PJ Harvey has today shared a cover of “Who by Fire,” the 1974 Leonard Cohen track. She recorded her version alongside composer Tim Phillips for Apple TV+’s new series Bad Sisters.
Sharon Horgan, who both executive produces and stars in Bad Sisters, specifically sought out Harvey to record a rendition of “Who by Fire” for the series: “I thought of the words of ‘Who by Fire’ soon after the series was picked up and thought how perfect it would be,” she said in a press release, adding that she’s a longtime Harvey fan. “Pretty soon after that, I thought of Polly’s voice singing those words and asked Apple if we could make that happen.”
“It was a very enjoyable day spent recording the version of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Who by Fire’ for Bad Sisters,” Harvey said in a press release. “I had spoken to Sharon Horgan in advance of the recording session, so I understood why she felt the song’s lyric was so perfect for the series, but also understood what nuances of Leonard’s performance she most loved, and therefore what to try and recapture but in my own way. Tim Phillips and I worked together on my performance for the song. I found Tim to be an inspiring and exciting work partner which made the whole experience flow.”
Also starring Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, and Eve Hewson, Bad Sisters is a black comedy that focuses on a group of sisters coping with a family member’s sudden death as they’re also under investigation by a life insurance company. As any fan of Harvey might expect, her voice suits the plot’s eerie atmosphere. Listen to her rendition of Cohen’s “Who by Fire” below.
Harvey’s next album is currently in the works, with a tentative release slated for Summer 2023. In the meantime, she’s been releasing a series of vinyl reissues for her first eight LPs along with demos from each album’s sessions.