Junos 365 sessions: Tyler Shaw covers Nelly Furtado's 'I'm Like a Bird'

"When that chorus hits, my mind opens up," says Tyler Shaw, who chose to cover Nelly Furtado's "I'm Like a Bird" for his Junos 365 session.

As part of our coverage of the 2019 Juno Awards, we've been inviting some of today's hottest Canadian acts to cover a past winner in the single of the year category. "I'm Like a Bird" won that award in 2001.

Shaw says he feels a special connection to Furtado because they're both from B.C. "I remember the first time I heard it on the radio in my hometown. I have the same feeling now as I did back then."

Reflecting on Furtado's original version, Shaw explains, "Her phrasing with the lyrics is super interesting ... it took me a long time to really understand why she made those decisions. It's just so unique, and it's free — like a bird — which I thought was awesome."

For his cover of "I'm Like a Bird," Shaw accompanied himself on guitar and brought some string players to the studio: violinist Jessica Deutsch, violist Laura Goheen, cellist Amber Walter-Amar and double bassist Tyler Emond.

"I love strings. Period. So, any time I get the chance to add strings to a song, especially a song like this, I will do it. Whenever I hear strings in a song, especially when it's stripped down, it just makes you want to cry in a good way — and sometimes in a bad way because it's a sad song. It's just special."

Wherever you are on March 17, you can watch the Juno Awards live from Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont., at cbcmusic.ca/junos.