Tag Archives: Fiona Apple

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Song of the Day #6,172: ‘Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)’ – Fiona Apple

In the five years since Fiona Apple released new original music, she has spent much of her time on social advocacy. That includes volunteering for Courtwatch PG, a Maryland-based charity that has people report on court proceedings to shine a light on injustices.

That experience inspired Apple to write and record her first song in half a decade, ‘Pretrial (Let Her Go Home),’ a track calling attention to the hardships faced by (mostly Black) women jailed in pretrial detention, unable to afford bail.

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Song of the Day #6,171: ‘Heart of Gold’ – Fiona Apple

Neil Young is an artist whose music I appreciate but whose voice I often can’t stand. So an album of Neil Young covers might be just what the doctor ordered.

That’s what we got last month in Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, a collection featuring performances by Brandi Carlile, Eddie Vedder, Steve Earle, Mumford & Sons, and others. All proceeds benefit a charity established by the 79-year-old Young and his wife.

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Song of the Day #6,170: ‘All in Good Time’ – Iron & Wine feat. Fiona Apple

This Fiona Apple selection is a little less recent than the rest, having been released a year ago. It’s a duet with indie folk artist Iron & Wine that appeared on his 2024 album Light Verse.

Iron & Wine is the stage name of South Carolina folkie Samuel Ervin Beam, who has been recording for 23 years. He has been compared to some of my favorite artists, including Elliott Smith and Simon & Garfunkel, so I’m kicking myself for not having listened to him before now.

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Song of the Day #6,169: ‘Lately’ – Fiona Apple

My next Fiona Apple selection comes from a tribute album released last August honoring the career of Don Heffington, a Los Angeles drummer and songwriter who died of leukemia in 2021.

That album, titled Tonight I’ll Go Down Swingin’, features 20 tracks by artists who knew and/or worked with Heffington, including Jackson Browne and the actor John C. Reilly.

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Song of the Day #6,168: ‘Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend’ – The Waterboys feat. Fiona Apple

It’s tough being a fan of an artist who is the opposite of prolific. Take Fiona Apple, one of my very favorites — she has released just five albums in 30 years.

Given that dearth of content, any new recording by Ms. Apple is a cause for celebration. And recent months have seen a flurry of such activity, at least by her standards. I don’t know if a new album is forthcoming (it’s been five years since her last, 2020’s acclaimed Fetch the Bolt Cutters), but maybe her renewed interest in hitting the studio is a good sign.

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