“The song’s message feels more relevant than ever”: Jenny On Holiday covers The Replacements for her Best Fit session
For our latest Best Fit session, Jenny On Holiday - the solo project of Jenny Hollingworth - takes on one of the late 20th century's most poignant alternative anthems, with a quite stunning version of "Androgynous".
The song is taken from legendary band The Replacements' 1984 record Let it Be and marked a new high for Paul Westerberg's songwriting, eventually being hailed as way ahead of its time for questioning gender norms and promoting acceptance in a way that music had rarely done in the early 1980s.
As documented in Trouble Boys, Bob Mehr’s 2016 biography of The Replacements, Westerberg looked the word up after a girl used it following an night out with R.E.M.'s Pete Buck – where the two decided to experiment with their clothing and appearance. “Despite it having been over 40 years since its release,” Hollingworth tells BEST FIT, “the message feels more relevant than ever and shows how far we still have to go in terms of accepting & protecting trans and gender non-conforming people in society.”
“Earlier this year, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of sex is biological sex,” she adds, “which has had huge implications for the trans community. It’s deeply disturbing how many people in positions of power have been using their power and influence to infringe on the rights and safety of other human beings.”
With Jacob Berry on guitar, the song was recorded at North Landon’s Crouch End Studios - where the custom-built acoustics make for a great filming location and the spacious live room can be used for rehearsals and pre-production, perfect for pre tour or writing – and comes just a month ahead of Quicksand Heart, Hollingworth’s debut as Jenny on Holiday. Released via Transgressive – also home to Let’s Eat Grandma, Hollingworth's other band – it drops on 9 January, and she'll be at the Denmark Street, London branch of Rough Trade on the same day for a signing and performance.
Crouch End Studios has hosted sessions for NPR, The Late Show and Amazon and is partnered with Best Fit for an ongoing sessions series that's seen the likes of Crack Cloud, Laufey, Lambrini Girls and Hot Wax turn in some incredible performances.
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