It’s hard to deny the fact that music is all around us. As musicians, we often hear tones, melodies, and rhythms where others don’t. Some of us have a knack for hearing those bits and pieces and fusing them together to make actual music out of seemingly random sounds.
This week, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite covers from musicians who are using the most unusual things as instruments. From toddler toys to old computer parts, these artists have painted amazing sound pictures.
Listen for yourself!
1. Walk Off the Earth – “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
We’re pretty big fans of Walk Off the Earth and we’ve featured them before. They’ve got the looping technique down to a science and never cease to amaze us with their creative covers.
Recently, they sat down on a living room sofa to cover Ed Sheeran’s new hit, “Shape of You,” and once again, knocked our socks off. With a toddler bumping around on the cushions behind them, they still managed to stay focused and record their track using toys, a container of cereal, and a cup filled with kitchen silverware. It’s hard not to tap your foot along with this jam.
2. Pentatonix – “Gold” by Kiiana
If you don’t know Pentatonix by now, you’ve probably been living under a rock. This a capella group took the world by storm after becoming the biggest-ever champs of NBC’s hit show The Sing-Off. Since their big win, they’ve been churning out inspiring covers that leave us baffled by what the human voice can do.
This quintet continues to mesmerise us with their music – all from their mouths. One of their most recent covers is of Kiiana’s “Gold” and is free of any special effects or looping tools. It really exemplifies the group’s expertise and their incredible ability to blend into one solid sound. To us, this is pure gold.
3. Aaron McAvoy – “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band
This video recently went viral and started to make its rounds on Facebook and other social media outlets because it’s pure creative music-making.
We’ve all probably had household machines and appliances that make noises we hate, but Aaron McAvoy made the most of his situation. While his dryer banged behind him, he recorded his own masterful cover of a country music classic, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
4. bd594 – “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye
As technology gets smarter and smaller, “machine noises” are becoming more and more a thing of the past. But one musician discovered that by pulling together the mechanical beeps of old computer parts, he could create covers of popular songs.
This isn’t one we’d want to listen to on repeat, but we were so impressed that we had to add it to our list. Check out bd594’s old-school rendition of “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
Music is an incredible way for us to express ourselves, experiment, and bring each other together. We love these unique takes on both new and old favourites and we’re inspired by the collective creative genius of these artists and the many others out there.
What’s your favourite from this list? Do you know of other unique cover songs?
Share with us in the comments!
