Friday Morning Quarterbacking
Does Covering an obscure Track Defeat the Point? - By Max Higgins
Off the back of Ethel Cain's Like A Version last week, as the video ended and my YouTube auto-play clicked over to a deep dive on the chord progressions in a Limp Bizkit song, my immediate reaction to Mother Cain’s cover didn’t relate to the performance at all. Rather, (aside from scrambling to pause Durst and co.) my mind went rapidly down a tangent about how covering fairly obscure artists and songs feels like a missed opportunity for artists as they’re greeting new prospective fans through big, widely-shared media series. And it goes beyond my simple ignorance of Drive-By Truckers.
Before we continue, I want to clarify that I thought it was a good cover, I really enjoy and respect Ethel Cain’s work, and I want to emphasise that this isn’t directed to her or her cover specifically, but is a broad thought about covers and the role that Like a Version plays in the musical content landscape.
Now, some concessions, offered in the form of immediate self-rebuttal, and phrased as the comment section to which many readers will no-doubt go:
Artists might want to showcase an obscure song, that they love, to a wider audience while they have the space. 100%! I think that's a great part of cover songs, and it allows artists to share what it is about the track that inspired them.
It isn't obscure to the fans that know it, and those fans can be so excited that they can have a shared fandom experience with another artist. Another excellent point, and I would never want to take away from those fans. There have been plenty of times when I have been in that position, felt that excitement, and also felt like my music taste was affirmed by artists I respect.
Take it as an opportunity to discover something cool and new that you haven't heard before, maybe if it spreads far enough, it won't be obscure. I love discovering a new favourite track more than just any other musical experience, no matter where it comes from, and cover versions are an amazing way in.
Not everything has to be for you or to your tastes, so simmer down, you spoon. Yep, I'll cop this one fair and square, no debate. I am a spoon.
BUT, I think that all of the above (except maybe the final point) can be better and more aptly achieved with more broad media placements, or through an artists’ own channels, where they can make a bigger impact with their existing, but let’s hold that thought for a second.
In my eyes (and ears), a cover should be an artist's interpretation of a track, showing how they would take the bare bones of a song and play it out in a way that they would like it to be arranged. The best moments of a cover are often hearing how an existing track that you know and love in one form, has been heard through someone else’s ears and then rebuilt to highlight melodies, textures and moments that you might have missed, or adding in new instrumentation that tells the same story in a different way.
When you hear a cover of a song that you don’t already know, you aren’t getting that recontextualisation, you’re merely experiencing something for the first time. That version of the song becomes the definitive version (until you hear another), and you don’t necessarily get to fully understand what the cover artist was intending to portray, because you have no starting point of comparison. For covers, the difference is a key part of the narrative. It’s partly a reason that Radio Free Alice’s opinion about Usher’s “DJ’s Got Us Falling In Love” was such a flop; they sought to completely disregard the original context of the song and why people might have connected with it or enjoyed it, to instead focus on how their version swanned-up an “ugly duckling”. And shout out to the DJs at the now-closed Our Place Bar in Fortitude Valley in 2014 for giving me plenty of understanding why Usher’s hits go so hard.
There is absolutely space for artists to cover obscure songs, to shout out other creators that inspired them who might be under-represented, and to introduce us to new music we haven’t experienced before. To me, that is best done either across their own channels directly to their fans, in full-blown covers that they release as singles (rights permitting, of course), or by hyping them up broadly in the interviews and questionnaires that they use to spruik their material. These kind of spaces will be scooped up by fans who are hungry to learn more about what makes their favourite artists tick, but who are already familiar with an artists’ overall sound and narrative, and don’t need that extra layer of context added in.
However, when it comes to Like A Version - a series that often reaches hundreds of thousands, if not millions of listeners, many of whom are only now hearing about the performing artist - to bring a track that the vast majority of listeners/viewers won’t know feels like a wasted chance to showcase what you, as the performer, bring to the table. With the modern music landscape so fractured and the monoculture long forgotten like the Dragon Coaster at Brisbane’s former Myer Centre, tentpole series such as Like A Version that do still connect to big audiences can often be the first time a listener is experiencing an artist, or actively listening to something that they have created. And on the occasions that a Like a Version is my first encounter with an artist, I love the chance to connect to their work and the sounds that they employ through an already recognisable song to understand how they hear the world. I can understand where the performer is coming from by uncovering how they hear the same song I’m familiar with, which can cause me to deep dive into their discography.
I’m certainly not trying to impose a rule that every Like A Version must be covering a mid-00s top 10 ARIA hit, but I feel like a general sense of familiarity amongst the majority of triple j’s listeners and social followers should be a guiding light for the kinds of tracks that artists aim for. I feel like there’s happy medium between a complete drive-by of one of Pop/RnB’s biggest names and reaching into obscurity to cover an artist that currently has less than 10% of the monthly Spotify listeners of Hinder (no shade, Hinder). Or maybe that’s just me.
I am more than happy to be told that I am just out-of-touch, so please share your thoughts, and in the meantime, I’ll go back to being a spoon.
The Wombats @ Riverstage, 26 Sep, 2025
For a seasoned veteran of The Wombats’ live show, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is just any other concert experience packed to bursting with indie pop hits, but now, 14 years on from the first time this reviewer saw the Liverpudlian trio take to the Riverstage, catching them live comes with the added bonus of seeing how they’ve adapted their setlist to their personal and musical growth.
They still bang out the sure-fire crowd-jostlers like Moving To New York and Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves), but it’s how they use those fan favourites as puncuation in a setlist that now has to balance six albums’ worth of material. With a decent showing from their latest album and the penultimate, it feels like the selected late-era songs were chosen specifically for how raucous they can be played live, with big, bold jam sections that don’t require the more finnicky technicality of some of the older hits. Then, right off the back of those explosive jams, audiences are treated to the familiar synth stings of tracks like Techno Fan or 1996, ensuring that the set is constantly zipping forward with energy and momentum.
There are, of course, some fallen soldiers we must pour one out for; once sitting firmly in the fan-favourite section of the setlist, tracks like Jump Into the Fog from “This Modern Glitch”, or Emoticons and Give Me A Try from “Glitterbug” have hit the omission pile, but their absence feels less like a glaring hole and more like a longing for a nostalgic time. But, that’s barely a criticism when track after track each felt like a gem from their honestly impressive six-LP run coming to life with the three high-energy band members giving it their all.
P.S. Special shouts to the band’s tongue-in-cheek nod to their upcoming encore about four tracks from the end. More bands should take a leaf out of this book.
Check out our interview with Dan from the Wombats here!
Words by Max Higgins and photos by Kelsey Nagel.
Aurora @ Fortitude Music Hall, 14 Feb, 2025
Aurora’s show at Fortitude Music Hall felt like a warm, inclusive gathering of fans spanning all ages—from young kids to adults, many accompanied by equally enthusiastic parents. If I were a parent, I’d be stoked to have tagged along for the ride.
As an artist, Aurora has a way of creating a space where love, kindness, and self-expression take centre stage. She encourages everyone to embrace their inner weirdo—whether that means not wearing shoes or simply being unapologetically yourself. Her ethereal presence and heartfelt performance made for an utterly enjoyable and uplifting night.
Words and photos by Kelsey Nagel.
Amyl & the Sniffers @ The Tivoli, 01 Feb, 2025
It all begins with an idea.
Sweat, Chaps, and Flying Bodies
There’s no such thing as easing into an Amyl and the Sniffers gig—you're either in it, or you’re getting flattened by it. When the Melbourne punk outfit stormed The Tivoli on February 1st, it was full-throttle from the moment Amy Taylor hit the stage in zebra-print assless chaps and, of course, her matching zebra-print tiny bikini. Kicking off with "Doing Me Head In" from their 2024 album Cartoon Darkness, the band wasted no time launching the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
Support act Bob Vylan had already set the bar high—literally—by throwing himself into the pit, crowd surfing like he was just another punter. And, speaking of punters, they showed up in force, young and old, ready to brave the sweaty, swirling chaos that became The Tivoli floor.
For those of us who chose to experience the madness from a safer vantage point (aka the side stairs, five pints deep), it was nothing short of a masterclass in live performance. Amyl and the Sniffers don’t just play music—they detonate it. If you left without a bruise, were you even there?
Words and photos by Kelsey Nagel.
Hozier @ Riverstage, 18 Nov, 2024
It all begins with an idea.
Hozier took Riverstage by storm (thankfully, not literally) on Monday the 18th, delivering a performance that, though lacked rain, had fans drenched in their own tears.
The highly anticipated show saw some punters lining up as early as 9am to claim the coveted barricade spots—and Forest Daddy did not disappoint. His soulful presence, paired with the insane energy of his entire band, created an unforgettable atmosphere.
Opening with 'De Selby (Part 1)' and 'Part 2,' including verses sung beautifully in Gaelic, he set the tone for an evening of pure magic!
Words and photos by Kelsey Nagel.
