In 2010, Father/Daughter Records was born out of a simple idea that independent music thrives when artists are given space to take risks, experiment, and build community. To mark its 15th anniversary, the label invited current artists and longtime alumni to draw from the catalog and recast the songs in their own light.
Following mui zyu’s spectral take on Shamir’s “Astral Plane,” Omaha songwriter Anna McClellan offers a luminous reimagining of Esther Rose’s “Always Changing,” from Rose’s sophomore album, You Made It This Far.
“Always Changing” is a quiet yet powerful manifesto on growth and self-acceptance, written by Rose amid heartbreak, relocation, and the small reckonings that punctuate everyday life. Where Esther’s voice is rooted in old-school country and rural folk, Anna meets it with a kindred restless spirit grounding it in her signature keyboard touch. Recorded over two sunlit mornings while staying with Lincoln of Hello Shark, Anna gathered Kelsey's warm harmonies to commune on the session. The result is a woozy, tender unraveling that fills Rose’s country meditation with new light and life.
“It’s an amazing song. And I knew I would be on the road when it came time to record so I wanted to pick something with a simple structure to easily bring in other people. I ended up in Kittery, ME staying with Lincoln of Hello Shark for a few weeks and enlisted him and Kelsey and Austin to help with the recording. Kelsey already had "Always Changing" in her repertoire so it came together naturally. We spent two beautiful mornings tracking the parts with the sun shining in through the window." -Anna McClellan
"Anna McClellan has a singular voice and exceptional writing talents, and I was flattered and wowed by this cover. The song itself has become a sort of anthem in my life. It remains an all-time favorite song to play live, and somehow it just gains strength and relevance as the years pass. There's a lesson in it that I don't want to forget.” -Esther Rose