Sierra Ferrell Delivers Impressive Cover of Little Feat’s “Willin’” With a Bluegrass Twist

Sierra Ferrell played a show in Santa Fe, New Mexico on August 18, delivering her signature bluegrass/Americana sound with usual flair. During the show, she performed a cover of Little Feat’s “Willin’,” which was featured on their 1971 self-titled debut.

The song was written by Lowell George while he was a member of the Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa. George performed the song for Zappa, who suggested George form his own band instead of stay under Zappa’s name, according to a 2014 Slate article. “Willin’” essentially gave birth to Little Feat.

Ferrell did the song justice, while also giving it her own bluegrass spin. “We are going to try and do this one,” she told the audience. “This is something I’ve been listening to a lot recently, and we thought that we’d try to do it. So, if you know it, sing along with us. Join us for the harmonies.” 

Fans whooped and hollered as they recognized the song, and Ferrell’s bandmates joined her for some beautiful harmonies. Overall, while the cover may have been brought out at the last minute, it definitely doesn’t sound that way.

[RELATED: Sierra Ferrell Turns NPR’s Tiny Desk into Trail of Flowers for Intimate Concert]

Sierra Ferrell Has Been Delivering Stellar Cover After Stellar Cover Lately

Recently, Sierra Ferrell performed another amazing cover, this time of Wanda Jackson’s 1961 tune “Funnel of Love.” The performance was part of Mirror Mirror Network’s Valentine’s series recorded in February, but the video was only recently released. If Sierra Ferrell playing a rusty saw isn’t enough to get you interested, we’re not sure what will.

“Funnel of Love” was released as a B-side to Jackson’s more well-known song “Right or Wrong.” However, it’s possible that “Funnel of Love” is the stronger of the two, as far as vocals go. Jackson lets her voice get rough as she traverses the song, and Ferrell does something similar. She allows her unique vocals to crack and break, which adds texture to the cover that mirrors the original.

The saw is a nice touch, replicating the unique, warbling sound in the original. Once again, Sierra Ferrell proves she’s a multitalented artist with great music taste, judging by the songs she chooses to cover.

Featured Image via YouTube