Who doesn’t love a good cover version? No one, that’s who, which is exactly why we enlisted Aussie pop punk quintet Between You And Me to compile for us a list of their favourite punked-up cover versions. Because what’s better than a good pop song? A pop song with shouty bits, obviously. We originally asked for a list of 10, but they’re punks, goddamnit, and they do as they please, so they chose seven for us instead. Punks, eh? We wouldn’t have ‘em any other way.
So, to celebrate the release of their excellent new video Overthinking, which you can catch at the bottom of the page, Between You And Me join us to present their take on the best punk rock covers of all time.
Mayday Parade - Somebody That I Used To Know (Originally performed by Gotye)
“The original is great, but I just love this cover. I’ve always been a fan of what Mayday Parade do and this is no exception – the edgy, upbeat feel they have given the track combined with Derek and Vic’s vocals, and just generally how they have arranged the song, makes it work so well.”
Go Radio - Rolling In The Deep (Originally performed by Adele)
“I remember first hearing this track back in 2011 when it came out out on the Pop Goes Punk 4 compilation and just being hooked right away. I love how they’ve given the chorus a darker, more minor key sound than the original and with Jason Lancaster’s raspy and powerful vocals it packs a tonne of emotion. Its a great rendition.”
New Found Glory - My Heart Will Go On (Originally performed by Celine Dion)
“I remember downloading New Found Glory’s first cover album From The Screen To The Stereo through Limewire when I was a teenager and of all the covers on there this one stood out. I guess that was partly because Celine was my childhood crush and partly because NFG made it legitimately ‘cool’ to appreciate her music!”
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Skyway - Fast Car (Originally performed by Tracey Chapman)
“I was lucky enough to tour with Australia’s best pop punk band, Skyway, in a previous band, and I believe that this cover still remains the best pop-punk rendition of an old song. The tune reminds me of summer, beers, beach and touring. Skyway were ripping Tracey before every self-proclaimed disc jockey added their house beats to her classic track.”
Patty Walters - Wrecking Ball (Originally performed by Miley Cyrus)
“This was the first cover I had ever seen by Patty and I instantly chucked it into a YouTube-to-MP3 converter so I could put it on my iPod and listen all the time! Basically, I really like how the chorus is structured, it makes me wanna break things.”
Sidelines - Never Getting Back Together (Originally performed by Taylor Swift)
“I remember seeing [Aussie pop punks] Sidelines play this cover live for the first time and it made me smile so hard because it was so good. Sure, it’s a pretty basic pop-punk cover but it is done amazingly well.”
A Day To Remember - Over My Head (Cable Car) (Originally performed by The Fray)
“I mean, even the original is just one of those songs you can’t help but wanna singalong to, so to hear it juiced up with Jeremy McKinnon’s voice behind it? Honestly, it’s perfect.”
Between You And Me’s new single Overthinking is available now via Hopeless Records. Catch the new video below, and head to their Facebook page for more info.
