Shamir Covers Laura Veirs’ ‘Where Gravity Is Dead’

As part of Kill Rock Stars‘ 30th anniversary cover series, Shamir is adding his contribution as a new member of the label family, his version of “Where Gravity Is Dead” by Laura Veirs.

Shamir chats more about covering the track: “I decided to cover ‘Where Gravity Is Dead’ by Laura Veirs because it’s one of my absolute favorite songs. I’ve loved this song for most of my life and have sung this song consistently to myself over the years, almost like a prayer. At one point in sixth grade, I was gifted a camcorder because I was convinced I wanted to become a YouTube cover artist. I decided I wanted ‘Where Gravity Is Dead’ as my first song, but after filming my cover I didn’t have enough confidence to post it. When this opportunity from Kill Rock Stars came about and I saw that this song was a possible option, it was a no brainer. This almost feels like a second chance to cover one of my favorite songs, but as a fully realized artist now.”

Shamir produced the cover and also provided the vocals, instrumentation (banjo, bass, guitar), and sound mixing. The release of the cover comes as Shamir continues to work on music, also in conjunction with his new mixed media book, But I’m a Painter, which came out August 27.

The cover has an exciting bunch of instrumentals, but the collection of strings work together to keep Shamir’s voice at the forefront, capturing every bit of emotion, every note, every prolonged musical cry. Those who have only heard Shamir’s more bombastic, poppy, electronic ear worms may find themselves surprised listening to the cover, but listeners familiar with the wide array of sounds Shamir is capable of will let this cover serve as a reminder of his musical talent.

The original track appeared on Portland, OR-based singer-songwriter Laura Veris’ 2005 album, Year of Meteors.

Check out Shamir’s cover of “Where Gravity Is Dead” here:

Photo courtesy of Shamir and Kill Rock Stars