Listen to David Byrne and Devo’s unearthed collaboration ‘Empire’
nme.comDavid Byrne and Devo have shared an unearthed collaborative song called ‘Empire’ – you can listen to it below.The track was originally written by the pair for the former Talking Heads frontman’s fifth solo album, 1997’s ‘Feelings’, but it didn’t make the final cut.
A version of the tune appears on Byrne’s 2004 record ‘Grown Backwards’.As announced earlier this year, the almost three-decade-old team-up between Byrne and Devo will feature on ‘Noise For Now, Vol.
2’ – a charity compilation to benefit independent abortion providers in the US.The collection is due for release on June 21, marking two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.
Other artists to have contributed to the project include Faye Webster, The War On Drugs and Courtney Barnett.“I worked with members of Devo on two songs, one of which [‘Wicked Little Doll]’ is on the album [‘Feelings’],” Byrne said in a statement, referring to a cut featuring Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale.“The other one, ‘Empire’, is an ironic capitalist fascist anthem and, at the time, I thought our version was just too mean and caustic for release.”He continued: “Well, times change, and it certainly resonates now in ways it maybe didn’t then.
Read more on nme.com