Norwegian-American multi-hyphenate Okay Kaya — aka Kaya Wilkins — has announced a new covers mixtape, The Incompatible Okay Kaya, arriving in October via Jagjaguwar. To celebrate, the Berlin-based artist has shared its lead single, a minimalist cover of gospel standard “If I Can Help Somebody,” which was originally written by composer Alma B Androzzo and recorded by Turner Layton in 1946. Over the years, the hymn has also been covered by Doris Day, Mahalia Jackson, Joseph Locke, Liberarce, and more. Check out Wilkins’ rendition above.
This is certainly not Wilkins’ first time on the covers grind: She earned some love for her haunting cover of Cher’s “Believe” in 2019, and The Incompatible Okay Kaya will feature covers of Nick Cave (“Into My Arms”) and The Magnetic Fields (“Book Of Love”). The mixtape follows Wilkins’ Jagjaguwar debut, Watch This Liquid Pour Itself, and its companion album, Surviving Is The New Living, which also came out in 2020. which dropped last year. Check out the mixtape’s track list below.
The Incompatible Okay Kaya tracklist:
1. “If I Can Help Somebody”
2. “Zero Interaction Ramen Bar”
3. “Calendar Girl”
4. “Book Of Love”
5. “Dance Like U”
6. Into My Arms”
7. “Psychward”
8. “Fake It”
9. “Without Her”
Listen to “If I Can Help Somebody” above. Look for The Incompatible Okay Kaya on 10/22 via Jagjaguwar. Pre-order it here.