Courtesy of Amazon MusicOld Dominion puts a fresh spin on a classic today with the release of their “Lean on Me,” an Amazon Original cover of Bill Withers’ timeless friendship anthem from 1972.
Though the feel-good message of finding mutual support and understanding in your community never loses relevance, it’s a particularly poignant message in 2020, amid worldwide division, a global pandemic, a rejuvenated Civil Rights movement and more.
“We chose ‘Lean on Me’ because it’s a song that’s really timely right now,” explains bandmate Brad Tursi. “Everyone’s just a little on edge and we need to lean on each other in these times.”
The band stays true to the feel-good vibes of the original song, while also adding their own personal touches to their version of “Lean on Me.”
“We switched it up and made the chords just a little bit more angsty and put our own spin on it, so we hope you all like it,” Brad adds.
It’s also a sweet tribute to the late Withers, who died on March 30, 2020 at the age of 81.
Old Dominion’s version of “Lean on Me” is available exclusively on Amazon Music. It comes out just a couple of days after the 2020 ACM Awards, where the band brought home two trophies: Group of the Year and Song of the Year for “One Man Band.”
By Carena Liptak
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We cut #leanonme as an #amazonoriginal because it's a song that's timely right now. Everyone's a little on edge & we need to lean on each other in these times. We switched it up & made the chords a little more angsty & put our spin on it. https://t.co/QS8UWKyTc2 @amazonmusic pic.twitter.com/cs9HsCLrfn
— Old Dominion (@OldDominion) September 18, 2020