Three years after its initial release, She Owl’s Drifters EP continues to bewitch. And during these strange times one song in particular has taken on a new meaning – ‘Glass’ was written about isolation and the craving for human touch. No surprise then that Jolanda and Demian returned to the song in lockdown, recording a striking new live version with the aid of drummer and multi-instrumentalist Christian Schönholzer, working across borders with Jolanda and Demian in Italy and Christian in Switzerland. “It’s been so important to us to record a live version of ‘Glass’ on full lockdown in Italy, while Chris was in Bern,” Jolanda said. “I originally wrote this song thinking about isolation and all the struggles and challenges we are experiencing as human beings trying to communicate with each other. It was already a pretty deep song and, while experiencing the lockdown, I realised that it had an even deeper meaning.”
The new version was the duo’s first experience of working with a drummer, a challenge only increased by being in different countries at the time, but the work has certainly paid off. “I usually write the drum parts and play them myself as a one-woman percussion ensemble, both in the studio and on stage,” Jolanda said. “It is amazing to see how Chris built his drum kit in order to support my vision. He’s so open-minded and creative.”
The live version of the track will be released this Friday.