Vagabon & Courtney Barnett – “Reason To Believe” (Karen Dalton Cover)
Ever since Tim Hardin first wrote and recorded the song “Reason To Believe” in 1965, a lot of big names have tried their hand at coming up with their own interpretations. Through the decades, everyone from the Carpenters to Cher to Johnny Cash to Glen Campbell to Wilson Phillips to Neil Young has sung this song. Today, Vagabon and Courtney Barnett join their ranks.
The collaboration has its roots in the early days of 2020, when Vagabon’s Lætitia Tamko had recently discovered Karen Dalton’s version of “Reason To Believe.” “I became obsessed and so a few days after discovering it, I was encouraged to record a cover of it in my garage,” Tamko said in a statement. “The decision to have Courtney sing it with me came after we performed it together live at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day 2020, a month before lockdown. It was fresh in our brains then so not long after the show, CB came over and we recorded her parts. Oliver Hill plays slide guitar on it.”
“I’m a huge fan of Vagabon and Karen Dalton so this was a dream,” Barnett added. “They both have a voice that absolutely knocks the wind out of me. I really admire Lætitia and am constantly inspired by her songwriting, production, and our sporadic FaceTime chats.”
Check it out below.