NOAHFINNCE and Doll Skin have collaborated to reimagine YUNGBLUD’s “Parents” for Songs That Saved My Life. They released the track in celebration of the beginning of Pride Month.
The cover gives the original a more punk–rock twist. At the same time, the original integrity of the song is still very much intact. Rather than completely reinventing the track, NOAHFINNCE and Doll Skin come together to pay homage to the original. Doll Skin’s Sydney Dolezal offers their higher vocal range and alternative sound, adding more depth to the release.
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NOAHFINNCE was immediately drawn to YUNGBLUD’s music, he explained.
“I saw a lot of myself in him and it was really cool to see someone I could relate to so closely,” NOAHFINNCE says.
The video features NOAHFINNCE against a trippy, kaleidoscope background, green screens and Doll Skin shot in pixelated black and white static. NOAHFINNCE also reinacts some shots from YUNGBLUD’s original video, such as the bathtub-toaster scene, playing all of the characters himself. The visual ends with behind-the-scenes bloopers of NOAHFIINNCE trying, and failing, to catch props being thrown toward him off screen. The video offers a more DIY-style of production compared to the original.
Check out the music video for the collaboration below.
You can also watch the original YUNGBLUD video below.
Read more: YUNGBLUD shows teenage angst never dies in “Parents” music video”
Songs That Saved My Life is a brand that asks artists to cover songs that have helped them through a hard time in their life. The result has seen the release of two volumes full of over 100 uplifting and hopeful songs to help listeners get through their own troubles.
Artists that have been featured in the project include the Frights, Neck Deep, Taking Back Sunday, Against Me!, the Maine, State Champs, Dance Gavin Dance, Silverstein, Movements, With Confidence, Mayday Parade, and Oceans Ate Alaska.
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Doll Skin previously worked with Songs That Saved My Life with an extremely powerful rock ‘n’ roll version of “Shake It Out,” originally performed by Florence And The Machine. You can feel the emotion through every line that lead vocalist Sydney Dolezal sings. Their voice is dynamic as they sing about perseverance. It is a perfect match for the strong drums and guitar that make the song contagiously energetic.
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The money generated from the single will be donated to the charities supported by Songs That Saved My Life that help those in the LGBTQIA+ community and who struggle with mental health. The charities include The Trevor Project, Hope For The Day, To Write Love On Her Arms and Crisis Text Line.
“I’m so happy to be a part of Songs That Saved My Life,” NOAHFINNCE says. “For every difficult time in my life there was always music to fall back to, it was always such a good escape for me.”
Read more: Doll Skin negative anxiety in powerful new song “Control Freak” -watch
Songs That Saved My Life is released under Hopeless Records, who believes in “making a positive impact with everything we do, whether it’s in our community, our scene or our industry.” They have put out over 300 albums in 23 years. Hopeless Records also has a non-profit arm of their company called Sub City. Sub City has raised over 2.5 million dollars for more than 50 non-profit organizations, according to a press release.
NOAHFINNCE spoke to Alternative Press for an exclusive Q&A session to elaborate more on his experience with the collaboration.
You chose to cover YUNGBLUD’s “Parents” for Songs That Saved My Life. What motivated this song choice? How has YUNGBLUD’s music influenced your life?
I think there were a lot of reasons I was drawn to YUNGBLUD and that song for Songs That Saved My Life. First off, it’s catchy as hell and I love how painfully edgy the lyrics are. Yungbluds music has always excited me —the first time I heard his stuff, I was going through a dark time in my life where I didn’t even want to listen to music, which was worrying to me because it had always been one of the most important parts of my life. Hearing his songs reminded me of how much I gave a shit about music. It felt like a new era!
How did you decide this was the right collab for you? What was your favorite part about the collaborative process?
I first saw Doll Skin at Warped Tour 2018 and they got me crazy excited, just a super sick band. When I joined Hopeless, Sydney, their singer, was so welcoming and we became friends. When the idea of doing a song for Songs That Saved My Life came up, I just had to get Sydney’s voice on the track and getting to know them better has probably been my favorite part of the collaborative process. Either that or really reflecting on the implications of tying up your daddy with gaffa tape and locking him in the shed with the pure intent of fucking your best mate.
Do you have any other songs you love that helped you through a particularly hard time?
To be honest I associate particular albums with times in my life rather than songs. I’d say that PUP’s The Dream Is Over, FIDLAR’s Too, or any the Story So Far album is what I associate with hard times. I just needed some loud, yelly stuff. And to be honest, they’re still some of my favorite albums.
How do you take care of your mental health?
A lot of my current issues are down to being overwhelmed. I’m usually overwhelmed with day to day and work stuff I have to get done or I’m overwhelmed with not knowing what emotion I’m feeling. [I] just got diagnosed with ADHD so it makes a lot of sense now. What helps me is getting the basic stuff right. Like eating enough everyday, drinking enough water, exercising, having a decent sleep schedule, getting out of the house, keeping my environment tidy and organised and speaking to my friends. I find that once I have those basics down, even though they’re not that basic, to me at least, it’s a lot easier to focus on what I need to get done so I can address what’s been bothering me with a clear head.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, there is help to be found. Please consider these online resources and talk to your regular doctor about your symptoms.
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. You can also reach out to Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
MentalHealth.gov – Get Immediate Help
ImAlive – Online Crisis Network
International Association For Suicide Prevention – Resources
The Anxiety And Depression Association Of America
The National Alliance On Mental Illness
American Psychiatric Association – Finding Help
National Institute Of Mental Health
American Psychological Association – Psychologist locator
The Trevor Project – A confidential hotline for LGBTQ youth
To Write Love On Her Arms – A nonprofit spreading mental health awareness
Hope For The Day – Suicide prevention and mental health education