CrowJane Covers Tones on Tail Classic 'Real Life'

“I can take the words of this song and have it resonate in a political way, real life vs fantasy, romantic relationships, the grim side of life, etc.,” says Los Angeles-based experimental post-punk artist CROWJANE (real name: Heather Galipo) about her cover of “Real Life” by post-punk icons Tones on Tail which is available now via Kitten Robot. “I wanted to cover the song not just because I love the band but also because this song aligns with me, maybe in ways they didn’t intend.”

A reflective song in the Tones on Tail oeuvre, CrowJane injects added meaning to the already loaded track. “The lyrics ‘give me something for nothing / Give me too much too soon / I’m so damn sick of your stupid rules,’ coupled with ‘Give HIM something for nothing / give HIM too much too soon / We’re so damn sick of stupid rules’ resonates enough on its own in so many different ways,’” she explains, adding emphasis specifically to the gendered pronouns.

Its original adorned with a lush twelve-string guitar, weaving around a snaky bassline, CrowJane’s version replaces that interplay with strings to add an orchestral flair. “I wanted to replicate the guitars that are carried throughout the song with a string quartet, and then keep some of its hard edges with electric guitar and bass, and live drums on the build-up parts,” she explains. “I did a mix of a bunch of different vocals - whispers, screams, screeches, harmonies, pretty-sounding vocals, mixed with some underneath ugly growls and unearthly sounds. I had people back me and add a choir element to the ‘real life’ parts.”

To augment the classical string plugin she was already employing,  she wanted to use a real instrument and invited Blaine L. Reininger of the experimental, avant garde band Tuxedomoon. “I was able to contact Blaine and asked him to play a violin track,” she says. “It’s a cool collaboration, covering a cool song, and I think it came out awesome.”

Having listened to the CrowJane’s cover, Tones on Tail’s Daniel Ash praised, “What I like most about this version is the instrumentation, especially the wonderful string arrangements. Great job!”