Yeah Yeah Yeah’s frontwoman Karen O has a busy year ahead of her, as she prepares to release her collaboration with famed producer Dangermouse next month. As her fans eagerly await the collaboration, the vocalist has released cover of the 1995 The Smashing Pumpkin’s classic “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” with her unique artistic spin on it.
The original song was off of the band’s beloved Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which is considered a staple of 1990s alternative rock alongside the band’s previous album Siamese Dream. The original song is notable for using soft and loud dynamics, featuring a brooding bass line during the verses, which switch into an abrasive jam during the chorus, as it takes influences from grunge bands and acts such as the Pixies.
Karen O’s take on the track is heavily electronic, featuring industrial sounds, and vocal overlays during the chorus as a nod to the song’s original roots. During the verses the song takes a more atmospheric tone, with an electronic bass line and ambient synth tones.
This track was featured on the Amazon Prime series Hanna. which is based off of the 2011 film of the same name. According to Deadline Hollywood Hanna is “the journey of an extraordinary young girl, Hanna, as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is.”
Last month Karen O was featured on a track with Daniele Luppi and fellow Dangermouse collaborators Parquet Courts, for the music video for “Talisa.” This wasn’t the first collaboration with the group either, back in 2017 Karen O was featured on many tracks for Milano, a collaborative album with Daniele Luppi and Parquet Courts.
Although Karen O has been mostly focusing on her features, the upcoming collaborative album and other solo material, her work from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s is not forgotten. The group will be headlining the Corona Capital Guadalajara Festival this year, alongside The Chemical Brothers and Tame Impala.
It is unknown whether Karen O will be releasing new material with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs any time soon, despite their current touring schedule. Their latest release was Mosquito which was released back in 2013, however the band re-released their classic debut Fever To Tell, back in 2017.
“[It’s] the guys for the most part, I think they’re waiting on my just ‘getting struck by inspiration’ for it, y’know?” Karen O explained regarding the possibility of new material. “A lot has changed in my life in the last 5 years and I’m just kinda waiting for the inspiration to hit me – and then we’ll go.”
While the artist will continue to tour with the group it is unknown whether she will do live shows for the upcoming Dangermouse collaboration. If they do end up doing a concert tour, it will likely be limited in scope, and performed at a few intimate venues.
“[There are]Some special gigs you know but probably not a world tour!” Karen O explained during an interview. “It’s probably a handful of some special gigs – but we have some cool stuff cooking up for that!”
Photo Credit: Marv Watson
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