Methyl Ethel have taken to the triple j studios for the broadcaster’s Like A Version segment, performing a mashup of The Avalanches‘ ‘Frontier Psychiatrist’ and Sycco‘s ‘Dribble’.
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The cover takes samples from The Avalanches’ 2000 hit and marries them with lyrics from Sycco’s 2020 single. Methyl Ethel frontman Jake Webb and backing singer Julia Wallace take care of the vocals, while the full band – comprising drums, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, keys, bass, guitar and more – emulate the instrumentals of ‘Frontier Psychiatrist’.
“There’s something like 20 years difference between the two [songs],” Webb said of the mashup in a post-performance interview. “It’s like bringing two worlds completely together in one place and that’s sort of special, trying to introduce two pieces of great music together.”
The band also played their own original single ‘Matters’, which was released in September. Watch both performances below.
It’s not the first time Methyl Ethel have appeared on Like A Version. Back in 2016, a former iteration of the band (just Webb, Thom Stewart and Chris Wright) covered Justin Timberlake‘s ‘Cry Me A River’ and performed their own single ‘Twilight Driving’.
Last year, they released the EP ‘Hurts To Laugh’, which NME gave three stars in a review.
“Methyl Ethel are most interesting when they sack off tried-and-tested writing devices in favour of strange and swerving imagery,” NME said. “Let’s hope they keep things weird in the future.”