Under the Covers: Girlpool x Radiator Hospital

Your weekly dose of genre-bending with your favorite WBRU artists/songs. From the genuinely good to the seriously strange, we’ve got you covered. This week, a surprising, feminist twist spanning two indie punk darlings. I’ll admit that I first heard Girlpool’s cover of “Cut Your Bangs” before I heard the original version by Radiator Hospital. It never stuck out as an obvious cover, so confidently and perfectly did Girlpool own the song. Tracing the track’s roots, however, lends a deeper meaning to Girlpool’s version. Radiator Hospital’s original is a rollicking, angry call-out of a jilted ex-lover who could never commit to anything. It’s a great song to listen to while you’re mad (or going on a run (or both)). Girlpool’s cover turns it into a melancholy reflection on things going south, turning the toxic masculinity that taints the original on its head. There’s a twinge of regret, of sympathy, in the cover that the original masks in vitriol. It’s okay to feel, y’all. Listen below to feel all the feels and enjoy some good old fashioned girl punk.