LAPÊCHE - "2000 Miles"

Covers are great, right? Absolutely! But there’s something particularly fun about a solid holiday cover. When December rolls around, I’m always in search of solid alternatives to help drown out that nauseating, omnipresent refrain of “All I want for Christmas is you!” So, when one of my favorite bands shared their interpretation of what I consider to be a holiday classic, I was eagerly all ears. LAPêCHE’s unique rendition of The Pretenders’ “2000 Miles” gets full marks from us for capturing the longingness and melancholy of the original, while adapting it to their own melodic punk aesthetic. 

“2000 Miles” is often neglected as far as holiday songs are concerned, which is a shame, because it’s one of the best original ones out there. Though popular upon its November 1983 release in the U.K., the song kind of flew under the radar in the states. Since then, though, it’s steadily increased in popularity, appearing on many a holiday compilation and getting the cover treatment by several indie rockers (shout out to Forever Honey, who released a great version last year). LAPêCHE’s version of “2000 Miles” is just as cutting and affecting as the original, making quite an impact thanks to their own little tweaks. The Brooklyn quartet gives the song their own spin by turning down the tempo just a tad and ensuring that frontperson Krista Diem does what she does best, which is use her commanding vocals to capture the song’s forlorn essence.

Stream it below!

You can also purchase the track on Bandcamp or listen to it on your streaming platform of choice. Keep up with LAPêCHE by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram.