In celebration of their recently released cover of timeless rock anthem ‘You Wreck Me’, beloved Australian rockers Kingswood sat down with Tone Deaf to share their list of all-time favourite covers by other artists.
Kingswood dropped their latest single last month ahead of a huge lineup of shows across mainland Australia. Their reimagining of the classic anthem ‘You Wreck Me’ matches the classic guitar riffs and soulful choruses from Tom Petty’s 1994 track, while stamping the song with their own signature blend of soulful harmonies and unfiltered emotion.
When it comes to covers by other artists, the band has rattled off those that feature on their playlists while at the back of the tour bus late at night or getting ready for a gig.
Calling this cover a “wonderful rendition” that “supersedes the original,” Donny Hathaway’s “Jealous Guy” scored the first mention. The song was originally written and recorded by John Lennon. It’s the song that Kingswood songwriter and lead guitarist Alex Laska “enjoys listening to […] whilst grooming himself, applying facial treatments and sculpting his hair in readiness for a wonderful performance.”
Next was The Who’s cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues”. “This slinky good times rendition is perfect for when you just get onto the highway, the trip has begun and it’s time to crack the driving tunes.”
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According to the band, Whitney Houston’s hit cover “I Will Always Love You” absolutely had to make the list. “We can’t talk covers without this incredibly powerful take on Dolly’s beautiful ballad. Whitney was superb and at a time the greatest performer in the land.” They went on to say this one is “often played loud on the back of the bus late into the night.”
Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower”, a cover from Bob Dylan’s 1967 studio album, John Wesley Harding, also made the cut. According to the band, “Hendrix has super powers, and was able to reimagine and craft songs into his unique world of psych blues rock energy.”
Picking up the pace a little further, the next favourite cover mentioned was one by AC/DC. “If you want high paced high energy rock roll highlighting the raw power of Bon era AC/DC,” they said, referring to AC/DC’s take on Joe Williams’ “Baby, Please Don’t Go”, “tune this one up to 11 and imagine seeing them tear the roof off a country pub.”
From festival stages to stripped-back sets, Kingswood continue to push boundaries, merging their own distinctive edge with the spirit of artists like Springsteen, Petty, and Alan Jackson. Their ‘Midnight Mavericks Tour’, featuring a total of 32-stops across rural and metropolitan Australia, started in Geelong in April and will continue through to October 10th in Kerribee Park.
Tickets for the ‘Midnight Mavericks Tour’ are on sale here.
