Julia Jacklin shares cover of Roland Howard’s ‘Shivers’
Julia Jacklin has been bubbling up in the indie pop world over the last few years, honing her craft over her last three albums. Coming off of her 2022 release Pre Pleasure, Jacklin has shared a new cover of the Roland Howard song ‘Shivers’.
The original was made by Roland Howard and was famously covered by Nick Cave’s former band, Boys Next Door. Jacklin’s version of the song is set to appear on a new compilation record honouring the career of producer Andy Cohen.
Cohen had previously worked on the original version of the song and would go on to work with Cave on future projects like The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds. Some of the other artists contributing songs to the record include RVG and Grace Cummings.
When asked about the song, Jacklin opened up about it holding a special place in her heart, saying, “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”.
Throughout the lyrics, ‘Shivers’ involves a story of teenage angst, with Howard remarking that a perennial shiver shoots down his spine as he hears his lover’s name. Jacklin also marvelled at Howard’s wordplay in the song, continuing, “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”.
The compilation record also coincides with the book Half Dead, Completely Mad, which details the life of Cohen and his encounters with artists like Howard over the years. The book was released on May 30th, 2023.
Aside from her new take on the song, Jacklin is going to be embarking on her first American tour since the release of Pre Pleasure, which will start getting underway this summer. As of yet, there has been no word of the progress on any other new material.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.