SotD - Rhiannon Giddens

Rhiannon Giddens has released a new Covid-related music video and recording of “Just The Two Of Us,” her take on the Bill Withers classic...

Read Susan Omand's review of Rhiannon Giddens album Freedom Highway



In a recent interview, Giddens said “We made this song in a very un-socially distanced time, a few years ago when our paths crossed in New York - it sat, untouched in our vaults since then. When Bill Withers passed, we suddenly remembered we had made this beautiful version of ‘Just The Two of Us,’ and thought it would serve as the perfect backdrop to the reality of where we are now - staying inside so that our healthcare workers have the best chance to fight this virus that cares nothing for the artificial divisions we have put up between us. So whether it's just the two of us, or just a few of us; whether the lockdown has been for months or it’s about to be lifted; Covid-19 is here for the foreseeable future, and the more we can be alone together now, the better the future will be.”

The video features photos and videos taken by friends and family in quarantine, and workers in the North Carolina UNC and NY-Presbyterian healthcare systems. Proceeds from the sales of the song will go to  Global Giving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.



Giddens also recently launched Art Is Alive: A COVID-19 Directory of Give and Take. The website collects and lists resources for artists and those willing to help them. It also has links and resources for fostering awareness, togetherness, and hope for the creative freelance communities affected by the pandemic. Art Is Alive lays out donation opportunities, sources of available funding, a full and ever-evolving list of official insights and information, as well as a breakdown of platforms offering at-home performance opportunities. The site aims to connect artists to fans in the current stay-at-home climate.


Image & info - Shore Fire Media