On April 15, Jeff Zagers will follow up last year's debut Still/Alive with a collection of Americana covers called All For The Love Of Sunshine, which was recorded between August 2011 and October 2014. Zagers commits himself and his special brand of outsider folk to each song on this record, rendering each reimagining an exploration of the use and meaning of the classic love song. And, as is inherent in any romance, there's at least tinge of sadness in every one.
The first track on Sunshine is heartbreak king Roy Orbison's "You Got It," followed by the record's eponymous Hank Williams' track, and later we get obscure old timey country tunes like Kitty Wells' "For Someone Like You" and Flatt & Scruggs' "You Are My Flower." But by far the most distinct and captivating track is Zagers' first single from the new record, a radiant reimagining of Arthur Russell's "Your Motion Says." Zagers' cover Russell is a little out of place among the old Americana staples, which may be why it stands out as such a gem. Or maybe it's because when Zagers sings What you want/ is far away/ it's plain that I/ spend my time on you too much and Your mouth it is just kisses/ your hand is just a handshake/ and I am just another guy it makes me want to cry about all the beauty and pain involved in human connection.
“I was originally turned on to 'Your Motion Says' by my friend Kipp Whittaker," Zagers told The FADER in an email. "We set out to record a couple of tunes written by others. The project never lifted off the ground but the song stuck with me and I recorded it a few months later.”
Listen to "Your Motion Says" below, and preorder All For The Love Of Sunshine here.