Iron & Wine Pays Tribute to Lori McKenna With New Covers EP

Indie-folk heavyweight Sam Beam, better known by his stage moniker Iron & Wine, has put his own spin on four songs penned by celebrated singer-songwriter Lori McKenna.

Recorded at Memphis' historic Sam Phillips Studios with production from Matt Ross-Spang, Iron & Wine’s new EP Lori came to life in March 2021 as COVID-19 restrictions began to decrease across the country. He recruited Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart of the innovative indie-pop outfit Finom to help reimagine his favorite cuts from McKenna's lengthy songbook.

Bean found himself revisiting McKenna's music time and time again during the early, isolating months of the COVID-19 pandemic. That deepened sense of admiration and connection led him to dream up this new project, which is set for release on Sept. 16. The EP includes Beam's reinterpretations of "Like Patsy Would" from McKenna's 2018 record The Tree, "Halfway Home" off her 2016 LP The Bird & The Rifle and "Shake" from 2013's Massachusetts.

To coincide with the EP announcement today (Aug. 24), Iron & Wine also shared their interpretation of "That’s How You Know," a cut from McKenna's 2011 record Lorraine. You can hear the EP cut and watch its accompanying music video, which was conceptualized, directed and animated by Nebila Oguz, below.

Lori will hit streaming platforms and become available for vinyl presale orders via Iron & Wine's Black Cricket Recording Co. beginning Sept. 16. Until then, fans can catch Beam out on the road as his co-headlining tour with Andrew Bird continues through Oct. 3.

Iron & Wine + Andrew Bird's Outside Problems Tour Dates:
Sept. 22 - San Diego, Calif. @ The Magnolia
Sept. 23 - Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Van Buren ^
Sept. 25 - Oklahoma, Okla. @ The Jones Assembly
Sept. 27 -San Antonio, Texas @ Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
Sept. 28 - Dallas, Texas @ Strauss Square @ ATT Performing Arts Center
Sept. 30 - Marfa, Texas @ Trans-Pecos Festival
Oct. 1 - Austin, Texas @ Stubbs
Oct. 2 - New Orleans, La. - Orpheum Theater
Oct. 3 - Houston, Texas - White Oak Music Hall

13 John Prine Lyrics That Prove He Wrote Like No One Else

John Prine could write a song like no one else. Throughout his five-decade career, the folk icon proved himself to be one of a kind.

Prine's lyrical stories were both fantastical and simple; he wrote with a Midwest-bred honesty and humor that kept listeners on their toes. His catalog, spread over 18 albums, contains vivid stories ("Lake Marie"), insightful looks at the human condition ("Hello in There") and sweet love songs ("Aimless Love").

Impressively, Prine was only in his mid-20s when he wrote song of his most beloved songs, from "Sam Stone" to "Angel From Montgomery." He earned critical and industry acclaim, even if his work was not particularly commercially successful, and his songs were covered — and made into hits — by everyone from George Strait to Miranda Lambert, among many others.

These 13 Prine lyrics -- largely pulled from his songs' choruses -- are some of his very best: