Sharon Van Etten, King Princess, Orville Peck Prep Covers for ‘A Small Light’ Series
Sharon Van Etten, King Princess, and Orville Peck are among the artists who’ve contributed covers to the soundtrack for the upcoming National Geographic limited series, A Small Light.
A Small Light is based on the life story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who hid Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II. The show’s soundtrack, executive produced by Haim’s Este Haim, will feature contemporary artists covering popular songs from that era.
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For instance, Van Etten recorded a rendition of “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire,” which became a hit for the Ink Spots in 1941 (Van Etten’s version will also feature a spoken-word portion from actor/musician Michael Imperioli). Elsewhere, King Princess and Orville Peck linked up for a cover of “I’m Making Believe,” originally performed by Bing Crosby; Angel Olsen recorded “My Reverie” by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra with Patti Dugan; and Weyes Blood covered “When You’re Smiling,” originally performed by Ella Fitzgerald.
Other contributions include Kamasi Washington doing Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl,” Danielle Haim covering Doris Day’s “Till We Meet Again,” Remi Wolf performing Nat King Cole’s “Autumn Leaves,” and Moses Sumney doing Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Be Seeing You.” The cover songs will be released weekly, starting May 5, with the full album arriving May 23 (the covers will also be featured in episodes of A Small Light).
In a statement, Este Haim said, “I can’t begin to express what an honor and a privilege it is to be a part of this series, especially as my first role as an EMP. Miep’s story is one of a modern woman standing up for what is right, and that should continue to inspire all of us. I am so thrilled to be able to help bring this to life through the power of music.”
Along with the covers album, A Small Light will feature a score from composer Ariel Marx. The A Small Light Original Score album will arrive on May 19.
A Small Light premieres May 1 on National Geographic, while it’ll also be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. The show stars Bel Powley as Gies and Liev Schreiber as Anne Frank’s father, Otto.
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