Today marks 22 years since Layne Staley’s death, and to celebrate the legendary Alice in Chains frontman, alt-pop singer-songwriter Carlie Hanson has shared a cover of the band’s 1994 classic “Nutshell.”
The Wisconsin-raised artist taps into the spirit of the Jar of Flies favorite, which arrives here through soft-shimmer guitar strums and vulnerable fretless bass sliding. Hanson also works her way through Staley and Jerry Cantrell’s original vocal harmonies while adding a few melodic choices of her own. The cover comes with the blessing of Staley’s family — and reinforces the Hanson family’s longtime love of AIC.
Read more: Nirvana’s 1992 cover captures a band breaking into the mainstream
“Since I was a little girl, my mom and my older sister always played grunge around the house or on long drives,” Hanson says. “Soundgarden, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice In Chains, to name a few. It wasn’t until about two years ago that I fell down an Alice In Chains hole. I came across their MTV Unplugged performance and instantly had to know more about them. I couldn’t believe that was what the lead singer looked like. I imagined something totally different when I was 9 or 10, listening to Layne’s powerful vocals. Layne’s voice has always stood out to me as one of the best of all time. I became inspired all over again like I was as that little kid in the backseat of my mom’s car. ‘Nutshell’ is a song that grabs me like no other. The lyrics, the melodies, everything about it. Immediately when I hear those chords, it just pulls me in. Such an unexplainable feeling.”
You can hear both versions of “Nutshell” below.
This article was originally published on RevolverMag.com and has been edited by Alternative Press.
