Citing her varied influences from Aretha Franklin to Joan Jett to Fiona Apple, Michelle Kash finds her own “Personal Jesus” with this cinematic and sultry cover of the Depeche Mode classic. The accompanying video clip gives you a delightfully dark glimpse into her world. The seductive and come hither delivery in the vocals and the languid, guitar-driven musicality reinvents the new wave/goth classic and transports you to another time and place. Michelle has traded in the driving and aggressive beat of the original for a slower grind with an almost jazz club vibe. Successfully covering a song, in my opinion, is transforming the original into something fresh and new, while still keeping the heart of the piece alive. This interpretation does that and more. I bet Lana Del Ray and Billie Eilish will be upset they didn’t get to this project first.
The single is released on Los Angeles bed indie music label Love Animal Records, a label built by artists and for artists.
“When I sing ‘Personal Jesus,’ I have a vision of a sexual savior within myself or that I look for in others,” she explains. “It’s gritty and shadowy like an after-hours party. I hadn’t seen a woman cover the song, which added a different dimension. It paves the way for where I want to go musically,” shares Michelle.
Michelle started performing in her hometown of New York City before moving to Los Angeles where she performs at venues across the city. In addition to her music, Michelle has had a lifelong commitment to philanthropy and advocating for gender equality, female empowerment and is a fierce fighter for animal rights. Stay tuned for a lot more to come from Michelle this year. Michelle grew up playing guitar and piano and writing poetry of her own and was surrounded by art and creativity during her globe-trotting childhood. Finding solace in spirituality, Michelle began going on meditation retreats, and it was during a retreat in Utah when she discovered her singing voice while meditating and her purpose became clear.
Stream the single over at ingroov.es and check out the Danny Verde Remix Video
