Video of the Day: Rosie Frater-Taylor shares her take on Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’

Mike Flynn
Friday, September 27, 2024

The critically acclaimed guitarist/singer releases her reharmonised take on Kate Bush’s classic track ahead of deluxe vinyl release of her album Featherweight

 Rosie Frater-Taylor - Photo by Michal Augustin
Rosie Frater-Taylor - Photo by Michal Augustin

Fast rising British jazz singer/guitarist Rosie Frater-Taylor shares her take on the Kate Bush classic, ‘Running Up That Hill’,  as a single on 27 September. This is ahead of her label, Cooking Vinyl, issuing a deluxe version of her widely praised 2024 album Featherweight,  which includes eight additional tracks, demos, live versions and new songs, and is released on 15 November.

Frater-Taylor’s jazz infused rendition of ‘Running Up That Hill’ expands on a short, one minute demo she made as part of a covers series on socials. Having built up a dedicated online fanbase, her fans suggested she take on a full length version of the song.

Commenting on the track Rosie said: “I was a Kate Bush latecomer and failed to get on board until the whole Stranger Things renaissance a while back. I couldn’t stop singing the song after watching the show. Between the lyrics, her voice, the chords and frankly legendary production on that track (Kate was one of the first alongside Peter Gabriel to use the Fairlight CMI synthesiser and a LinnDrum drum machine in their music FYI!) the song touches a real heartfelt nerve. That’s what gets my creative gears going and ultimately inspires me to make a cover. A few people mentioned they’d love to hear a finished version which got me thinking how I might see the demo evolving into a full-length piece, in the meantime, learning more about Kate’s back catalogue and artistic journey and being very inspired by her and her attitude to her art! 

“The song was recorded in my bedroom studio with some additional production on the percussion by (long-time) collaborator Lewis Moody. There’s a ton of different guitars (nylon string, electric, acoustic), layers and FX pedals I experimented with, including my JHS tremolo, TC Electronic reverb pedal for all the spacey sounds, delays, overdrives, phasers and also my freeze pedal for the slidey ‘glissando’ effect you hear in the intro.”

A virtuoso guitarist and vocalist of remarkable emotional depth, Frater-Taylor showcased the full range of her influences on the album, seamlessly blending rock, alt-pop, neo-soul, new-school jazz, and folk into her singular sound. Drawing inspiration from icons like Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, Kate Bush and a rock-infused roster including John Mayer, Meshell Ndegeocello, St. Vincent and Madison Cunningham.

See the video below and for more info visit www.rosiefratertaylor.com

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