Eddie Skuller isn’t just seeking his musical roots; he wants the whole damn tree! And a mighty tree it is, considering that it was grown and nurtured by the legendary Tom Waits. On his new EP Blind Love, Skuller adds his own soul to four iconic Waits tracks, from Rain Dogs‘s “Downtown Train” to the Orphans cut “You Can Never Hold Back Spring”. Nothing can compare to the originals, but the amount of love and care Skuller places into these four renditions is certainly worth writing home about. While the man himself is away on business, Eddie Skuller has taken it upon himself to hand over a Shameless Tuesdays that’s been waltzing with Matilda.

Here’s what Eddie has to say about this week’s playlist:

I’m a singer-songwriter living in Jersey City, New Jersey. While it’s satisfying to work through the process of writing an original song, I find it creatively challenging to interpret another artist’s song and put my own voice and emotion into it. For a cover  to work successfully, the song choice is key. I need to feel as though I wrote the song myself in order to sing it with truth and some degree of originality. I’m currently  covering the songs of Tom Waits, and my Blind Love EP features four of my interpretations of his songs.

I built the “Same But Different” playlist around cover songs that I truly appreciate for their uniqueness, originality, and pure entertainment value. There’s something comforting about hearing a song you recognize, but something thrilling about being surprised when the familiar is reimagined with a fresh sound or vibe. Cover songs fail when they simply imitate the original without bringing a personal and unique perspective. I appreciate all of the covers on this list for the nuance each artist brings to each song. I’ve included some well-known covers, such as Patti Smith’s “Hey Joe” and Talking Heads’ “Take Me to the River,” alongside more obscure versions, like my friends in the band Polyvox’s interpretation of “Summer Wine,” and even Tom Waits singing Frank Sinatra’s “Young at Heart.”

For more information on Eddie Sulker, visit his official website, Facebook, and Instagram. Check out the Blind Love EP below via his Bandcamp!

Promotional consideration provided by Shameless Promotion PR.