Sturgill Simpson hasn't gone mainstream, but his cover of a 1987 has made waves on national television.
Nope, you’re not imagining things— American bluegrass and independent country artist Sturgill Simpson’s moody cover of British band When in Rome’s “The Promise” was featured on Sunday night’s episode of The Leftovers. The show focuses on the eerily untouched fictional town of Jarden, Texas a mere three years after a global event dubbed the “Sudden Departure” causes 2% of the world’s population to disappear mysteriously.
The episode titled “Ten Thirteen,” shows characters Megan Abbott (Liv Tyler) and Tommy Garvey (Chris Zylka) slow dancing in a bar with Simpson’s “The Promise” humming in the background. The tune appears on the Kentucky native’s 2014 album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.
Cable TV has definitely helped bring independent artists such as Sturgill Simpson some well-deserved recognition. Popular programs like True Blood, Sons of Anarchy, Weeds, and Six Feet Under are especially notable for including non-mainstream artists on their soundtracks. As major music fans, we’re thrilled to see unique music blasted out to a national audience.
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