Exclusive Premiere: Nick Mitchell Breathes New Life Into Pollard’s “You Make the Sun”

If you’ve spent much time in the Guided By Voices club, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Nick Mitchell. He was a driving force behind Ricked Wicky, Robert Pollard’s solid arena rock project, and even spent time in Guided By Voices during the band’s 2016 lineup. With his connection to Pollard, Mitchell developed an instinct for these songs that few musicians outside his inner circle can claim, making him the perfect person to give them a fresh life.

That’s exactly what he’s done on the fifth release from Splendid Research, a limited-edition 7″ pairing two inspired Pollard deep cuts. The a-side revisits “Map and Key” from Ricked Wicky, while the flip, premiering exclusively at The Fire Note today, uncovers “You Make the Sun,” a quietly brilliant song from GBV Suitcase 4 that originally appeared under Pollard’s Jonathon Hyphen Jones moniker. Even devoted GBV fans may have forgotten this one over the years, but Mitchell makes a compelling case to revisit it. His performance feels extremely focused and sincere, staying true to the original while naturally putting his own stamp on it.

We’re excited to share “You Make the Sun” exclusively today. If you’re the kind of listener who enjoys digging beyond the obvious corners of Pollard’s catalog, this single is exactly the sort of discovery that makes collecting his music so rewarding. Press play above, then don’t sleep on the vinyl. It’s available exclusively through Rockathon Records, limited to just 500 mail-order-only copies, and likely won’t be around for long.

Order the 7” at Rockathon ↗