Holly Humberstone Covers Yusuf / Cat Stevens’ ‘Wild World’
The singer shared her rendition on Triple J’s ‘Like A Version’ segment.
Holly Humberstone paid homage to Yusuf / Cat Stevens during her appearance at Triple J’s studio, putting her spin on the artist’s 1970 hit “Wild World” for the latest installment of the Australian radio station’s “Like A Version.”
The British singer reimagined the folk classic with poppier, lush acoustic guitar melodies and her signature breathy vocals, while maintaining the emotional heart of the original. Humberstone selected “Wild World” for her “Like A Version” debut due to her admiration for the British teen drama, Skins. “At the end of the first season, it’s a very dramatic moment. Tony’s just been hit by a bus and everything’s terrible. And the cast of Skins is miming to ‘Wild World’,” she said.
“I just remember it being a very powerful moment in the series, and I wanted to reference one of my favorite shows of all time,” she continued. “I wanted to do something kind of Clairo meets Fleetwood Mac and kind of mash those two vibes together. Lots of slide-y guitar and a sort of slow, chugging drum beat.”
The cover was recorded in the midst of Humberstone’s Australian tour in November, where she performed in Melbourne, Brisbane, Newstead, and Sydney. The trek, which was presented by Triple J and Secret Sounds, marked her debut headline tour of the country.
Recently, the singer shared “Die Happy,” her first single since she released an updated version of “Dive” with Asha Banks back in July.
“Wild World” appeared on Yusuf / Cat Stevens’ 1970 fourth album, Tea for the Tillerman. The single peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been covered numerous times since its release, by artists like Maxi Priest, Mr. Big, Chris Cornell, and now Humberstone.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ Cat On The Road To Findout memoir arrived on Sept. 18 in the UK and Oct. 7 in North America. The singer-songwriter was set to do a book tour where he would also perform select unplugged songs from his catalog, but recently announced its cancellation. “Unpredictably, and befuddling to us all, the actual visa finally got delivered after the last scheduled date of the tour had passed,” he shared on Instagram. “I know how disappointing this must be for those of you who were looking forward to the book tour. My agent and team explored every possible avenue, but it was all beyond our control. I’m grateful for your patience and your support and I hope something new may be put together in the future, in better and brighter circumstances. Peace and love, always.”
