Famed psychedelic rock musician Roky Erickson, whose work you might be familiar with through Ghost's cover of "If You Have Ghosts", passed away on May 31 at 71 years old. Chelsea Wolfe is now paying tribute to the man's memory through her own haunting cover of his 1981 track "Night Of The Vampire".
Considering Wolfe's usually gloomy sound, her cover is an extremely fitting one.
on this tribute to the great Roky Erickson, 1947-2019:
I've been stuck in a bit of a personal cage lately, feeling like I couldn't share things that didn't feel highly polished.. it was starting to become a source of anxiety for me, as I have a new album I'm announcing soon, and wanted to be able to share intimate moments from the creation of the record in my home, as well as stripped down versions of the songs, but haven't felt like any of it was "good enough."
today I got home from a long drive after hanging out with good friends until 4 in the morning, and learned that Roky had passed. he's always been one of my favorites, and this song has been on my mind to cover for a while now, so it just seemed right: record it, share it. don't overthink it, don't worry about it being perfect. yea, I could do a more polished version, but this is the way it came out naturally, and I was shaking afterward, always a sign that I've opened myself up to something beyond myself. thank you Roky, for setting me free. ❤️CW
Erickson's memory lives on through his solo career, as well as performances with The 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson And The Aliens, and Roky Erickson And The Resurrectionists.
