Taylor Swift recently recorded a version of Luna Halo's 'Untouchable,' which was written by LH members Nathan and Cary Barlowe.
A country star choosing to sing a song penned by someone else isn’t anything new on Music Row. Still, when Taylor Swift decided to cut Nathan and Cary Barlowe’s “Untouchable” for her Fearless: Platinum Edition album, she made Music City history as a country star covering a Nashville rock band’s song.
The Barlowe brothers are members of Luna Halo, and “Untouchable” originally appeared on the band’s 2007 major-label debut.
“She could have chosen any cover in the world, but that’s what she chose,” Nathan Barlowe said.
Though Luna Halo is still active (and about to start work on a new album), the Barlowe brothers are now entering the unfamiliar world of country music songwriting. We caught up with Nathan to get his thoughts on the experience.
How did Taylor Swift hear “Untouchable,” and how did it end up on the Fearless: Platinum Edition?
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It originally happened when Scott Borchetta, who’s the president of her label, gave her (our) CD to listen to. Then, when she was doing a TV show called Stripped, he told her she had to come up with a cover.
She could have chosen any cover in the world, but that’s what she chose. And we had heard from other people that she was a fan of Luna Halo, so I think it was a combination of those things. We lucked out, really. She covered the song and it sounded amazing, so from there, there were so many YouTube hits on it, and so many people watching it and doing imitations of it, that’s when the label decided that they should put it on the record.
Have you met Taylor?
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I haven’t, but my brother has. He went to her show at Sommet (Center) and talked with her backstage. We have a mutual friend that plays in her band, so we’ve had messages passed along through her.
Taylor changed the melody of the song for her version. What did you think about that?
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She changed the verse quite a bit. The chorus is still pretty true to what it was. When I first heard it, it caught me off guard because I didn’t even recognize the melody of the verse and some of the arrangement. But she’s one of, if not the biggest artist in the world right now, and when she wants to change a little thing about your song, I’m fine with it, you know?
Did that make her a co-writer on the song?
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Yeah, we gave her a little bit of the co-writing credit on it. I felt like she changed it significantly enough.
What has the reaction been like, both from your fans and hers?
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I think on both sides, I’ve seen three main things. Our fans prefer our version, and they’re like, “We don’t like (her version). I can’t believe you let her do that.” And then her fans on the other side are like, “The original is terrible.”
There are the extremes, and then there are several people in the middle that can appreciate both versions. Overall, I’d say that the reaction has been really good. The main thing our fans are saying is that maybe this will help people know more about the band and discover the original version. Everybody seems to be really excited.
Have you noticed new people discovering your music?
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Oh yeah, our sales of our version have gone up. And then all of the things like MySpace and just having new people that are like, “I never would have found you without Taylor Swift.” And we’ve heard from some of her fans that are like, “I love your version,” and “Where have you guys been all this time?”
What was it like hearing your song performed on Saturday Night Live?
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It was pretty amazing. We had a little party at a friend’s house. I was just waiting for it anxiously. And then when it came on, she looked amazing, and the setup was really beautiful, and I thought she sounded great on it. I was really happy.
Have you parlayed this into a new career writing songs for other artists? Are you trying to pitch any other Luna Halo songs to country stars?
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I made a joke that we could have Faith Hill do “World on Fire,” and then have Tim McGraw do another Luna Halo song.
My brothers have always written songs and pitched them to other people. But just now, we’re delving into the country market a lot more than ever before. I think having somebody like Taylor do your song, the respect level goes up. A lot of people are curious to see if we can repeat the magic somehow, and we are, too.
Songwriting, to me, if you’re good at it, it’s a craft that you’re constantly learning, especially when you switch formats. There’s a learning curve there that takes a little time. Luckily, we’re hooking up with some of the greatest writers in town, and we’re learning from them.
