Best Acoustic Covers - January 2025
January has brought us some incredible acoustic covers, each offering a fresh perspective on well-loved songs. Whether it's a heartfelt tribute to home, a bold reinterpretation of an 80s classic, or a stripped-down rendition filled with personal nostalgia, these artists have delivered some of the most captivating covers of the month.
Caledonia - Nina Nesbitt
Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt kicked off the year with a stunning take on Dougie Maclean’s timeless masterpiece Caledonia, released ahead of her performance at BBC Scotland’s Burns Night celebrations on January 25th. Her rendition places her among a distinguished group of Scottish musicians who have put their own spin on the song, including Paolo Nutini, Amy Macdonald, and Nathan Evans. Reflecting on the cover, Nina shared, "As a Scot currently living far away from home, ‘Caledonia’ is a song that means so much to me. It instantly transports me back to the place I grew up and reminds me how proud I am to be Scottish. It’s an honour to finally cover this song and share my own version, as so many Scottish artists have done in the past."
once in a lifetime - Sam Heilig
Meanwhile, Sam Heilig took on Once in a Lifetime, turning Talking Heads’ experimental synth-driven track into something completely different. As he explained, "This is the first single of my new covers project called ‘Reframe.’ In order to create a true reframe, it felt appropriate to turn an experimental-sounding synth song from the 80s into a more chill, acoustic folk sound." Mission accomplished, right?
Dear Someone - Savannah Conley
Savannah Conley also delivered a beautifully intimate cover this month with her rendition of Gillian Welch’s Dear Someone. We’ve already dedicated a full blog post to this song, but it’s worth revisiting what Savannah shared about it: "My take on Gillian Welch’s ‘Dear Someone’ is the first single off of an EP of one-take acoustic covers that I recorded with my dear ole dad as a way to gently get myself to pick up my guitar some more. The EP is called ‘Playing the Part of Them Is Me’ and includes songs I play to myself when I’m just sitting around—which is how I wanted these recordings to feel. Like you're sitting there with me and I'm playing my guitar at you like the Barbie movie. This song in particular is special to me because I watched my aunt and uncle sing it together all my growing up. They have always been a source of comfort in my life, so this song became a sort of self-soothe. Maybe it can do a little of that for you too."
Please Please Please - Julia DiGrazia, Sierra Carson, Kylie Spence
Finally, Julia DiGrazia, Sierra Carson, and Kylie Spence joined forces for an acoustic version of Please Please Please, bringing a new charm to Sabrina Carpenter’s hit. My appreciation for Julia DiGrazia has never been a secret—after all, I included her duet Someone You Don’t Know with Evan Honer in my Top 10 Duets of 2024. But the funny thing is, I also selected Please Please Please – Acoustic by Sabrina Carpenter as one of the Top 10 Female Acoustic Songs of 2024. So it only makes sense to add Julia’s (and friends’) take on Please Please Please to this month’s list of standout covers.
You can find them all on our Best Acoustic Covers and All of Acoustic 2025 playlists!