We previously featured Matthew Liam Nicholson for the immersive and psychedelic, Time Machine, and his exquisite, conscious and emotive album, Universal Outsider, so when we heard that the star was back with a cover of Androgynous by The Replacements, we were curious to say the least!
Establishing the mood with a meditative frequency and rippling keys with textured percussion, Matthew Liam Nicholson opens Androgynous with his signature immersive nature and the opening lyrics from the song first made famous by The Replacements.
Matthew sings the iconic lines, “Here comes Dick, he’s wearing a skirt, here comes Jane, you know she’s sporting a chain, same hair, revolution, same build, evolution, tomorrow who’s gonna fuss…”, which we agree couldn’t be any more poignant considering the divisive politicizing and gender baiting from governments around the world.
Dissolving the destructive side of the gender binary is part of the solution for peace on planet Earth, understanding that love is love and gender is a spectrum is an education and unlearning process that humanity is undergoing, and we are grateful to Matthew Liam Nicholson for further sharing this message.
We immediately connect with the charisma that Matthew performs with, as well as the subversive bassline which adds dimensionality to the opus. Speaking on the rationale behind the release, the star confesses, “Androgynous appears on Let It Be (1984), my favorite LP by The Replacements.”
The LA based creator continues with depth, “[It was] given to me in my late teens by Chris Nolan, my dear cousin who founded the legendary Meredith Music Festival in Australia, and steered me in some fine musical directions at a young age, so this tipsy shuffle of a cover version resonates a lot of history and love for family and friends and bandmates from the early days of rocking it out in Australia. I hope it adds color and life to the lineage of this beautiful song.”
We also learn that upon hearing the cover, Peter Jesperson, who discovered, signed, managed and produced The Replacements’ first four records described the piece as “wonderful” and adds, “I can absolutely feel the love and care you put into this. I remember very clearly when Paul Westerberg recorded the version that was on Let It Be, and it was a striking moment not only in my history with him and the band, but in my life.”
Matthew adds an intentional message to his audience and says, “As with all my music, it goes out to you the listener with love.” We have added Androgynous to our New Music Spotlight playlist, as well as our brand new TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream Matthew Liam Nicholson‘s wider discography.