Courtney Barnett and Paul Kelly have come together to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Archie Roach‘s debut solo album Charcoal Lane, covering its title track.
Roach started his career in the Altogethers before being head-hunted by Paul Kelly to play support at a number of his concerts. In 1990, Roach recorded Charcoal Lane with producers Paul Kelly and Steve Connolly and was eventually awarded two ARIA Awards. It was celebrated for its vivid depictions of the struggles of Indigenous people in contemporary Australia.
Now Kelly has delivered his own rendition of the track he originally produced enlisting Courtney Barnett for a gentle, harmonica-driven cover. Barnett has often drawn comparison to Kelly for her astute story-telling skills so it’s no surprise that the pair slot together perfectly on Charcoal Lane.
Barnett noted on her Facebook back in September that they were in the studio working on the track, calling it “an honour.”
The cover will appear on a special 25th Anniversary re-release of the album which will also features covers by the likes of Briggs, Gurrumul, Dewayne Everettsmith, Emma Donovan and Dan Sultan. It will be released on 6th November.
Listen: Paul Kelly And Courntey Barnett – Charcoal Lane (Archie Roach Cover)
