Hayley Williams is bringing back her self-serenades for a special new cover.
This week, the Paramore vocalist took to social media to share her own acoustic rendition of the Failure classic “The Nurse Who Loved Me” from the ’90s.
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Over the past year, Hayley Williams has shared various covers and self-serenades to fans. Back in December, she helped raise money for the Ally Coalition with her gripping cover of Massive Attack‘s “Teardrop.” Last month, she also posted a few self-serenades including one of “Over Those Hills,” off of FLOWERS for VASES // descansos, and the War On Drugs hit “Pain.”
Now, Williams is back with another self-serenade for fans to enjoy. Over the weekend, she posted a brief cover of Failure‘s “The Nurse Who Loved Me.” In the video’s caption, Williams notes that this is not only one of her favorite songs, but it’s off of one of her favorite Failure albums Fantastic Planet.
“self-serenade the sun is out, the laundry is drying, so one of my favorite songs of all time on one of my favorite albums of ever,” the singer writes. “Go listen to the real thing— @failurebandig ‘The Nurse Who Loved Me’ left my cringey ending in there [because] that’s showbiz baby.”
For her cover, Williams used the acoustic guitar to keep the song’s original grungey sound intact. However, her emotional vocals and effortless retelling of “The Nurse Who Loved Me” make this Failure cover seem almost second-nature to her. Ultimately, this latest self-serenade further proves just how much of an impact Failure have had on Williams over the years.
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In the past, Paramore have credited Failure as one of the bands that have influenced them the most. In fact, Paramore have covered Failure before. Nearly 15 years ago, Paramore released a grunge-filled cover of Failure’s “Stuck On You,” off of 1996’s Fantastic Planet. The cover appears on Paramore’s 2006 EP The Summer Tic.
Back in 2014, Paramore teamed up with Failure for a special tour release video. For the video, Hayley Williams and Taylor York gave testimonials explaining how much Failure have influenced Paramore over the years.
“My brother showed me Failure when I was younger,” York says. “I think that was one of the first bands that really impacted me beyond just people telling me what to like. [They’ve] been one of the most influential bands on my guitar playing.”
Meanwhile, Williams recalled the exact moment she heard Failure for the very first time.
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“I first heard Failure, a friend at school had like an extra copy [of an album] that he had burned,” Williams said. “He was like, ‘Hey I don’t need this one I already have it, do you want it?’ and I was like, ‘yeah sure.’ And it just had Failure Fantastic Planet scribbled across it. I got home and I put it in my little Sony Walkman thing. I skipped because the first song that I ever heard was ‘Sergeant Politeness‘ and that was it.”
Williams went on to say that hearing Failure for the first time really made her want to be in a band. Around that time, she joined Paramore.
“Coming from someone that grew up on more pop and soul music as a kid, it was really cool [to hear Failure],” Williams said. “It was a good transition because I had just met the guys and I think I had just joined the band not too long either before or after I got Fantastic Planet. It really just made me want to be in a band and play music with a lot of guitars.”
Williams’ Failure cover marks one of her first videos to be released since the debut of her second solo album FLOWERS for VASES // descansos. After sharing various clues, Williams surprise dropped the Petals For Armor follow-up in February. The latest LP arrived shortly after her EP Petals For Armor: Self-Serenades which dropped late last year.
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As for Paramore, rumors have been swirling that a new album may be on the way. Then, last month, Williams seemingly confirmed the trio is starting work on new music. For now, it’s unknown when Paramore’s next album may arrive.
Since the release of 2009’s Brand New Eyes, Paramore have steadily released a new full-length studio album every four years. With After Laughter making its debut in 2017, it’s possible we could hear new Paramore music in 2021.
Check out Paramore’s cover of “Stuck On You” and Failure’s original release of “The Nurse Who Loved Me” below.
What are your reactions to Hayley Williams’ Failure cover? Do you want to see more covers from her in the future? Let us know in the comments below.