Animal Collective’s Avey Tare and Geologist are the latest musicians to pay tribute to singer-songwriter David Berman, who died on August 7. The pair recorded a cover of Silver Jews’ “Ballad of Reverend War Character,” with proceeds from pay-what-you-want track sales benefiting MusiCares and Music Health Alliance, per the wishes of Berman’s family. You can check it out below.
In a statement, the pair said they had looked forward to seeing Berman perform with Purple Mountains on his fall tour. Following his death, they instead spent time together listening to his records. “He was an inspiration for decades. One we wouldn’t be here without,” they said. “We’ve been playing covers of his music since 1994 when we first picked up guitars together, so it felt like one of the few things we could do to get through the sadness.”
Read about how “David Berman Changed the Way So Many of Us See the World” on the Pitch.