Fiona Apple contributed a version of the Idaho State song for a May 26 installment of NPR’s This American Life, Stereogum points out. The episode, titled “Jane Doe,” chronicles a 19-year-old intern at the Idaho state legislature, who suffered repercussions after accusing state Representative Aaron von Ehlinger of raping her in 2021. Apple’s rendition of “Here We Have Idaho” plays at the end of Act Two, around the 1:00:52 mark in the full stream. Find it here.
Apple recorded her cover of “Here We Have Idaho” with Amy Wood on drums and percussion, John Would on tremolo guitar, David Garza manning acoustic and electric guitar, piano, and backing vocals, and Sabastian Steinberg on bass, electric autoharp, and additional vocals. The song was engineered by Would, Wood, and Apple, and mixed and mastered by Would.
After releasing her long-awaited fifth album Fetch the Bolt Cutters in 2020, Apple has mostly released one-off tracks and covers. She penned songs for the animated comedy series Central Park and recorded her interpretation of Sharon Van Etten’s “Love More.” She also composed a new song called “Where the Shadows Lie” for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, and scored and narrated a short film for the National Courtwatch Network.
In recent years, Apple has also collaborated with Watkins Family Hour on their 2022 cover of the country standard “(Remember Me) I’m the One Who Loves You.” She also recorded on Bob Dylan’s 2020 LP Rough and Rowdy Ways.
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