Fontaines D.C. recently honored both Bring Me the Horizon and Nirvana with a striking cover performance.
The Irish rock band debuted their rendition of Bring Me the Horizon’s 2013 hit “Can You Feel My Heart” as part of Like a Version, the long-running cover segment from Australian radio station triple j.
Though the performance was recorded earlier in the month while the band toured Australia, it officially aired on Friday, March 21 (Australia time).
However, despite triple j’s tradition of presenting the covers as live, frontman Grian Chatten revealed on Monday, March 17, that the band had to cancel a series of Mexico and Latin America shows due to his herniated disc, which left him unable to perform.
Blending Two Iconic Tracks
As is customary for Like a Version, Fontaines D.C. kicked off their session with an original, tearing through their 2024 single, “Starburster,” before transitioning into their Bring Me the Horizon tribute.
However, their version of “Can You Feel My Heart” took an unexpected turn after the first chorus, as Chatten shifted into the lyrics of Nirvana’s 1993 classic “Heart-Shaped Box.”
Guitarist Conor Curley reflected on the choice in a post-performance interview:
“I think the sound of that song, the electronic elements, and just the general vibe of it kind of reflects stuff that we were touching on our last album, Romance,” he explained.
Fontaines DC“It seemed like a good place to start, and it’s a moody, beautiful song. I always get a little nostalgic about that band because it reminds me of reading Kerrang! as a teenager, so I’ve always kind of kept tabs on them.”
As for the Nirvana transition, Curley revealed:
“‘Heart-Shaped Box’ is an absolute classic. Grian just started singing it when we were getting the sounds, and it was almost like, ‘Do we switch it to that and use the instrumentation?’ So, it kind of just made sense.”
Fontaines D.C. Continue to Make an Impact on Like a Version
This isn’t the first time Fontaines D.C. have been featured in the Like a Version studio recently. In February, Porter Robinson used his session to cover the band’s 2024 single “Favourite.”
After the performance, Robinson praised the track:
“‘Favourite’ was, no pun intended, one of my favorite songs of the last year. It was the song that made me a fan of Fontaines D.C. I just love it.
I love major-key music. I love music that’s extremely catchy and extremely hooky. And I love the way that this song feels like it’s constantly tumbling forward.”
The Evolution of Like a Version
Since its launch in 2004, Like a Version has evolved from a stripped-down acoustic session into a full-scale studio production.
Over the years, numerous artists—including Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys, and more—have reimagined classic songs on the platform, cementing its reputation as a must-watch series for music lovers.
