Julia Jacklin – “Shivers” (The Boys Next Door Cover)
Back in 1979, a young Australian band called the Boys Next Door, which would eventually morph into the Birthday Party, recorded “Shivers,” a post-punk power ballad of sorts. Written by 16-year-old guitarist Rowland S. Howard and sung by the band’s 21-year-old frontman Nick Cave, and served as the closing track on their Door, Door LP.
“Shivers” has been covered often, including over the past decade or so in the indie rock world. In 2012 the song made it onto the only album by Divine Fits, the supergroup featuring Spoon’s Britt Daniel, Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner, and New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brown. Fellow Australian Courtney Barnett released a Jack White-produced “Shivers” cover in 2015. And now yet another Australian, Julia Jacklin — whose recent album PRE PLEASURE was really great — has turned in her own version.
Jacklin’s statement on the track:
It’s been covered a lot, but it’s a special one for me. It was one of the first songs I ever learnt to play. Many Sydney bars, venues and open mic nights have heard me sing this song. Howard wrote it at 16 and I’ve always loved how much the lyrics capture that type of unbridled, dramatic teenage infatuation. The kind that physically hurts but also makes you laugh at yourself.
Listen below.