It’s been nearly two years since Kurt Vile released his eighth studio album Bottle It In and the singer is just about ready to share a handful of new songs. On Thursday, Vile announced the upcoming EP, Speed, Sound, Lonely KV, consisting of two covers, two original tracks, and a very special duet with late singer John Prine.
Prine recently passed away in early April due to complications after contracting COVID-19. Prior to falling ill, Prine and Vile were introduced by a good friend at Nashville studio The Butcher Shoppe. After hitting it of, the two jumped into the recording booth to track a swooning duet of Prine’s 1979 song “How Lucky,” which is featured on Vile’s upcoming EP.
In a statement alongside the EP announcement, Vile praised his Prine collaboration as “the single most special musical moment” of his life:
“The truth is John was my hero for a long time when he came into The Butcher Shoppe to recut one of his deepest classics with me. And, man, I was floating and flying and I couldn’t hear anything he told me while he was there till after he was gone for the night. A couple nights later we were playing ‘How Lucky’ together again; this time onstage at the Grand Ole Opry on New Year’s Eve at the turn of 2020. Nothing like seeing John and his band of musical brothers and family and friends playing into the new decade in front of an adoring audience on that stage in Nashville, TN… and, yup, that’s just how lucky we all got that night.”
Listen to “How Lucky” with Prine above and find Vile’s Speed, Sound, Lonely KV EP art and tracklist below.
1. “Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness”
2. “Gone Girl”
3. “Dandelions”
4. “How Lucky” Feat. John Prine
5. “Pearls”
Speed, Sound, Lonely KV is out 10/2 via Matador. Pre-order it here.