Freelance Whales Cover Devo's 'Girl U Want,' Announce Split 7-Inch With Foals

Rustic New York indie band Freelance Whales cut their teeth on the sound of the city through consistent busking on subway platforms and local showcases. The group's impromptu concerts caught the attention of Frenchkiss records back in 2010, who in turn rereleased their debut record, 'Weathervanes.'

Now the Whales are back with a cover of Devo's 'Girl U Want,' which the band morphed to fit their organic, contemplative sound.

"We recorded this song for kicks a couple months ago, because Kevin [Read, multi-instrumentalist] is a really big Devo fan," singer Judah Dadone tells Spinner. "We wanted to change the feel of the song dramatically, since the original is like a really straight-ahead, rock, punk, Mark Mothersbaugh freakout."








Listen to Freelance Whales' 'Girl U Want'

"Ours comes across as more of a ballad," he adds. "It was recorded around Valentine's Day, and we thought it might be weird or fun to make this song to have an earnest longing, since the lyrics are so explicitly based in the realm of unrequited love."

To release this cover, Freelance Whales have teamed up with touring mates Foals for a split, double-A-side 7-inch vinyl single, which will be available at their shows starting April 10 and in stores on April 12. Foals contribute a version of Swedish House Mafia's 'One' for this limited-edition release.