Post-Punk.com
  • Home
    • Contact Us
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Terms Of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • Bands
    • Revival Bands
    • Labels
  • Reviews
  • Fashion
  • Log In
  • Home
  • Bands
  • Reviews
  • Fashion
  • Log In
249K Likes
12K Followers
84K Followers
Subscribe
Post-Punk.com
Post-Punk.com Post-Punk.com
  • Home
    • Contact Us
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Terms Of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • Bands
    • Revival Bands
    • Labels
  • Reviews
  • Fashion
  • Log In
  • Uncategorized

Lycia Close Out 2020 With a Triumphant Cover of “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?”

  • December 31, 2020
  • Frank Deserto
27
0
0

Since their inception in 1988, Lycia has been one of our absolute favorite bands this side of the Atlantic. In recent years, they’ve released a string of stellar records, including 2015’s A Line That Connects and 2018’s In Flickers. While the band has been working towards a new record, they’ve just released a cover of Tubeway Army‘s seminal single “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” on Bandcamp, which is available as a “name your price” download. Listen below:

Lycia’s rendition of the highly influential track is both faithful to the original, yet retains the band’s trademark atmosphere, the perfect formula for a successful cover. Mike VanPortfleet‘s vocals pick up on every nuance of Gary Numan’s half-sung, half-spoken delivery, but deliver a more muted, textured take, a welcome change that stays true to Lycia’s core. John Fair, who played synths both in the first incarnation of the band as well as on In Flickers, shines here, utilizing a series of warm synth pads that balance the original’s futuristic tones and continue Lycia’s explorations into the darkwave movement they helped cultivate in the 1990s. The track was recorded primarily by VanPortfleet and Fair, mastered by the legendary Martin Bowes of Attrition. Additionally, Lycia’s own Tara Vanflower designed the cover art.

Both Mike and John have offered a few words about the cover’s inception as well as Lycia’s future plans:

John: My initial recording for the Gary Numan cover “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” came about completely unplanned. I recorded it one night when I initially had the intention of writing original material. The main synth patch you hear in the finished song is what inspired the cover. Mike and I have always liked synth music and we incorporated a synth in early Lycia recordings. Gary Numan’s music was always a big influence. These days my contributions to Lycia have been mainly synth-based, such as the material I worked on for the 2018 album In Flickers and some of the new songs Mike and I have in the works.

Mike: John and I started working together back in 1982. We played in a number of guitar based post-punk styled bands, but early on we shared a love of synth music, with Gary Numan being probably the most important to us. For me personally, “Down In The Park” from “Urgh A Music War was a massive influence. I saw that movie in the theater in 1981 and afterward it really stuck with me. The mood of that song in ways became the template for what I did later in Lycia in the early 90s. And a few years later, the song “Frozen” was completely influenced by Gary Numan. After years of not working together in 2017 John sent me a few synth based songs that became “A Failure” and “Mist” from In Flickers. That sort of reignited the feel of our collaborations back in the 80s. John initiated doing this cover song. I’m usually not a fan of doing covers but I love this song and thought it was worth a try, even though it was a bit intimidating because the original is so perfect. I think this song also hints at some new material we will be working on in 2021. A few guitar-based songs are done that might be a bit different than what people might expect style wise. And currently John and I are working on an updated version of a synth song we originally recorded (but never officially released) back in 1989. We have something in the works with Funeral Party Records that will at least be a 7″ vinyl release sometime next summer. I’m hoping we might get a few more songs and expand that to an EP.

Check out the full cover art for the cover below, and be sure to visit Bandcamp to pick up a digital copy. Otherwise, Happy New Year from those of us at Post-punk.com! Here’s hoping 2021 is filled with friends galore, electric or otherwise…

Purchase/download via Lycia’s Bandcamp.

 

 

Advertisement

Please support Post-Punk.com! You can do so via
  • Patreon:
  • or directly via Paypal:
  • Or by using our new Contact form here:
Also, we have launched the Post-Punk Podcast. Listen below!
Total
27
Shares
Share 27
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Avatar
Frank Deserto

Bassist of The Harrow, blogger at Systems of Romance.

Previous Article
  • Bands
  • Video Premiere

Mekong Addresses Alienation and Lust With The Powerful “Industria”

  • December 30, 2020
  • Alice Teeple
View Post
Next Article
  • Bands
  • New Releases
  • Singles

The Harrow Rings In The New Year With the Swirling, Ethereal “Beyond Stars”

  • January 1, 2021
  • Alice Teeple
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Bands
  • Classic Bands
  • Song Premiere
  • Uncategorized

Nick Cave Addresses “Grief” in New Single Inspired by Fan Letter

  • Alice Teeple
  • April 14, 2021
View Post
  • Classic Bands
  • Uncategorized

Classic Post-Punk Act Getting The Fear to Release “Death Is Bigger: 1984-1985”

  • Alice Teeple
  • April 14, 2021
View Post
  • Uncategorized

Soft Cell are Recording Their First New Album in Nearly 20 Years

  • Alice Teeple
  • April 14, 2021
View Post
  • Uncategorized

Cam Campbell, Bassist For Sex Gang Children, Has Passed Away

  • Alice Teeple
  • April 4, 2021
View Post
  • Uncategorized

Members of Slowdive and Flaming Lips Debut Destroy Us From New Project “Beachy Head”

  • Alice Teeple
  • March 24, 2021
View Post
  • Uncategorized

Dark Shoegaze Outfit Tombstones in their Eyes are Crawling Walls of Fuzz in “Quarantine Blues”

  • post-punk.com
  • March 23, 2021
View Post
  • Bands
  • Classic Bands
  • Collaborations
  • Uncategorized

Members of Killing Joke and Joy Division Collaborate on “K÷93: EP”—Watch Video for “Remembrance Day”

  • Alice Teeple
  • March 22, 2021
View Post
  • Uncategorized

Celebrate St. Walpurgis and The Witch with “Hexennacht” by Momy Fortuna

  • Alice Teeple
  • March 19, 2021




Facebook
Social Links
Facebook 249K Likes
Twitter 12K Followers
Instagram 84K Followers
Spotify




Post-Punk.com
© Copyright POST-PUNK.COM 2020
On this day in 1978, Tony Wilson writes to Rob Gretton about Joy Division. Later, Wilson would then go on to arrange for Joy Division to make their television debut appearance on Granada Reports later that year. 799 3
Morrissey Bites Back after Not So Vegan Roasting on Simpsons 3K 93
What are your favorite Strawberry Switchblade songs? 4K 109
On this day in 1994, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds released their eighth studio album Let Love In. 3K 52
On this day in 1988, The Jesus and Mary Chain released their singles,  b-sides, and rarities compilation “Barbed Wire Kisses”. 2K 29
On this day in 1989, The Cure released "Fascination Street" 3K 45

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Please support Post-Punk.com! You can do so via...
  • Patreon:
  • Directly via Paypal:
  • Or by using our new Contact form here:
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT