Mahalia appeared on triple j‘s Like a Version this morning for the first time, taking on Arctic Monkeys‘ 2006 single ‘When the Sun Goes Down’. The UK neo-soul singer recently completed a national tour of Australia, which marked her first shows locally in four-and-a-half years.
She was joined in the studio by her long-serving live band, bassist/keyboardist Charlie Fowler and drummer Jonathan Tuitt, as well as Australian keyboardist Nikos Haropoulos-Smallman sitting in as a guest musician. In an interview posted to triple j’s YouTube page, the Leicester singer described ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ as “an absolute banger”.
“That is just one of my favourite songs,” she said. “It’s a deeply complex, kind of sad song, and because it’s at that tempo… we’re always raging to it. I wanted to give it a soulful sense, I suppose. It’s a beautifully-written song, and I wanted to try and capture it in a different way.”
Mahalia – ‘When the Sun Goes Down’
Mahalia went on to describe her freshly-wrapped Australian tour as “absolutely mental”. “You guys know how to rage,” she said. “The last show that we did in Sydney, in particular, for me was mind-blowing from start to finish. I was in shock. It was a Monday night, and… it was almost like everyone was drunk, and we were all having the best night ever. Everybody’s been so lovely.”
While in the ABC Studios, Mahalia also recorded a performance of one of her own songs, ‘Terms & Conditions’ from her second album IRL. “I really wanted to do it because it’s got great energy, and my cover was more down-tempo,” she said. “Also, triple j have shown [it] so much love.”
Arctic Monkeys originally released ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ in January 2006. It served as the second single from their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, and went on to top the UK singles chart and be certified triple Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. Despite it being one of their most popular songs, and one of only two chart-toppers alongside ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’, the band have not performed it live since 2014.
Further Reading
Watch G Flip Tackle One Of Taylor Swift’s Biggest Hits For ‘Like A Version’
triple j’s Like A Version – The Complete List
Wet Leg Quote Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner During BRIT Acceptance Speech: “That Rock and Roll, Eh?”
