Baker Boy has returned with his first slice of new music since his acclaimed 2021 debut album Gela, chucking us a sonic curveball in the form of a reworked version of Bernard Fanning‘s ‘Wish You Well’.
The Yolŋu superstar has reimagined Fanning’s acoustic folk hit as a feel-good hip hop anthem, enlisting the help of Gela producer Pip Norman, as well as the Powderfinger front person himself.
“It’s Bernard from Powderfinger…. it was crazy. I was just freaking out a little bit.”
“‘Wish You Well’ is a break-up track, but it’s all about spreading that love,” Baker Boy’s Danzal Baker said in a press release. “The original isn’t really usual for Baker Boy, that vibe. So I wanted to kind of make it into a story where I can also apply it differently and make it Yolŋu flavour.”
Baker continued, “It’s not just in a romantic way, it’s about sharing the love – whether it’s your partner, whether it’s your friends or family. It’s also for the people that are having a hard time right now. I just wanted to spread some love through music.”
The Fresh Prince Of Arnhem Land admitted it was a bit daunting tackling such an iconic Aussie hit. “It’s Bernard from Powderfinger and a national treasure, you know? So it was crazy,” he said. “I was just freaking out a little bit. Then I jumped on a call with him. It was so, so amazing to do the track and make it into a Baker Boy track as well.”
As for Fanning, he was stoked to team-up with the ARIA-winner to help breathe new life into his breakout 2005 hit. “Baker Boy’s music is so full of energy and excitement that I was very happy to collaborate on a new take on ‘Wish You Well’,” he said.
“I love the spirit of this new version and am so glad it’s taken such a different musical tack but maintained the buoyancy of the original. It’s the first time I’ve worked in this way, but I found it so easy because the ideas coming from Danzal and Pip were so good.”
You can take it for a spin above. In the meantime, if you were lucky enough to nab tickets to Splendour In The Grass next month, you could be in for a special treat. Speaking on triple j this afternoon, Baker Boy revealed he’s trying to hook-up a live collab with Fanning on the Splendour stage.
Further Reading
Splendour In The Grass Announces Complete 2022 Lineup
Baker Boy Leads Absolutely Stacked Queenscliff Music Festival 2022 Lineup
Music Feeds’ Top Ten Australian Albums Of 2021
2021, The Year That Indigenous Hip Hop Took Over
Listen To Paul Dempsey & Bernard Fanning’s Cover Of ‘Under Pressure’
