anamoe drive pays tribute to Daniel Johnston Ahead of New Album

Music Review | 21st Sept, 2025 anamoe drive

Irish indie-folk artist anamoe drive has been making a name for himself ever since dropping his debut album Breakfast in Bed back in 2024. Now, with the release of his follow-up Thank God It’s Friday just around the corner, he’s shared a heartfelt new track, a cover of Daniel Johnston’s Walking The Cow.

The single is the third glimpse we’ve had of the upcoming album, and it’s a beauty. anamoe drive keeps things stripped-back, letting his warm vocals float over sparse, homespun accompaniment. It’s a fitting nod to Johnston’s unmistakable DIY spirit.

Daniel Johnston was an American singer, songwriter, and visual artist who became an icon of outsider and lo-fi music. His songs, raw, fragile, and full of unfiltered emotion, were often recorded alone at home on cassette. Though he spent much of his life outside the mainstream, Johnston’s influence reached far and wide, inspiring acts like Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, and Nirvana. He passed away on the 11th September, 2019, but his legacy continues to echo.

Walking The Cow is a cover of one of my favourite songs by Daniel Johnston. We included this song on a whim as myself and producer Ian McFarlane had performed it live a few times (including at Hi How Are You Day, the mental health charity/tribute concert).

This caution-to-the-wind attitude speaks to the playful nature with which we approached the making of this album. I think that balance of taking the work seriously, and injecting it with a sense of play and discovery, is something I learned from Daniel's records early on - so it's a nice full circle moment to include this small tribute. - Anamoe Drive

With Walking The Cow, anamoe drive pays quiet respect to a true original while teasing what’s to come on Thank God It’s Friday. If this track is anything to go by, the album’s shaping up to be something special.

Anamoe Drive - Walking The Cow

The single, Walking The Cow, is available through all streaming platforms.

Photo Credit: Callum Browne