Bartees Strange has shared a cover of The National’s ‘About Today’.

The track was released in collaboration with Sounds of Saving’s “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series to help promote honest, intimate conversations about mental health. Watch Strange perform and discuss the track below.

“Personally there’s always been a strong line between making music and being alive and expression and the importance of what that means as a musician, and as a human being,” Strange says in the clip.

He continued: “I feel like when I was at my saddest point was when I couldn’t express how I felt. The more I could express, the more things I could write, and the more things I could make, the more reason I found to stay alive.”

Strange also shared his connection with The National frontman Matthew Berninger’s songwriting, adding that ‘About Today’ “reminds me of myself when I was in my saddest moments of life”.

He went on to say that the lyrics “today you were far away and I didn’t ask why” reminded him of friends he’d lost, adding: “It hits me because there were times I was far away and wish people would’ve asked why.”

In the video, he also talks about his first connections to music.

“I started going to the shows and I’d never heard punk music or hardcore music or noise music or thrash or any of that,” Strange said.

“It was just emotional and it reminded me, you have church in a way, there’s like this thing happening where we’re all feeling it and we’re all connecting. And it’s this beautiful reminder that we’re all kind of the same, which meant a lot to me when I was 16.”

Earlier this month, he released his first single for the year, ‘Heavy Heart’. It arrived alongside news the Washington-based singer-songwriter had signed with iconic label 4AD.

Strange has also announced a slew of rescheduled European and UK tour dates for July. Check those out below. Later this month, he’ll also kick off a North American tour supporting Car Seat Headrest. See dates and details for those here.

For help and advice on mental health:

• ‘Am I depressed?‘ – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
• Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians
• Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues
• YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
• CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably for young men
• Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
• The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day