Soundclouds of the Underground: Love a Cover Edition

ABOVE: MEG MAC

With an infinite number of websites dedicated to hosting tunes for the laptop-wielding masses, music truly lives online. However, the web’s bottomless pit of blogs isn’t the only place to troll for mp3 treasures—some of the newest and most exciting (Internet-friendly) artists can be sought out via Soundcloud, the online stage that allows musicians to promote and distribute music around the world. In this weekly column, Internet sleuth Christopher Klimovski goes into the depths of the music-sharing site.

There are millions of people on Soundcloud who attempt to sing their own renditions of their favorite songs. Sadly, however, there are very few people who are actually able to do this well. In honor of those who can, the following three tunes are covers in which the artists’ true talents and skills create something entirely unique; they allow us to see originality in something that already exists.  

#1 Dads: FKA Twigs’ “Two Weeks”

Who: #1 Dads is the solo moniker of Tom Iansek, who also fronts an alt-pop band called Big Scary. Originally started as a side project to remain creative between Big Scary album cycles, Iansek has been selling out shows and only continues to gain popularity with his diverse and natural talent.

The Song: Creating a sheer display of collaborative creativity, Iansek, with the help of Tom Snowdon, covers FKA Twigs‘ haunting ballad “Two Weeks.” What’s most surprising is how the solely electronic original track is seamlessly converted to a classical format, with #1 Dads going as far as emulating the glitch distortions placed over FKA’s voice.

Current Project: #1 Dads is currently touring. Stay up to date with Iansek by following him on Facebook.

Spit Syndicate: Disclosure’s “Latch”

Who: In 2005, Nick Lupi and Jimmy Nice formed the hip-hop duo Spit Syndicate. The following year, they released their first mixtape, The Future’s Bright, and indeed it was. From that release forward, Spit Syndicate went on to appear on MTV and eventually signed with their current label, Phat Planet. Citing main influences as “cooked food and fly girls,” the pair creates insightful rhymes with easy flow.

The Song: Disclosure‘s original version of “Latch” was strong enough to bring Sam Smith to the attention of a wider demographic. Spit Syndicate roughs up the melody, giving the track an edgier feel. Without leaving their urban influences behind, Lupi and Nice manage to deepen the original lyrics on love, yearning, and the lack of romantic fulfillment.

Current Project: Follow Spit Syndicate on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on music drops and tour dates.

Meg Mac: Broods’ “Bridges”     



Who: Meg Mac gained a worldwide following after winning the Triple J music award for “Unearthed Artist of the Year” in Australia last year. While she is a fan of cover songs, she has also released plenty of original songs with punchy and soulful vocals.

The Song: In her cover of Broods‘s track “Bridges,” Mac exudes raw energy and power, delivering a performance that not only matches the original, but in some ways, even trumps it. After hearing Mac’s cover, Broods was so impressed that they actually invited her to perform with them on stage, opting for her version of the track instead of theirs.

Current Project: Meg Mac just wrapped a U.S. tour and is now finishing one in Australia. Keep up to date with her live performances and new music via her Facebook.  

Soundclouds of the Underground runs every Thursday. For more, click here.