Molly Parden Covers R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”

On June 28, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Molly Parden will release a new EP, Why Worry: A Collection Of Covers. Parden recorded the EP — which, as its title implies, comprises seven cover songs — with friend and musician Charlie Lowell, who performs as Hollow Hum.

Ahead of the EP’s release, Parden has shared one of its standout tracks, a cover of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion,” premiering below. Parden and Lowell retain the spirit of the beloved original, but strips the song down to a bare-bones, haunting folk rocker, adding an electronic drum beat and a chorus of strings that grows in complexity as the song progresses.

“How do you put your mark on one of the world’s most iconic songs?” Parden says. “And why bother? Answers escape me, but I am proud to share Georgia roots with R.E.M.”

“I have vivid memories of being in high school and picking up the CD single of this song,” Lowell adds. “It was like no arrangement I’d heard before, and I absolutely wore it out. What a privilege to re-invent this song with Molly’s stirring vocal.”

Parden has already released one track from Why Worry, a reimagining of the Gin Blossoms hit “Found Out About You.”

Listen to “Losing My Religion” below.