Aodhan is the latest artist to take to the triple j studios for the broadcaster’s Like A Version segment, covering The Cars’ ‘Just What I Needed’.
The young Dharawal singer and his band put their own spin on the 1978 classic, turning it into an indie-rock jam. They retain its core elements, like the synth line that carries the song, but Aodhan’s vocals and stage presence give it a soft-grunge feel.
“I chose this track because I kind of thought it was what my band and I were doing anyway, like similar to our live show, like all the wacky synths and stuff were doing on stage,” Aodhan said in a post-performance interview.
“It was just a fun song that I think everybody likes.”
Watch his cover of ‘Just What I Needed’ below.
As is typical of the segment, he also performed an original song, opting for his September 2020 single ‘Twelve Again’. Watch that performance below too.
It was the 17-year-old singer’s very first Like A Version appearance. Back in 2019, he won the triple j Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative for his song ‘When Your Eyes Speak’. He also made it into the finals for last year’s Unearthed High competition.
Aodhan – real name Aidan Whitehall – released his debut EP earlier this year, titled ‘Flies In My Room’, produced by Thelma Plum and Angus and Julia Stone producer, Ryan Miller.