Experimentation is a large part of the art of covers. Being able to interpret someone else’s track, making it your own without losing the bulk of its identity, takes a lot of courage. It also allows an artist to push themselves to new heights, something that is shown in heavenly fashion throughout Vol. 2. “We were more committed to approaching the project with a more experimental and adventurous framework. We decided to use an ‘homage’ approach to the first three songs on Vol. 2, which meant we wanted to experiment with the chords, progression or even melody to take the song somewhere else entirely. What we tried to honor was a certain core energy or feeling we interpreted from each song,” says Salmena. “For example, in the Loretta Lynn cover, we really wanted to portray the assertiveness and power in Lynn’s tone and lyrics, and interpreted that into a kind of fast paced pop-punk situation.”

Some might think finding ways to reimagine songs with strong legacies would come with a sense of pressure, but not for Salmena. Her cover of Loretta Lynn’s “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind),” continues to preserve the song’s powerful message, taking it into new territory by bending its original genre-fitting form. Lynn was known for pushing the boundaries of country music, especially for women. On this particular song, she tackles topics of alcohol, abusive relationships and rape, discussions that weren’t being had around its 1967 release date. Salmena does a magnificent interpretation and really allows the story to become her own. “If I’m being completely honest I didn’t for a second question whether or not we should cover it. I felt like I understood the sentiment, in a way where it could be my story to tell,” she says.

Another one of the bigger singles on the EP is a cover of Paula Cole’s “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?,” a song that drips in wit, irony, and melancholy while examining gender roles and stereotypes. The nuance of this song, as well, was lost to most listeners when it was initially released, with the satirical lyrics going over people’s heads. Salmena and Jennings’  take on transforming the song into their own took some time, with the pair struggling to find their own voices. But after overcoming their creative block, they managed to produce one of their strongest singles thus far. “The song came with all sorts of challenges. We tried so many different interpretations but they were all sounding too close to the original or just not feeling right,” Salmena says. “By the time we came up with the version that’s on the record, everything just fell into place.”

While it’s unknown if this may be the end of the Cuntry Covers series, having the time and space to experiment with a cover project allowed for the pair to go back to their roots of working together, while also being reminded of their new musical ventures. “It definitely reminded us that performing covers can be extremely fun. We used to play covers all the time in the early days of FRIGS shows, but hadn’t done it in a while,” says Salmena. “Recording covers has always been a part of country music, so much so that often people don’t know the original versions of songs. We wanted to explore that tradition in country music more, which in a way we were reminded of while working with Peck.”