After introducing his two-part concept with ‘Covers, Vol. 1’ last November, Illinois-based producer and renowned troubadour William Fitzsimmons announces ‘Covers, Vol. 2’, due out via Groenland.

“As personal and intimate as my ‘Covers, Vol. 1’ project was, I consider ‘Vol. 2’ to be about as deep a personal journey I’ve ever taken in music.” William explains. “As opposed to being a carry over from the first volume, I went back to square one and spent hours tearing through my past and listing dozens of songs which meant so much to me at different points in my life. Some were discovered 40 decades ago; others only in the last few years, but they all carry deep meaning for me.” What better way to tell a musician’s story than through the songs that formed them?

You can piece together the life of William Fitzsimmons with these songs. Some recollect joyful moments at home as a kid, and others recall his high school days. A handful of tracks address heartbreak head-on without apology, while a few reflect his inclination to embrace youthful wonder and creativity. No matter what, his voice carries these words straight from the heart.

Fitzsimmons’ bright guitar tones are complimented by string arrangements written and performed by friend and longtime collaborator, Abby Gundersen.

Listeners are treated to stirring renditions of classics by the likes of Billy Joel (‘Vienna’), Bruce Springsteen (‘Streets of Philadelphia’), James Taylor (‘Fire & Rain’) and Peter Gabriel (‘In Your Eyes’), as well as indie gems from Radiohead (‘Weird Fishes’), JP Saxe (‘A Little Bit Yours’) and Manchester Orchestra (‘Sleeper 1972’). Also included are some unexpected offerings, like Jeremy Zucker’s ‘Scared’, Del Amitiri’s ‘Tell Her This’ and Go West’s ‘King of Wishful Thinking’.