Released 23 January, family members Billie Joe and Jakob Armstrong teamed up for an astonishing cover of Bowie’s 1977 hit “Heroes” . The rendition is in honour of the competitive reality series, Survivor 50, premiering on Wednesday 25 February.
Image Credit – Lloyd Morgan via Wikimedia.
Billie Joe has ruled the punk rock community for over 30 years with his band Green Day, famous for hits like “Basket Case”, and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. Recently, the band have been announced as the openers for the Super Bowl. This sparked controversy and more fandom as Billie has become viral online for changing famous “American Idiot” lyrics to anti-Trump statements.
Image Credit – @Jakub via Instagram.
Jakob, on the other hand, has been carving his own musical identity in the alternative rock scene. He previously toured with Ultra Q as lead singer. Armstrong is now currently teasing music releases under the name Jet Engine Kiss. He names The Strokes and Beach Fossils as his musical influences.
Image Credit – Archie Wildes via Wikimedia.
Combining their similar musical styles, Billie and Jakob gave a heartfelt take on a beautiful and well-covered track. Some stand out artists that have given their own version of this classic are Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode and even legendary Britpop band Oasis.
The Armstrongs, however, do this iconic anthem justice by starting the song slow and stripped back with Billie’s instantly recognisable voice capturing the raw emotions of the lyrics. As the beat picks up, listeners are introduced to Jakob’s indie-rock style vocals, along with a vibrato style guitar. These features provide a fresh, modern sound to this song without stripping the original aspects completely.
This alternative cover achieves the blend of pop-punk with the anthem’s original wistful tone. It also serves as a wholesome tribute to David Bowie and a personal milestone for the father and son duo.
Featured Image Credit – @Jakub via Instagram
