Adding to his already golden resume of transcendent re-imagined cover songs, Tommy Emmanuel is back at it.
On August 5th, Emmanuel dropped his newest single, a crystalline acoustic instrumental cover of Sting’s “Fields of Gold,” which features British guitar virtuoso Mike Dawes.
The all-instrumental single teases Emmanuel’s five-track EP with Dawes, titled Accomplice Series Vol. 3, which is set to drop September 23rd, and features additional covers including Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” among others.
In the accompanying music video produced by Neighborhoods Apart, Emmanuel and Dawes are seen among said fields of gold, finger-picking their way through the song. The serene natural landscape is the perfect backdrop for their organic and peaceful take on one of Sting’s most popular songs.
The single showcases a mesh of top tier finger-picking, strumming, and percussion guitar techniques that few guitarists are capable of. The high and low notes weave together while the rhythmic slap strum carries the beat.
This six-string duo have been working together since their collaboration on their acoustic instrumental cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” which is also to be featured on the EP.
Dawes grew up in England with a musical reputation that precedes him as Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World according to Total Guitar Magazine and MusicRadar. Emmanuel’s musical legacy has long been cemented, and is one of five guitarists who have been deemed a “Certified Guitar Player” by his hero and friend, the late great Chet Atkins. Together and solo, Emmanuel and Dawes have touched millions of lives across the globe with their unique abilities.
On top of his new and upcoming releases, Emmanuel is also staying busy with a jam-packed international tour, which spans from this month to February 2023 with but a few gaps in between.
The works of these distinguished musicians speak volumes of their mission to create some of the best acoustic music on the planet (the universe?), and we’ll be circling September 23rd on our calendars for the release of Accomplice Series Vol. 3.