Today we are thrilled to bring you the premiere of the new covers record by Southern Ontario punk band The Soviet Influence! It is called Post Punk For The Future and features covers of songs by Joy Division, The Clash, REM, Talking Heads, and U2. Speaking about how the idea came about Peter Snow said, "The essential idea is to cover songs by well-known groups in the late 70's and early 80's post-punk/alternative scene. We tried to pick songs that weren't as popular or famous." We caught up with Peter to hear about what the songs mean to the band and why they chose to cover them specifically. Listen to the record and read the track-by-track below!
Post Punk For The Future Track-By-Track Breakdown
"She's Lost Control" - Joy Division
I was always a fan of Joy Division and didn't know a lot about the band. They are such an interesting group and after listening to the No Dogs In Space podcast I knew we had to do a cover. "She's Lost Control" is about a woman Ian Curtis knew who had epilepsy and ultimately died due to a seizure. I can only imagine how personal this song must have been given his own seizures and how much they impacted his experience in the band and mental health. It's also just an incredible song with a drum/bass combination that is both hypnotic and classic.
"The Guns of Brixton" - The Clash
This is a song we've been covering for a couple of years. We first started playing it around the time we organized a fundraiser for the Toronto Prisoners' Rights Project and we also released Abolition Now!, our anti-police album. The original is so powerful. The Clash can capture the essence of an issue and apply a vivid and clear explanation, while also making a killer song.
"Cuyahoga" - REM
This was an earlier song by REM and they never released it as a single. It's a beautiful song and we really connected with its environmentalism theme. We've tried to be very eco-conscious in our own lyrics, and Cuyahoga fits really well for us. We've also had a strain of more pop-alternative songs (like "Thieves of Joy" or "Running Song") which are like REM if you squint your ears just right.
"Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
The idea of "lesser known songs" falls apart with "Psycho Killer". Everyone knows this song. Everyone loves this song. It's been a frequent cover for us. This cover has been sitting around for a couple of years and was recorded during the first year of the pandemic. It's just an irresistible song. The bass kicks in and you know it can only be one song.
"I Threw A Brick Through A Window" - U2
Despite what they've become, U2 started out as Joy Division wannabe post-punks. The choice of this song falls on me. I've always really liked early U2. October, the album this song is on, was pretty widely disliked. I used to host a podcast (who hasn't) and I spent an episode going track by track and it surprised me. They had some solid ideas and you can hear the building blocks of their future work. This song has such a cliche concept, teenage rebellion, but we aren't above cliches. I think musically it's the most interesting song on the record, and the guitar is fun to play.