Florence Welch + Josh Homme Duet on Johnny Cash’s ‘Jackson’

A duet between British singer/songwriter Florence Welch (of Florence + the Machine) and desert metal legend Josh Homme (of Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal and Them Crooked Vultures) might not seem like the most likely time to tear a page from the Johnny Cash songbook -- but then, the duet partners themselves seem like a pretty unlikely fit.

Of course, that doesn't mean they don't sound great together -- or that they weren't able to find their way inside the Cash classic 'Jackson,' about a bored husband and wife who each secretly pine for the bright lights and excitement of the titular big city. Taking the stage for Florence + the Machine's taping of 'MTV Unplugged,' Welch and Homme delivered a suitably smoky performance of the song, then followed it up with a his 'n' hers version of 'Try a Little Tenderness' as made famous by Otis Redding.

You won't be able to see the performances of 'Jackson,' 'Tenderness' (or the rest of Florence + the Machine's set) until MTV airs the episode on Sunday (April 8), but thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can at least hear Welch and Homme's 'Jackson' duet. Have a listen below, and just imagine how great these two would sound if they cut an entire album of old murder ballads.

Listen to Florence Welch and Josh Homme Perform 'Jackson'