VIDEO: The Sound Of Aja Share Video For 'Lovely Day' (Bill Withers Cover) From '100 Years Of Song' Project

The Sound of Aja continue their exploration of the past century of music with a video for their cover of the Bill Withers classic, "Lovely Day," the 1970s single from their ambitious 100 Years Of Song project.

Aja Dunn-Vereker and Hugo Dunn-Vereker have created 100 Years Of Song out of their own newly kindled romance. The project took shape during the global pandemic and began rolling out late last year. For the duo, it became a means of learning about each other through a shared passion for music.

A way to connect to each other and to a world outside their windows. Like love itself, it sparked, caught hold, and very much has a mind of its own, knowing no limits to its size or scope except perhaps, time itself. And it certainly has no rules.

Executive Produced by Dany Garcia (The Garcia Cos., Seven Bucks Productions, XFL, & GSTQ), the New York City-based duo is working with a number of collaborators to bring something unexpected, exciting and new to each interpretation, including Ben Christophers (Bat for Lashes), Gary Clark (Sing Street) and with major contributions on "Lovely Day" from Jewelle Blackman (Broadway's Hadestown), plus frequent album co-producers Gregor Philp (Deacon Blue) and Christopher Given Harrison (Arora/Sonos).

In discussing their reasons behind selecting the Withers track, Aja and Hugo noted, "It's a stone cold classic - timeless, optimistic and joyful, and who doesn't need a bit of that right now!? It was a truly uplifting experience to create this version with dear friends."

100 Years of Song is a true collaboration between two people, in singer/actress Aja and longtime producer/musical collaborator/manager Hugo (whose credits range from acclaimed artists Craig Armstrong, eastmountainsouth and Michael Brook, to work with a young Hans Zimmer, to developing music apps with Scott Snibbe). They were introduced by a mutual friend, who suspected that they might share a musical sensibility. But immediately, things took a dramatic turn. "Three days later we were planning our wedding, and three weeks later we were married," says Aja. "And then we started talking about music."

E.P. Dany Garcia asked them to record a song for a sports event and they concocted a version of a lesser-known Donna Summer cut called "My Life." Delighted with the results, she quickly asked for another, and they created a gospel-infused interpretation of Chris Stapleton's "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore." These commissions set in motion the idea that would lead to 100 Years of Song.

They began hashing out selections to represent each of the past ten decades and then determining treatments and arrangements-some faithful to the song's time period, most radically reworked, from ambient to bossa nova. "We worked hard together on the choices," says Hugo, "and in so doing we discovered the joy of what we love in every song and the 'why".

The first release was a take on the 1930s classic, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," later made popular by The Platters. "When we did 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,' we were trying to get creative about the character to help me sing the song," says Aja. "Hugo suggested this idea of a romance between the singer and a famous author. Exploring that pretend relationship and inhabiting that world made it something that withstands the test of time and stays with you, that engages all of the sense memories."

For Hugo, these visual and narrative inventions work together with the mix of musical styles to help the project toward its ultimate goal. "If we can engage and excite a younger audience who have never heard these songs, that would be very cool," he says.

"We're really trying to celebrate them, to encourage people to look back. We do that so little and it hurts us. It's all about now, only about looking forward." Aja adds that "honoring the origins of the song and applying it to the current culture, you see how the humanity of it stays the same-history can feel so long ago, but when you explore these details, you realize it's just a blink of an eye."

The Sound of Aja are ready to greet this passing of time with a dizzying array of sounds and a complementary visual world, as we mark the end of summer and barrel forward towards yet another new year, and an album. You won't have to wait long for more to come.

Watch the new music video here:

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