Emmylou Harris was in Stockholm in 2015, as the latest recipient for the Polar Music Prize, instigated by Stig Anderson, manager and collaborator with ABBA. That alone was a high achievement, placing her in a pantheon of influential music makers that included Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and many more.
Whether she had heard of First Aid Kit (Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, who were starting to make waves on the International music scene at that point), is unclear. What is clear is their heart felt tribute, initially in words and then in the song that bears her name, was enough to bring her to tears, and she’s far from the only one.
This is a beautifully understated performance of a richly melodic song, featuring just some brushed drums, pedal steel guitar and Klara’s picked acoustic as accompaniment; but when your voices blend like these do, and the song has a chorus that soars without any additional help, it’s all you need. Hankies at the ready and click play!
