Sometimes I hear a song and think, "Oh I wish I'd written that!". Sometimes, it's a well-known track by a well-known artist, but often it's something I hear at a local gig or in an on-line songwriters group.
And sometimes, I think, "I must do a cover of that". I don't do a lot of covers at all, so when I get that thought, I really should pay attention.
I had that very thought the first time, and every time, I hear Jonny Nixon's "2 Hearts".
Jonny writes and plays great songs. He's not alone. Here in Northern Ireland, we have a vibrant community of excellent songwriters and performers, and we should give each other credit for that.
Which is why I've decided to start the #playinghomage challenge. It's a challenge to performers to take a song of a local artist you love - someone not world famous - and do a cover. No tit for tat - it's a Pay-It-Forward thing. For no good reason, other than to say "Here is a great song! Why not have a listen and go find some more songs by this writer?"
I'd encourage anyone to have a rattle at this - what have you got to lose? It doesn't benefit me (except maybe to make me a little happier), if someone covers a song they love and adds the #playinghomage tag.
So, here's my cover of Jonny's "2 Hearts". Go seek out the original at Music | Jonny Nixon (bandcamp.com)