag it into the world of King Hannah."

Even beyond the guitar solo, both versions are very different, and really good. Listen below.

King Hannah will be on tour in the UK with Kurt Vile in June, and European festival dates as well. Check out their tour schedule below.

The duo's debut album, I'm Not Sorry, I'm Just Being Me, made our Best of 2022 list, and you can pick it up on mixed-color vinyl in the BV shop.

Upcoming tour dates:
12/06/23 - London @ Koko w/ Kurt Vile
13/06/23 - London @ Koko w/ Kurt Vile
15/06/23 - Bristol @ SWX w/ Kurt Vile
19/06/23 - Manchester @ New Century w/ Kurt Vile
20/06/23 - Newcastle @ Boiler Shop w/ Kurt Vile
21/06/23 - Edinburgh @ Queens Hall w/ Kurt Vile
22/06/23 - Nottingham @ The Level w/ Kurt Vile
23/06/23 - Birmingham @ O2 Institute w/ Kurt Vile
25/06/23 - Brighton @ Chalk w/ Kurt Vile
07/07/23 - Sesto Al Reghena, Pordenone @ SEXTO
28/07/23 - Leuven @ M-idzomer w/ Thurston Moore
05/08/23 - Genk @ AFF Festival
06/08/23 - Luxembourg @ Congés Annulés
12/08/23 - Castelbuono, Sicily @ Ypsigrock
25/08/23 - Turin @ Todays Festival
26/08/23 - Sant'Elpidio a Mare @ Mayday Festival