Musos young and old are likely to recognize “In the Pines,” an American classic that began as a traditional folk song and later became even more well-known thanks to blues musician Lead Belly’s lasting version. Those who don’t immediately hear the tune in their head upon reading its name probably will once they’re told that some musicians call it “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” — such as Nirvana, who closed their Unplugged performance in 1993 with the song.

Today, the Big Takeover brings you the latest version of the song courtesy of Nashville indie-rock band Flight Attendant, who use the original nomenclature in their solemn take. Sung sorrowfully by lead vocalist/keys player Karalyne (Flight Attendant members go by first names only), the song is framed with piano and strings.

The band told the Big Takeover that their rendition of “In the Pines” provided the right dark and timeless inspiration for them as they embarked upon creating a meticulous soundtrack for the upcoming mystery-noir film Find Her. The new song will also be showcased in the trailer for the feature film — which is directed by, written by and stars Nick McCallum. It’s due for release later this year.

Viola player Nikki told the Big Takeover that, “In preparation for the trailer, the director wanted us to try covering ‘In the Pines,’ as it was a perfect moody match for the film’s tone. We had a great time working on such a classic piece!”

Karalyne added: “The dark, cinematic vibes of the song inspired [Flight Attendant guitarist/vocalist] Vinny with this idea of someone in the woods, just looking lost and kind of distraught. So we made Vinny the main character and rented a huge zoom lens. On the day we were set to go shoot, it started pouring rain, so we taped some trash bags around the camera and walked ankle-deep through a muddy state park outside of Nashville. It was super fun — and kinda freezing.”

Charles Yingling, the Grammy-winning engineer who has produced all Flight Attendant’s tracks at Blueroom Studios in Nashville, also weighed in on Karalyne’s interpretation, calling it “easy to record.”

“We used an early 20th century upright piano on this record to match the ominous tones of Karalyne’s vocals,” Yingling said. “Flight Attendant is at their best when we just roll tape using our Trident 78 Console.”

Check out the video for the song, made available through Moraine Music, right here:

Flight Attendant are currently on tour. Tonight they play the Grouse Room in Lafayette, Louisiana, followed by gigs in Austin and Dallas, Memphis and Nashville.

For more info on the tour and the band, go here:

Flight Attendant website
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