The 1990s was a decade all its own, an unforgettable one at that.
Every avenue of life experienced a cultural shift, embracing new forms of style and expression. Including music. There are some who have argued that 1993 could be one of the greatest years in music, and they present a rather solid case. Hip-Hop enjoyed releases from Snoop Dogg and the Wu-Tang Clan. Women echoed their voices across the radio waves, including Liz Phair and Sheryl Crow. Alternative Rock expanded and shifted beneath the weight of Radiohead, as well as the Smashing Pumpkins. And grunge continued to kiss the scene with the likes of Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and of course, Nirvana.
In 1993 Nirvana released its third and final studio album, In Utero.
While the album embraced a shift in a band who was unknowingly facing demise, it topped charts and received critical acclaim, praising the sound for its departure from Nevermind.
Several publications have extended their praise as far as to say it remains one of the greatest albums of all time.
The first single released from the album was “Heart-Shaped Box,” an iconically brooding love song.
Frontman Kurt Cobain wrote the song in 1992 and nearly forgot about it.
He began to work on the song again after he moved to Hollywood with his new wife Courtney Love. Love has admitted several times that the song itself is intimately and exclusively about her. Whatever the meaning, if you’ve heard it, you’ve probably related to it at one time or another.
Modern and upcoming music artists alike work hard to keep Nirvana’s (teen) spirit alive.
Take YouTube artist Kawehi, for example.
In 2014, she uploaded a seriously unique take on this classic grungey love song.
Since being posted, she’s stimulated much discussion and has earned herself over two million views and 56,000 likes.
In fact, many of her current fans found her through this particular cover.
Her DIY approach to music makes this cover quite distinctive.
In the video, she sits at a table with recording equipment and a bottle of wine.
She proceeds to cover “Heart Shaped Box” using loops, effects and a mini-keyboard. It’s a cover unlike anything you’ve ever heard before!
Kawehi has been steadily gaining traction with her solo approach to creating music.
The 34-year-old came to L.A from her native Hawaii in 2003, attracted by the promise of a seven-year record deal.
It was a deal that would almost destroy her entire career, but luckily she fled from the industry’s outdated terms and continued to build a solid foundation alone.
She revealed to Popular Mechanics:
“I signed a deal and got stuck. I auditioned for this band. It was a kind of American Idol thing back in the day and I made the band and they flew us to L.A. and we made an EP and a demo. I hated it. I just didn’t feel like I was getting any better, as a musician and a writer. I needed a different angle.”
And since then, she’s been working on perfecting that angle. After buying a loop pedal, she’s been steadily redefining what it means to be in a one (woman) band. Now, she is enjoying tour dates and sharing her hard work with the world.
Check out this fresh cover in the video below and be sure to follow Kawehi across social platforms to see what she’s working on next!
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