The life of an independent artist is never a straight-forward shot: with no label footing the bill, every step is self-financed, and, sometimes, as DeVoe found when gearing up to record her 4th studio release, Strange Sunshine, you end up busted flat. 

 

Luckily, DeVoe's soundman, Karl Bruhn, the unsung "6th Beatle" of the band, records nearly every show--and in his archive were some excellent recordings of cover songs that the band had played over the years. From the sultry tones of Billie Holliday's "Summertime," to the primal yowl of Janis Joplin's "Me & Bobby McGee," all the way through to an astonishing cover of Prince's "Purple Rain," Jennie and the band bring new life & energy to these classic songs. 

 

Most of these tunes are now standard fan requests at live shows. DeVoe's take on Melanie's "Brand New Key" is a particular favorite, in addition to those mentioned above, as well as the band's rousing cover of U2's "Still Haven't Found What I'm Lookin' For." And, as DeVoe can be heard to say on the 3rd track, "A little Led Zeppelin never hurt anybody." Expecially not when rendered Jennie DeVoe-style! 

 

New fans often point to this CD as their "gateway drug" to the rest of DeVoe's music. They'll pick up this disc of familiar songs at their first show, and, pretty soon it's so worn out, they quickly have to acquire the rest of the collection!