Psych-rock revivalists Allah-Las have long incorporated the shimmering guitar tones and sensuous pop hooks of the genre’s forebears into their own music, and they continue to wear their influences proudly with a new cover of George Harrison’s “Fish on the Sand,” which is premiering here exclusively with Billboard.
The Los Angeles quartet recorded the song for their upcoming Covers #1 EP, the first in a series of EPs that will pay homage to their favorite classics as well as new tunes they discovered during recording sessions. Eschewing more obvious selections from Harrison’s early ’70s output — think All Things Must Pass cut “If Not for You” — the band chose to rework a track off the former Beatle’s more straightforward comeback album, 1987’s Cloud Nine.
“‘Fish on the Sand’ is an often overlooked gem from the Dark Horse’s Cloud Nine record and one that we felt could sound good produced with a more moody, B-side style,“ singer and guitarist Miles Michaud says. Indeed, the band strips the song of Jeff Lynne’s glossy production and reimagines the track as a languid, late-’60s psych-rock exploration — not unlike The Beatles’ own work from the time.
Related
The Allah-Las’ Covers #1 EP comes out Nov. 3 via Mexican Summer is available for pre-order now. They’re playing a handful of shows in the meantime.
Listen to their cover of “Fish on the Sand” and check out the tour dates below.
Allah-Las tour dates:
09/27 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
09/28 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
10/01 – Tofino Legion Branch 65 @ Tofino, BC
10/04 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
10/06 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
10/08 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Soho Restaurant & Music Club
10/15 – Joshua Tree, CA @ Desert Daze
10/18 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box
10/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
01/20 – New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel