Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead vocalist and guitarist of American punk rock band Green Day and singer songwriter Norah Jones have teamed up to record Foreverly.
The album is a 12-song collection inspired by Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, an album of traditional Americana songs reinterpreted, recorded, and released by harmony country and rock 'n roll duo The Everly Brothers in 1958.
The album will be released on November 25 2013.
Jones and Armstrong interpret several traditional songs, including Roving Gambler, Down In The Willow Garden, Long Time Gone, Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet?, and Barbara Allen, as well as country songs like That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine and Karl Davis's Kentucky.
"I've been a big fan of The Everly Brothers since I was a little boy," Armstrong says.
"A couple of years ago, I discovered Songs Our Daddy Taught Us for the first time, and I fell in love with it. I was playing it every day and thought it would be a cool idea to redo the record, but with a female singer. I thought of Norah because she can sing anything, from rock to jazz to blues, and I knew her harmonies would be amazing.
"I thought the songs would take on a different meaning working with her, and she has a really good ear for arrangements. I was mainly intrigued by these old traditionals [sic], country songs, and hymns. When we were done with the album, Norah looked at me and said, 'I bet you didn’t think you were going to make a country record, huh?'"
Jones, a long-time Everly Brothers fan herself, who used to cover Bird Dog in a previous band, describes herself as "a sucker for harmonies and country music". Also, she says, "Billie Joe's enthusiasm about the songs and his low-key, open approach to the music was very inviting. He wasn't set in his ideas, which made it fun for us both to sort of discover what felt right for us, musically."
Watch Billie Joe and Norah discuss each track on Foreverly:
The track listing for Foreverly:
Roving Gambler
Long Time Gone
Lightning Express
That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
Down In The Willow Garden
Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet
Oh So Many Years
Barbara Allen
Rockin' Alone (In An Old Rockin' Chair)
I’m Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail
Kentucky
Put My Little Shoes Away
Your can pre-order the album here. Those who pre-order the album on iTunes will receive an instant free download of the song Long Time Gone.