Following an impressive array of covers from the likes of RVG x Julia Jacklin, Amyl & The Sniffers, Gregor x Sweet Whirl, and more, the RISING SINGLES CLUB has once again served up the goods, this time seeing Melbourne’s scorching rock’n’roll supergroup, ROT T.V. covering The Kinks’ “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”.
Having formed just two short years ago, ROT T.V is the product of members of Melbourne punk outfits Miss Destiny, Deaf Wish, Rabid Dogs, and Lecherous Gaze, to name a few. With a fondness for classic rock icons such as Chuck Berry and The Damned, the group’s influences are well and truly worn on their sleeve.
“The four of us actually started playing together in our Blue Öyster Cult cover band, BÖCC in 2016, and eventually we started our own band,” explains frontwoman Harriet Hudson-Clise. “Being that we’re all BÖC nerds, they are a big influence on Rot TV and so are The Damned, Chuck Berry, Hawkwind etc. I guess we play a kinda deranged version of classic rock.
“We released our own vinyl single in 2019 & this year we finally finished our LP, which will be announced with a single and music video release before the end of the year.”
As such, it feels only appropriate that the group take on another influential rock outfit for their entry into the RISING SINGLES CLUB. Originally released as the B-side to “Sunny Afternoon” back in 1966, The Kinks’ “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” seems like a fitting choice for the group, with Ray Davies’ anthemic lyrics of non-conformity amplified by the addition of Hudson-Clise’s gutsy vocals.
“Covers are tricky territory and the best you can hope for is that you don’t butcher a classic song and I don’t think we did,” Hudson-Clise explains. “My parents love it, which hopefully means other OG Kinks fans will dig it too.
“Ray is a doll. He nails all the important subjects with zero cheese – being love sick, feeling like a freak, being in love with a freak… He’s the perfect romantic rocker. So was Pete Shelley.”
Working with Rob Muiños of Collingwood’s Sauna Studios, the track found itself appearing right at the end of their the group’s recent studio sessions, with Muiños taking on production, engineering, and extra guitar duties.
“We were already recording our LP at Sauna Studios in Collingwood with Rob, and we snuck this cover for RISING in at the end,” Hudson-Clise explains. “It took about a day to record, including all vocal tracks, overdubs etc.
“Rob was definitely a huge part in how nice and cruisy it sounds – he likes to take things down a notch and reminds us to stop playing everything too fast like maniacs. He helped make the call to tune up so I was more comfy singing it & also ended up playing a really nice solo on the song.”
While information regarding ROT T.V’s album is yet to be announced, if their cover of “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” is anything to go by, these sessions clearly gave rise to some stunning work, with much more exciting material still on its way.
ROT T.V’s cover of “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” for the RISING SINGLES CLUB is officially out now.
