Watch Nandi Bushell take on the Arctic Monkeys' R U Mine – with some help from Matt Helders
Armed with a custom HSS Strat, the 11-year-old phenom nails the heavy-riffin' 2013 hit
We've already seen 11-year-old prodigy Nandi Bushell nail tunes (and win praise) from the likes of Muse, the Pixies, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine.
Now, Bushell – armed with a custom HSS Fender Stratocaster – has taken on a classic from a different rock A-lister, the Arctic Monkeys. Unlike most of her previous (usually looped) covers though, Bushell's got some help this time around, from none other than Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders.
Recorded as part of a four-part jam session and interview with Helders on Bushell's YouTube channel, this video shows Bushell nailing the heavy-riffing, Black Sabbath-informed 2013 hit, R U Mine, with the help of a restrained but rock-solid performance from Helders and some off-camera support from her guitar teacher, Tom McCarthy, on bass.
You can check out the performance above.
"Matt Helders came to my house for a cup of tea and a jam with me," Bushell wrote in the video's caption. "We had the best time! We jammed loads of songs together and had a lot of fun improvising drum beats."
Aside from the loose, delightful cover, the video also gives viewers a look at Bushell's ever-growing electric guitar collection, which would be impressive for an adult, let alone an 11-year-old.
There's the Tom Morello Strat (personally gifted to her by Morello), an Acoustasonic Stratocaster, a H.E.R. Signature Stratocaster, Billie Eilish ukulele, Fullerton Jazzmaster ukulele... Mind you, this is all with the Manson MBM-1 Matt Bellamy gifted her out of frame.
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To check out Bushell and Helders' other Arctic Monkeys jams, head on over to Bushell's YouTube channel.
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Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
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