I can’t say I am much of a fan of afternoons; night-time can’t come around too soon. This particular afternoon finds me sitting in a local library with my headphones on and trusty laptop to hand. A knit-and-natter group has gathered at a nearby table (there seems to be rather more nattering than knitting), while outside the day feels hot, still and strangely lifeless. With an hour to fill, I’ve dipped into the magazine inbox and selected a violin-based EP. Why? Because violin music has a wonderfully calming quality. My only reservation is that I always imagine it best enjoyed beside a stretch of water on a warm summer evening rather than in a library, but I’ll do my best to put that thought aside.
The Press Release:
Maura Dunst is a member of The Foxgloves, playing fiddle and mandolin in that group. She released her first solo album, “This Won’t End Well,” in 2022, and followed that with the EP “Oh Sister” in 2024. Her new release, an EP titled “Violin Songs,” is a little different. This one is a true solo effort, with Maura Dunst singing and playing violin without any other accompaniment. She also handled the arrangements. And though the title is “Violin Songs,” these aren’t songs we generally associate with violin (though we may very well start to do so now). The songs are covers by artists including R.E.M., Sheryl Crow and Bruce Springsteen. The EP was recorded, mixed and mastered by Steve Kaul at Wild Sound Recording Studio in Minneapolis.
My Review:
This EP was released on July 24, 2026, so it is available on all major platforms now.
“Strong Enough” (2:45) opens the EP with Sheryl Crow’s classic, “Nothing’s true, and nothing’s right / So let me be alone tonight.” Sometimes being alone is fine, but if solitude is your companion, then a gentle violin melody can help carry you through the darker moments until, as Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest, “the morning steals upon the night, melting the darkness.” The tone of this cover transported me towards a Tudor court, echoing with music long since faded into history, dreams drifting quietly on the wind. I even found myself turning down the volume in my headphones, wanting to drift with the music rather than simply listen to it. The song captures emotional vulnerability beautifully, reflecting the need for someone to help lift you when life has worn you down.
“Dancing in the Dark” (3:29) comes from Bruce Springsteen’s landmark album “Born in the U.S.A.” I’ve always liked the song, even if I’ve never been a particularly devoted Springsteen fan. This violin-led interpretation allows the song to breathe anew, and I found myself relaxing into Maura’s understated vocal performance. Perhaps I’m simply sitting here getting older, but at least I’m growing older while listening to some rather lovely music. Maura injects genuine emotional weight into her delivery, bringing a fresh vulnerability to a song most of us know so well.
“Work Song” (3:01) is based on Hozier’s much-loved version and carries a gentle clap-along rhythm beneath its heartfelt lyrics. At its core, it is a love song, sweet as honey, yet it also possesses the feel of a gospel spiritual: “When my time comes around / Lay me gently in the cold dark earth…” Sitting at the midpoint of the EP, it feels reflective and quietly devotional. It was perhaps the one track I connected with least, but I still appreciated its place within the collection and the atmosphere it helps to create.
“The Eye” (4:22) introduces a different texture, with the violin delicately plucked rather than bowed. The arrangement strips everything back to an intimate minimum, becoming the calm at the centre of the storm, the eye of the hurricane where you might almost dance while the world spins around you. Originally recorded by Brandi Carlile for her 2015 album The Firewatcher’s Daughter, this version feels intensely personal, as though Maura has stepped into your living room with nothing but her voice and violin. It is music that deserves simple comforts; I found myself thinking that a cup of tea with two sugars would have suited the moment perfectly.
“Everybody Hurts” (4:01) closes the EP with R.E.M.’s enduring classic from the wonderful “Automatic for the People.” It is another deeply emotional song, and perhaps the choice surprised me because I often think of the violin as an uplifting instrument. Here, however, it weeps rather than soars. That isn’t a criticism—in fact, quite the opposite. It demonstrates just how expressive both the instrument and Maura’s performance can be. By the closing notes, I found myself feeling unexpectedly melancholic, as though the afternoon itself had quietly shed a tear.
“Violin Songs” isn’t an EP that relies on elaborate production or grand musical statements. Instead, it succeeds through simplicity, honesty and intimacy. These familiar songs are gently reimagined through little more than voice and violin, inviting the listener to slow down, breathe and hear them from an entirely different perspective. It feels less like a performance and more like an artist quietly sharing a handful of treasured songs with a friend. By the time the final note faded away, the afternoon seemed a little less heavy than when it began—and sometimes that is exactly what good music is meant to do.
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You can stream music from Maura Dunst here
By Anna-Louise Burgess
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