The FADER’s transgender charity covers compilation FADER & Friends Volume 1 is out now, available exclusively on Bandcamp until December 1, 2023. 100% of the proceeds go towards the Transgender Law Center, Mermaids, and Rainbow Railroad. Throughout the month of November, we’re speaking to the artists who contributed to the 44-song collection about the songs they covered.
There are few modern rock songs as beloved as "Everlong," a track that has come to define Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters — and to a lesser extent, the genre it operates in — more than any other in the band's catalog. That's why it's a bold choice for a cover, but ellis comes through with a carefully crafted and loving new take on the classic. The Toronto indie rock artist sends the song's pace from driving to loping, transforms the Thunderdome of guitars into enveloping shoegaze, and replaces Dave Grohl's urgent wails with her own gentle entreaties.
Listen to the song below and buy the full album on Bandcamp. Scroll down to read ellis on the original song and her cover.
What's your first memory of this song?
I remember this song being all over the radio when I was a kid. It is so nostalgic and makes me feel happy and sad at the same time.
Why did you decide to record it as your cover?
Recently when I was feeling very bummed out I came across this playlist of 90's alt-rock songs and I joked that it cured my depression. When I was asked to record a cover, this was the very first song that came to mind.
What does this band mean to you personally?
I love Dave Grohl! I've been a long-time admirer of the music he's been a part of, but I also get the impression that he's just a very cool, nice person which makes me admire him even more. I was reading that when Dave recorded the "whisper" part of the song, he layered three tracks: a story about their studio tech's dad, an excerpt from a user manual, and a love letter, so I did the same! I found the story of the studio tech's dad, and layered it with a paragraph from the manual for my Korg Prologue and a letter that I had written to my partner when we were first falling in love.
What's another song you'd love to cover and why?
Ooh, maybe "Stupid" by Sarah McLachlan? Been on a big Sarah McLachlan kick lately!
