On Nov. 13, Gina Birch, founding member of influential punk band The Raincoats, released a cover of Yoko Ono‘s “Listen, The Snow is Falling” through Jack White‘s Third Man Records.
The single, written by Ono and recorded with the Plastic Ono Band, was originally released as the b-side of John Lennon’s 1971 single “Happy Xmas (War is Over).” This single marks Birch’s first release since her solo debut album, I Play My Bass Loud, in 2023.
In 2023, Birch, with bandmates Marie Merlet and Jenny Green, chose to play “Listen, the Snow is Falling” at Tate Britain during the Yoko Ono exhibition. Birch thought it would be great to play one of Ono’s songs during the performance even though it was August.
Feeling particularly connected to Ono at the time, Birch selected the song for its haunting beauty, noting that it was released as a b-side. “Who doesn’t love a b-side?” she remarked. Birch had also been asked to write about Yoko Ono for the Tate magazine and had recently painted a full-length portrait of her for her exhibition featuring “Goddesses and Inspirations” at Gallery 46.
Inspired by the performance, Merlet suggested they record the song as a Christmas single. Birch noted that she had never made a Christmas single before, making it feel particularly fitting. They recorded it in Birch’s basement, collaboratively coming up with ideas. The track was mixed by Merlet and then mastered by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering in Detroit.
In addition to a headlining tour in the UK, Birch has supported artists like Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, and This Is The Kit. She was also part of Tate Britain’s high-profile exhibition “Women in Revolt,” which celebrated 20 years of feminist art and activism. Her piece, “3 Minute Scream” (1977), was showcased as the poster image for the exhibition.
Learn more and support Gina Birch here.
Comments are closed.