Metro Station aren’t an act I am particularly familiar with, but the rock band hail from Los Angeles, and in the lates 00s achieved some success with their combination of synth and emo pop sounds. Their song Shake It is an infectious, glossy slice of sugary punk pop.
Bad Heather is the musical project of 22-year-old Utah musician Porter Chapman. Having been hand-chosen by Andrew Tolman, of The Moth and The Flame, and Imagine Dragons, Chapman toured with The Moth and The Flame as their drummer on a 2019 national tour. This led to his growing reputation as a talented drummer, and further tours with members of The Killers, Neon Trees and the Dave Matthews Band.
Here, Chapman takes Metro Station’s Shake It and gives it a more sophisticated flavour, whilst retaining the original’s charm. The song has a nostalgic feel – more overtly channeling the 80s harmonies of the original, whilst layering in contemporary production sophistication:
”I took a lot of inspiration from The 1975 and the Dirty Hit roster. I loved Jack Antonoff’s production on the last 1975 record and his approach to heavy compression on softly played things. I wanted the track to feel nostalgic and modern at the same time; slick, but without losing the raw energy.”
Chapman’s version comes from a place of genuine admiration, however, as he notes… “The OG still shreds, so I wanted to avoid sounding too similar to it so that I could bring something new.”
Check out Shake It below.