Tone Ranger is the musical project of Alex Simon, who resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Simon moved to the desert back in 2018, with an ambition to capture its stark beauty within his music. Here he channels that ambition into an ambitious cover of America’s classic slice of US-influenced folk, Horse With No Name.
For the uninitiated, the group America actually hailed from the UK as Air Force kids who formed a band in London before moving to LA. Despite their origins, the group established a blueprint that came to define much of the Americana sound of the 70s.
For Alex Simon, Horse With No Name came to define the American desert’s epic mystery. Having established his own sound using a blend of Electronica and Americana, something he dubs Electrocana, this felt like a cover that destined to happen. Describing his thoughts on the song, Alex said:
‘Horse With No Name is an amazing song. It evokes the desert more strongly than any other song in the Classic Rock cannon and of course, it’s got a really catchy tune. Horses galloping, soft harmonies, a lot of open space to play with. A psychedelic desert masterpiece. Living in the desert of the Southwest, in the lands that inspired the song — I’ve always felt such a personal connection to it. It’s been a dusty journey of its own, creating this cover.’
The result is a subtle reimagining, despite the electronics. Simon retains the beautiful vocal layering, performed by himself, together with his wife Gabriella who, fittingly, comes from England. Subtle synth melodies and soft bass establish a canvas for the pair’s performance, together with the odd guitar riff. The result feels like a version of America’s original, cracked by the desert sun and dug out of the sand, modern yet timeless.
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