Afton Wolfe & Jaimee Harris Cover The Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers”

Eclectic creative and resident time traveller Afton Wolfe, known for his pointed lyrical dynamism and sonic adventurism, has announced a collab with NPR-favourite Jaimee Harris as the pair delivers a fragrant bouquet of “Dead Flowers,” an elegiac rendition of the 1971 Rolling Stones classic.

Their beguiling take, which leans more into the Townes Van Zandt version, expertly showcases the esoteric apex derived from a resplendent blend of perfectly paired voices.

The Wolfe-Harris construct joins the esteemed pantheon of flower-power resurrectors, luminaries that include Jerry Lee Lewis, with Mick Jagger; Gilby Clarke with Axl Rose; Townes van Zandt, Grace Potter, Cowboy Junkies, Cœur de Pirate, Lucinda Williams, Maren Morris, and Willie Nelson with Ryan Adams, Hank Williams III and Keith Richards.

The song is also revered for a memorable end-scene placement in the 1998 cult comedy The Big Lebowski, which starred Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, and Steve Buscemi.

Harris comments:

“This collaboration came about by the most delightful chain of reactions. I ran into Afton at a John Prine tribute at Dee’s and heard him talking about the upcoming LebowskiFest. ‘Are you going to that?’ I asked. Afton told me he was leading the house band and invited me to play the Townes Van Zandt version of ‘Dead Flowers.’ A dream gig all around! We had so much fun singing it live together, Afton wisely suggested we capture this snapshot. I’m so glad he did.”

Wolfe agrees:

“‘Dead Flowers’ is one of my favourite songs, because it’s demonstrably one of the greatest songs ever but this idea was a direct result of mutual nerdiness when I was the Music Director for Nashville’s First Annual LebowskiFest last year, and I asked Jaimee to sing this. It was such a fun night, and from there, we tried it in the studio, it sounded good, and it went from there.”

“I always preferred Townes Van Zandt’s version anyway, and that’s the one from The Big Lebowski, so when we started doing it, I wanted to lean into that sadness with some slight counterpoint changes, and of course, Jaimee’s brilliant singing augmented by Dayna Bee’s emotive violin and Daniel Seymour’s deep bowing.”

Afton Wolfe & Jaimee Harris “Dead Flowers” single artwork

For the video, Wolfe collaborated with Duende Vision Productions to create a striking and thoughtful portrait that faithfully captures the song’s intrinsic magic, forever etching another chapter in its boundless timelessness.

Wolfe states:

“As usual, Anana (Kaye) and Irakli (Gabriel), my longtime co-conspirators, needed little instruction and created an artful presentation of the tone. Jaimee’s wardrobe expert, Riqué helped coordinate the vibe.”

As a preamble to the August (and everything after) onslaught, Wolfe is readying a mystical new audiovisual experience, Craftin’ With Afton, a nü-gen variety show/podcast that aims to put fun, or at least the “fu” back at the forefront of entertainment.

In the spirit of Mr. Show, Key & Peele, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, and Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, each episode will center, loosely, on art, and the mirage of crafting something tangible that lasts, both literally, and in infamy.

A mix of conversation, improv, sketch comedy and tomfoolery, the lead lineup of guests includes Nikki Barber (of alt-rock band The Minks), Dillon Warnek, Matthew Paige of Dee Oh Gee, and Harris.

As part of an astrological plea agreement with a public defender, Nashville’s premiere variety show, Live From Little Hollywood, helmed by host Scot Sax and producers Gina Frary Bacon and Sally Jaye, will broadcast the ‘Craftin’ trainwreck as a part of their established irreverent programming. The initial two episodes featuring Paige and Warnek are available on the LFLH YouTube channel.

In the meantime, Wolfe and his wolfpack are gearing up for a busy fall Mappin’ and Craftin’. A score of flora has risen. Interlochen.

Tour Dates:

08/23 – Nashville, TN – Brown’s Diner (w/ Cora Lee, Ben de la Cour)
09/14 – Jackson, MS – Piney Woods Picnic (w/ Cary Hudson, Tim Easton)
09/15 – Mobile, AL – The People’s Room (w/ Andy MacDonald)
09/18 – Nashville, TN – The 5 Spot (Magnolia Roads’ Mary Sack Tribute)
09/19 – Nashville, TN – Delgado Guitars, Music Maker’s Stage (AmericanaFest)
09/20 – Nashville, TN – The 5 Spot (Interstate 88 @ AmericanaFest)
10/26 – Stewart, TN – 9th Annual Heart in Hand (Critters Hollow)
11/29 – Hattiesburg, MS – Grill & Grocery
12/06 – Nashville, TN – The 5 Spot (Get Behind The Mule #19)
01/15 – 01/19 – Todos Santos, MX – Tropic of Cancer Music & Arts Festival