Kurt Vile served as the musical guest on Thursday’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where he covered John Prine‘s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness”. The performance comes as Vile is promoting an EP that features a guest appearance from Prine himself.
Released on October 3rd, Speed, Sound, Lonely KV (ep) features a mix of two originals and three covers recorded by the former War On Drugs guitarist over a period of four years in Nashville. The song features a guest contribution from Prine on “How Lucky”, as well as Vile’s solo take on “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness”.
Meyers prefaced Vile’s performance by stating how the Saturday Night Live alum’s family is made up of devoted John Prine fans. When booking the singer-songwriter for his Thanksgiving performance, Meyers thought it would be “a perfect song to listen to together on that couch, but now we can’t be together.” However, in the true spirit of Prine’s brilliant songwriting, the German Afternoons track is just as fitting to listen to in solitude as it is to hear surrounded by loved ones.
Performing live in Meyers studio, Vile sits solo and displays the finger-picking prowess necessary to properly pay tribute to Prine. His reverberated voice bounces back at him from the empty room as his gentle nature takes on an almost Neil Young-like tone. Vile’s take on “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” abounds with reverence, like the son of a preacher taking up his father’s sermon. But Vile puts his own touch on it with his iconic voice cracks and breaks that give the cover a gleam of authenticity.
Watch Kurt Vile cover John Prine’s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” on Seth Meyers.
Kurt Vile – “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” (John Prine)
[Video: Late Night with Seth Meyers]