Skip to content
New Music

Built to Spill Side Project Boise Cover Band Unearth Version of David Bowie’s ‘Ashes to Ashes’

Doug Martsch

When Built to Spill took a hiatus in 2002, singer Doug Martsch decided to meet up with pals in the Boise area for some loose jam sessions. What came from that? Another project, of course. That group, Boise Cover Band, knocked out seven breezy, folk-infused covers for an album that was titled Unoriginal Artists, which was recorded the following year.

In addition to Martsch, the group included Ned Evett on fretless guitar, Jon Mullin on guitar and Ian Waters on drums. Longtime BTS producer Phil Ek engineered the live tracking sessions, which were recorded on Martsch’s 16 track 1/2 tape machine in his garage.

Boise Cover Band Unoriginal Artists

Though it was released as a limited-edition tour CD (remember those?) in 2003, this is the first time the record is coming to streaming and vinyl. It’s a project that is close to Martsch, one he considers to be “probably his favorite record he ever made.”

You can listen to the group’s version of David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” below.

The reissue will arrive March 19 on Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Check out the tracklisting below.

Loving Pauper (Dobby Dobson)
Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie)
I Love You More (Lee Williams and the Cymbals)
Strange (The Delusions)
Chain Gang (The Pretenders)
I’m Glad (Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band)
Ta Magia Sto Pegadi (Georgios Trakis)