Nate Smith featuring Lalah Hathaway Cover The Pointer Sisters

Photo by Tyler Scheerschmidt

I always like to close the week on a fun note, so this week we're bringing you Nate Smith and Lalah Hathaway's take on The Pointer Sisters' "Automatic." The Pointer Sisters were the soundtrack to countless childhood memories for me, and they don't seem to get a lot of love these days. Drummer/producer Nate Smith changes that with his reimagining of the 1984 hit song, which includes vocals from Lalah Hathaway. This cover is a much more chill and laid back version, that features some jazzy elements, along with some modern R&B and electronic parts. It's the kind of cover that stays true enough to the original while going off in a completely different direction. I could see many listeners not picking up on it being a cover until the chorus, or possibly not at all. But for those that grew up on The Pointer Sisters, you'll know almost immediately.

You can listen to Nate Smith and Lalah Hathway's version of "Automatic" below. For more on Nate Smith, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song and include an October 8 date at City Winery in Boston.

June 26: Richmond, VA @ Spacebomb
June 27: Durham, NC @ Missy Lane's
June 28: Durham, NC @ Missy Lane's
June 30: Montreal, QC @ Montreal Jazz Festival
September 26: Boulder, CO @ Chautauqua Auditorium
September 27: Denver, CO @ Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom
September 29: Los Angeles, CA @ The Lodge Room
October 2: Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
October 3: Portland, OR @ The Get Down
October 4: Oakland, CA @ Yoshi's
October 5: Oakland, CA @ Yoshi's
October 8: Boston, MA @ City Winery
October 10: Washington D.C. @ The Hamilton Live
October 11: Philadelphia, PA @ Perelman Theater
October 12: New York, NY @ Sony Hall
October 14: Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
October 16: Chicago, IL @ The Promontory
October 17: Evanston, IL @ SPACE
October 18: Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
November 8: Brno, CZ @ Lucerna Music
November 9: Prague, CZ @ Sono Center
November 11: Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso - Tolhuis
November 12: Berlin, DE @ Gretchen
November 14: Paris, FR @ New Morning
November 16: London, UK @ KOKO
December 11: Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium
December 12: Iowa City, IA @ Club Hancher
December 13: Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line