Margaret Durante – “Use Somebody”
Songwriter: Anthony Caleb Followill
When a new artist releases a cover song as his or her first single–especially a cover of a non-country song–there are two ways it could flesh out.
A cover song comes with a built-in audience, or at least an “Oh-that-sounds-familiar” audience. And those 20-some extra seconds a familiar tune may buy can make all the difference between a listener turning the radio dial (or clicking the “Next” button on Pandora) and hanging around long enough to become invested in a new voice, one of the biggest obstacles hanging over an emerging artist’s head.
But, as Randy Travis would remind us, there’s always the other hand: A cover song can signal an artist’s reliance on material that may be more commercially profitable than artistically worthwhile, and it invites inevitable comparisons between the new version and its predecessors.
Newcomer Margaret Durante’s debut release “Use Somebody,” a cover of Nashville-based pop/rock band Kings of Leon’s chart-topping hit, falls somewhere between the two. While Durante’s performance doesn’t show any symptoms of laziness, the same can’t be said for her success in making the song her own or providing potential fans with any signs of her point of view as an artist.
Of course, there’s a reason the song was popular and often-covered: Its lonely urgency is underscored thoughtful, interesting lyrics like “Off in the night, while you live it up, I’m off to sleep/Waging wars to shape the poet and the beat/I hope it’s gonna make you notice/I hope it’s gonna make you notice/Someone like me”.
Established singers Paramore, Nickelback and Kelly Clarkson have taken their own stabs at the hit, albeit as one-offs featured during concerts and special acoustic sets. However, Durante–or, more likely, her handlers at record label Universal Republic–chose to introduce herself to the country music world with a “country” version of the song.
By “country,” I mean Durante delivers the song from a female’s point of view in the stylings of Taylor Swift and Colbie Caillat: She finds a natural rhythm that complements her vocals, but any brief glimpses of her interesting twang are disrupted by “whoa-whoas” featured throughout the song. And even though the original song’s hipster edge is shaved off with superfluous strains of steel guitar and fiddle, the production and arrangement remain disappointingly similar.
Although Jimi Hendrix famously covered “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” just two days after its initial release, it feels a little soon to reinterpret a song that debuted just under one year ago; however, because her target audience may be largely unfamiliar with the tune and its writers, that probably won’t be a hindrance for Durante.
Still, in terms of bringing a convincing female perspective to the song, Durante doesn’t come close to indie singer Laura Jansen’s version of the tune, which marries an original arrangement with a genuine delivery. Here’s hoping Durante brings original material like “Put Yourself in my Blues” (a tune featured on her MySpace profile that’s worth the click) on her next go-round at a bid for a slot on country radio.
![]()
Popular Stuff
Sponsor
Tagged In This Article
Anthony Caleb Followill // Colbie Caillat // Jimi Hendrix // Kings of Leon // Nickelback // Paramore // Randy Travis // Taylor Swift
Current Discussion
- Jim Malec: "Keeps her letters in a nightstand." She sent him letters, Jon!
- Leverett Sherrif: Paulaw, Brutal, sir..you heard them when they were first getting started..these young girls have worked extremely hard to get to ...
- sam (sam): I'm just a fan, but as I understand it, both singing and songwriting are essential to making good music. It ...
- Jon: @K, thanks for the further explanation. As near as I can tell, there are at least as many mediocre ...
- K: “I would hope that the legacy of a great singer is rewarded more richly than a great writer.” After reading my ...
- Jon: PS – Its too bad Amie Comeaux wasn’t born years later so she could have been a contestant on American ...
- Joe: Great guilty pleasure. I'll enjoy hearing this on the radio.
- Michelle: I love That's My Job by Conway Twitty, but I can't listen to it with others in the room.
- Michelle: Two stars? Whatever!
- Michelle: I love this song. I would love to climb up in his lap and drive his big green tractor!
While the voice of country’s future took home this year’s big honor, a legendary voice from country music’s past scored a win for Album Of The Year. Check out the winners in The 9513's 2nd Annual Country Music Awards now!
Josh Turner's fourth album, Haywire, furthers his reputation as one of the leading men in contemporary country, a true, traditional voice in an ever-changing Nashville scene.
Having played on more than 500 albums and toured with artists that range from Hank III to Dolly Parton, Randy Kohrs has become one of the go-to musicians when there’s a need for a resophonic guitar
Sammy Kershaw – “Better Than I Used To Be”
As the title track off his upcoming album, “Better Than I Used to Be” is a straight-up look back on the career of a country music staple.
Emily West Featuring Keith Urban – “Blue Sky” Emily West turns in a gorgeous performance on “Blue Sky,” hitting notes few of her contemporaries can reach.
What does Alan Jackson like on his eggs?
Cheese and corn; he still likes bologna; a load of salsa; hens? Answers to the questions you'd never dream of asking. (
In each and every instance, the best country albums of the past ten years were built on the backs of songs -- stories about you and me from birth to death and stories that paint landscapes rooted in every region of America and beyond. These are the top country albums of the decade.


7 Comments
RSS for comments on this post | Trackback URI for this post
November 12, 2009 at 3:25 pm Permalink
I am not a big fan of this single either. I even think it was a bad calculation. The song is so ‘huge’ that it’d take an established artist like Sugarland to make it into a hit on the country charts.
November 12, 2009 at 4:52 pm Permalink
Gosh, is she related to the long departed entertainer Jimmy Durante? Does she start her shows off with his old line about “That ain’t no banana, that’s my nose!”. (lol)
Judging by that picture I think she should have covered a Bellamy Brothers song instead and reworked it a bit! I can just see her purring to some hunky cowboy in a honky tonk bar “If You Say I Have a Beautiful Body, I Might Hold It Against You!”.
November 12, 2009 at 5:25 pm Permalink
I think that she does the song well enough, but it’s too soon for a cover of this to be released. It’s a great song though.
By the way, in Sugarland’s “Take Me As I Am” one of the lyric says: My name’s Maggie Durante/I said ain’t that something. Coincidence?
November 12, 2009 at 5:31 pm Permalink
Brooke White has a version of this on her new album…not sure why I know that…or am i??
November 15, 2009 at 5:55 pm Permalink
Poor choice of cover from a new artist. When considering the level of notoriety that Kings of Leon are currently experience, the comparative factor alone may draw some interest but I expect to see this flounder.
November 16, 2009 at 9:48 pm Permalink
Smart moves. Margaret Durante gives a nod to Nashville-based KOL. She owns this version with heartbreaking, urgent loneliness. The music video all over the web and CMT. Her myspace shows writing and recording. More to come…
January 1, 2010 at 8:02 am Permalink
I’ve never heard of her before. I just saw the video on CMT pure and wanted to find out more about her. So, appearantly the song/video stood out enough to get a country fan up from the TV over to the google bar. I like her alot. I’m not crazy about her name, but what’s a girl to do about that? :)
I hope to see more of her on CMT and hear her on radio. I’m off to hear some more of her songs on myspace.
Leave a Comment