Death Valley Girls are releasing their first new music since 2018’s Darkness Rains, though neither of the tracks on their Breakthrough EP are technically new. The LA-based rockers have already shared the 7-inch’s A-side, a cover of Nigerian Afro-beat group The Funkees’ “Breakthrough,” and today we get to preview the project’s B-side “Rock ’n’ Roll/EGA,” a Daniel Johnston cover, before the item goes on sale this Friday.
Replacing the late troubadour’s confident acoustic strums and shaky vocals with the band’s signature psych-soaked wall of electric guitar, the Girls revamp the song to embrace the chaos of the original recording’s second half (it seems on brand that the band finds themselves unable to wait until the song’s escalation to go full rock ’n’ roll).
“We were super lucky to get to meet and be Daniel Johnston’s backing band a few years ago,” vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Bonnie Bloomgarden shares. “He was so kind, fun, and sweet and took a real liking to [our drummer] The Kid. He called her Bella LeGhosti because she’s so pale. We wanted to cover ‘Rock ’n’ Roll/EGA’ because it was his favorite to practice and play live. Love you, Daniel!”
The Breakthrough EP drops this Friday, June 12, on Suicide Squeeze. You can pre-order it here.
