Let’s talk about the dangers of being Leonard Cohen. It’s not for the faint of heart, and practically an impossibility, especially considering Leonard Cohen isn’t even Leonard Cohen anymore. So it may be unfair to compare Christina Martin’s cover of ‘Tonight Will Be Fine’ to Cohen’s original, let latest track from her album Wonderful Lie to see release as a video.
Shot by Nicole Cecile Holland and edited by Carter Thurber, Martin’s version has her and partner/guitarist/producer Dale Murray exchanging meaningful glances between sets. Where Cohen took a playful approach, propping up a classic country & western bassline with his distinctive baritone, Martin is all emotion. It’s not all that surprising, seeing as Martin opted for the cover of a cover route, leaning into UK-born modern Americana musician Teddy Thompson’s version of the song.
“With the exception of ‘Closing Time’ I didn’t follow Cohen’s poetry or music when I was younger,” says Martin. “Within the last decade I spent time sifting through his catalogue online, curious if I would connect with his lyrics or a melody, and I discovered Teddy Thompson’s version of ‘Tonight Will Be Fine’. The way Leonard Cohen sang the song on Songs From A Room wouldn’t have caught my attention, but Teddy’s version drew me in, and made me hang on every word.”
The song appropriately appears in the midst of Martin’s album Wonderful Lie. The 10-track album contains no less than 6 covers, with Martin indulging in the joy of performing her favourite songs, regardless of who wrote them and. admittedly, she makes them all her own.
“This year felt like the right time to explore our take on six of my favourite songs,” says Martin of Wonderful Lie. “The tie that binds across this album is that all the songs are mostly very stripped down in nature.”
Tour Dates:
11.04.19 – Calgary, AB @ Ironwood
11.07.19 – Vancouver, BC @ The Heatly
11.08.19 – Township Of Langley, BC @ Bez Art Hub
11.09.19 – Penticton, BC @ The Dream Cafe
11.13.19 – Saskatoon, SK @ The Bassmnt
11.14.19 – Winnipeg, MB @ The Sunset Saloon House Concert
11.15.19 – Dryden, ON @ Midtown Stage
11.16.19 – Red Lake, ON @ House Concert
11.19.19 – Toronto, ON @ Hugh’s Room
11.20.19 – Montreal, QC @ House Concert
11.20.19 – Fredericton, NB @ Tipsy Muse
11.23.19 – Oxford, NS @ Oxford Capital Theatre
11.29.19 – Halifax, NS @ The Carleton
*via Home Routes