Molly Daniel
Six months after the March release of her sophomore studio LP, PAINLESS, Nilüfer Yanya has returned with a cover of “Rid of Me,” the opener and title track from indie rock icon PJ Harvey’s 1993 second album.
The younger English singer-songwriter’s version of the track is a relatively faithful rendition of her fellow Briton’s classic cut. But where Harvey’s slow-burning original is gritty and bristling with righteous anger, Yanya’s distinctly flighty voice — rich in overtones and prone to wandering playfully from the delineated melody and finding every surrounding blue note — takes it in a deliciously unhinged direction. Harvey’s vengeance is focused on a single object; Yanya’s seems to spray in all directions, leaving every unsuspecting listener vulnerable to catching a stray strand of venom.
“‘Rid of Me’ haunted me for many years after I first heard it, but in a comforting kind of way, like I knew it was always there for me,” Yanya explains of her choice to cover the track. “It comes across defiant, alien and twisted, but it is a perfect song. I actually think it’s very romantic despite what some of the lyrics get at.”
Since dropping PAINLESS, Yanya has been on two European and tours and one North American run, the latter of which included two Coachella sets. She hits the road again at the start of next month, kicking off her next trek with an appearance at Perris, California’s Desert Daze 2022 before shipping back to Europe for 13 more shows across the continent. Watch the official visualizer for her “Rid of Me” cover and view all of her upcoming dates below.
Nilüfer Yanya fall 2022 tour
October 1 - Perris, CA - Desert Daze Festival 2022
October 10 - Glasgow, UK - OVO Arena *
October 12 - Manchester, UK - AO Arena *
October 14 - London, UK - O2 Arena *
October 19 - Istanbul, Turkey - Babylon
October 20 - Ankara, Turkey - Milyon Performance Hall
October 22 - Prague, Czech Republic - Rock Café
October 23 - Budapest, Hungary - Turbina Kuulturális Központ
October 25 - Milan, Italy - Circolo Magnolia^
October 26 - Bologna, Italy - Locomotiv Club^
October 28 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 3^
October 29 - Madrid, Spain - Moby Dick Club^
October 30 - Valencia, Spain - Loco Club^
November 18 – Benidorm, Spain - Primavera Weekender
* supporting Roxy Music
^ supported by Léa Sen
