Infamous Dave Grohl rejecter Dan Mangan is continuing to tour behind his sixth album, last year's JUNO-nominated and Polaris Prize-shortlisted Being Somewhere, and will be taking his show on the road to Europe later this month. Last year, though, he had a run supporting the Lumineers, and the Canadian troubadour has paid homage to his former tour-mates by sharing a new cover of their song "Sleep on the Floor."
“When I got word I’d be touring Europe supporting the Lumineers last year in June, I knew I wanted to cover one of their songs,” Mangan shared in a press release. “They have so many hits but ‘Sleep on the Floor’ was always the one I’d crank when it came on the radio. Wes [Schultz] has a distinctive and strong vocal approach, and I thought it would be interesting to attempt the song with a whisper."
He continued, "Rather than wide open chord changes, a simple piano plodding along keeping pace. The song is about escape, and as somebody who has literally spent a fair amount of time sleeping on floors and couches around the globe, I wanted to explore the sonically comforting elements of my own nostalgia from a life on the road.”
Eschewing the stomp-clap-hey spirit of the original, Mangan's rendition really is all about sparsity and restraint. His ever so slightly weathered lilt takes centre stage, wrapping your ears up in a very cozy cardigan. You can definitely take it home to meet your parents.
Listen to the singer-songwriter's take on "Sleep on the Floor" below.