Canvasback Music/Atlantic Records have announced a new album celebrating the work of Yoko Ono. Imagined and curated by Death Cab for Cutie’s Benjamin Gibbard, Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono is set to arrive on February 18 and features 14 new versions of Ono’s tracks performed by a range of artists including Sharon Van Etten, Death Cab for Cutie, Deerhoof, US Girls, Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields), Thao, Sudan Archives, We Are KING, and Amber Coffman. Listen to David Byrne and Yo La Tengo’s newly unveiled collaborative cover of ‘Who Has Seen The Wind?’ below, and scroll down for the full tracklist and cover artwork.
In a press release, Gibbard explained that the compilation “was born out of both love and frustration. The ‘love’ part is pretty obvious; It is the seemingly bottomless well of inspiration and enjoyment Yoko Ono’s music has provided me and I must assume everyone else present here on this compilation. The ‘frustration’ part, on the other hand, goes back decades.”
He continued:
As an advocate, the tallest hurdle to clear has always been the public’s ignorance as to the breadth of Yoko’s work. To put it into context; This is an artist whose output has run the gamut from avant-garde to bubblegum pop, often across a single album. For years, it has been my position that her songwriting has been criminally overlooked. She has consistently created melodies as memorable as those of best pop writers. As a lyricist, she has always written with poignance, sophistication and deep introspection.
Some of her best songs have been covered and compiled here by a generation-spanning group of musicians for whom her work has meant so much. It is my sincere hope that a new crop of Yoko Ono fans fall in love with her songwriting due in some small part to this album we have put together.
A portion of the proceeds from Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono will be donated to WhyHunger, a non-profit organization Ono has supported for decades that aims to transform our food system by building social justice and striking at the root causes of hunger and poverty.
The album will be accompanied by a podcast hosted by Gibbard and music journalist Jenny Eliscu, featuring in-depth discussions of Ono’s music and legacy. You can find a trailer for it below.
Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono Cover Artwork:
Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono Tracklist:
1. Toyboat – Sharon Van Etten
2. Who Has Seen The Wind – David Byrne And Yo La Tengo
3. Dogtown – Sudan Archives
4. Waiting For The Sunrise – Death Cab For Cutie
5. Yellow Girl (Stand For Life) – Thao
6. Born In A Prison – US Girls
7. Growing Pain – Jay Som
8. Listen, The Snow Is Falling – Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields)
9. No No No – Deerhoof
10. Don’t Be Scared – We Are KING
11. Mrs Lennon – The Flaming Lips
12. No One Sees Me Like You Do – Japanese Breakfast
13. There Is No Goodbye Between Us – Yo La Tengo
14. Run Run Run – Amber Coffman
