Norah Jones and Billie Joe Armstrong record Everly Brothers cover album, 'Foreverly'

What happens when an indie-jazz singer and a pop-punk singer come together? A country album, of course.

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has enlisted Norah Jones for a cover version of the Everly Brother's 1958 record, Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, which they have named, Foreverly. The Everly Brothers, made up of brothers Don and Phil Everly, were elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and were famous for their Americana style steel-string guitar playing and tight vocal harmonies.

Armstrong and Jones recently spoke with Stereogum about the effort. Armstrong explains the album's genesis saying:

"It all started with Stevie Wonder," he told them. "We sang together with Stevie Wonder and his band and a whole bunch of people, that's how Norah and I first met. Then ... well, I got into the Everly Brothers' record a couple years ago and I thought it was just beautiful. I was listening to it every morning for a while off and on. I thought it would be cool to remake the record because I thought it was sort of an obscure thing and more people should know about it, but I really wanted to do it with a woman singing because I thought it would take on a different meaning — maybe broaden the meaning a little bit — as compared to hearing the songs being sung by the two brothers. And so my wife said, 'Why don't you get Norah Jones to do it?' and I was like, 'Well, I kinda know her.' Well, I mean, we had Stevie Wonder in common. And so I called her and she said yes. So it was kinda like a ... well, I keep saying it was kinda like a blind date."

According to the interview, the album was recorded in nine days over two sessions. Jones wasn't all that familiar with the material at first, but the two worked their way through it without much pressure.

"I think it's nice to do projects when there's not a looming press schedule and tour over your head," Jones told them. "It makes it more appealing to me, and more fun. We actually just went into a studio to make music. There's no agenda."

The album is set to hit stores on Nov. 25, in time for the holidays, via Reprise Records. Listen to Armstrong and Jones cover "Long Time Gone" and check out the whole interview here. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Tags

Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, Norah Jones