Raleigh Music Group recently asked artist Merlin Zapravo to do a cover of American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash’s 1963 release “Town of Lonely Hearts”. Nash is best known for his 1972 single “I Can See Clearly Now”.

Since we collaborated on his 2018 “Din Din”, Merlin knew we’d work well together producing this retro-style cover. Inspired by the Nash recording, I built a 60’s-style track with a tom sample from the original, reverb-drenched guitars, swelling strings, kitschy keys and most importantly lead and background vocals from Merlin that captured Johnny’s vibe but added a some modern twists.