NEW MUSIC VIDEO: “Polly” featuring The Grand Theft Orchestra!

You may remember SPIN Magazine’s celebration of and tribute to Nirvana’s “Nevermind” on the 20th anniversary of the record’s release, last fall. You hopefully also recall that Amanda recorded a spine-tingling cover of “Polly” for it alongside her new band, The Grand Theft Orchestra (Michael McQuilken and co-conspirator, Chad Raines).


Shot in Connecticut in November 2011, the video – directed by GTO-member McQuilken and featuring actors Christopher M. McFarland and Jillian Taylor with a special guest appearance by Blake Brasher – is available exclusively on Amanda’s YouTube.
The single, a newly mixed and remastered version engineered by Raines and produced by Michael, is available on Amanda’s Bandcamp for 50¢ + donation (just enough to cover licensing and transaction fees) as well as iTunes, AmazonMP3, and other digital-music-retailers.

For additional information on the song, making-of the music video, and pictures documenting the film-shoot, read Amanda’s new blog – “new video for ‘polly’ (nirvana cover)…with some explaining.” – at amandapalmer.net

About the song, (via Amanda’s blog, and various sources Wikipedia):
“Bass player Krist Novoselic remembers Kurt Cobain writing “Polly” after reading a newspaper article about the abduction, torture, and rape of a 14-year-old girl who had just finished attending a rock show in Tacoma, Washington. In June 1987 Gerald Arthur Friend picked up a 14-year-old female friend after leaving a concert at the Tacoma Dome. Upon trying to exit the car the girl was handcuffed and held hostage at knife point. The girl was taken to a mobile home where she was tortured and raped with various objects for two days. She was also threatened with a blowtorch.”