Onder Invloed is celebrating it’s 2,5 years anniversary in the month January. One part of the celebrations is this new section in which musicians will give you their Top 5 of best songs. Including a personal story behind the song. There will be a new Top 5 online every day in January. Read the stories, watch the videos and listen to the song in our Spotify playlist. Episode 3: Peter Katz.

1. Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah
This has been my #1 ever since I heard it in the late 90’s. I didn’t know anything about Jeff Buckley, and I wasn’t even really a serious music listener yet, mostly just listened to what was on the radio. My sister came across the song and played it for me over Christmas and something changed in me. I went out and bought ‘Grace’ and was blown away by it. It made me hungry to find more performances like it, to look beyond what I was hearing on the radio and discover the ‘good stuff’. I’ve been making discoveries ever since!

2. Emmylou Harris – Goodbye
This song just kills me. The song itself is so simple, so beautiful, so perfectly said, and then when you add Emmylou’s interpretation into the mix, the delicate, fragile quality of her voice, Daniel Lanois’ atmospheric production… ahhh… so bloody good.

3. Dan Mangan – Basket
Voice and guitar, a song about grandparents, written from his grandfather’s perspective. So touching, so heartbreaking, so spot-on. This song is something really special and has busted me up a great many times.

4. Lucinda Williams – Plan to Marry
Barebones beauty. A song for the lovers when everyone else has given up. I was asked to perform this song at a friend’s wedding and it was such a special moment, I’ll never forget it. These lyrics are my life philosophy.

5. The Frames – Pavement Tune
The Frames are one of my favourite live bands to see and I have so many memories of dancing and screaming these lyrics at the top of my lungs. The build in the middle is so good and then Glen screams ‘Let me take you by the hand!’ and I would go crazy. Amazing band, amazing live energy, life-changing.

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Visit Peter Katz’s website.
You can also listen to the original versions, and some cover versions, of these songs in the Onder Invloed Spotify playlist.