The One I Love – Nightlight Sessions

YOU GUYS.

I don’t even have words. Like, no words. Besides all the ones I’m about type out right now.

Remember when we went to Little Rock last month and saw my sister Barbara, her husband Dustin and their girls for the first time since 1987? Right, you remember. (this photo was from 1954. Not current us.)

WELL, you know how we always record a song when we’re together? Right right, you know this. Remember Linger? Right. You do. Remember The Hills Are Alive? Right, yes. Yes. Right.

WELL, we have another one for you today. But let me break it down because you need to know what you’re hearing and I’m so excited I can barely even sit still. The song? R.E.M.’s The One I Love. You’re already obsessed, I know. It’s one of my ALL-TIME favorite songs of ALL-TIME ever.

WELL, it was a total surprise to us that that was the song we’d be recording with them. Dustin had already laid down most of the instrumental tracks, and what he thought to be a filler vocal track with his own voice. But it was honestly too good to be replaced. His vocals were perfect so we were like, “DUDE, we’re leaving this. You sound incredible.” So we did.

WELL, we’d spent the entire Saturday together, kid-free while my parents watched all four cousins overnight so that we could actually do this productively and uninterrupted. Except, we spend THE ENTIRE DAY talking and drinking and eating pizza takeout. It was glorious. We looked at the clock and it was freaking 11:45pm (six hours past my bedtime) when we were like, “Oh crap, we better record.” And THIS is what came of it. But!

BUT BUT. (this is us now^)

At 2am (ten hours past my bedtime) when we thought we were finished with all our layered harmonies (I’m all alto parts the main “FI-YAAAA” parts) around Dustin’s lead, Aaron goes, “Wait I have an idea. It still needs something. Why don’t we three (me, Bar and A) go out in this other room and like, yell the ‘fiiiiiiiiiire’ parts in three part harmony? No mics, just projecting, but very very loud.” So we did because we didn’t have any small children to wake up at 3am! (eighteen hours past my bedtime.)

AND THIS IS WHAT BECAME OF IT. And I cannot listen enough. It’s vibey, groovy, swirly, polished and just so cool. Dustin is an absolute master at composing and mixing, it just blows me away. Turn it UP. Or put on headphones. Whatever you have to do.

Without another word, I give you our version of (we’re Nightlight Sessions as of 7:30am today) The One I Love.

Yes we’ll get this on Spotify stat!

One more photo because I feel like being murdered by my sister today.

Don’t tell her I posted this.