The Lumineers | photo by Danny Clinch | courtesy of the artist
Listen to The Lumineers cover Willie Nelson’s holiday song “Pretty Paper”
Folkish favorites The Lumineers have joined in the holiday spirit with a cover of a Christmas classic: Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper.” The Denver trio released the recording as a fundraiser for the Brown Paper Bag Movement, a New York City-based grassroots organization that provides food and clothing to the city’s homeless population.
Written by Willie Nelson in 1963, “Pretty Paper” was first popularized by Roy Orbison, and Nelson later recorded a more stripped-down version that appeared on his 1979 Christmas album of the same name. The Lumineers’ version of the song is similarly sparse, with vocalist Wesley Schultz accompanied only by a softly strummed acoustic guitar. Listen below.
The Lumineers’ aren’t new to the cover game — they recently released a rendition of Tom Petty’s “Walls” on the one-year anniversary of his passing. The band’s last full-length release, though, was 2016’s Cleopatra, so hopefully this new recording is an indication that we’ll be hearing more from them in the New Year.