Lana Del Rey has a new track out – but it’s not one of her own. After teasing it earlier this week, the singer today shared a cover of 90s LA ska punk group Sublime’s “Doin Time” – taken from the soundtrack of a new documentary about the band that premiered last month at Tribeca.
There’s a good chance that, like me, you were a small child – or perhaps yet to even be conceived! – while Sublime were enjoying their mid-90s heydey. If you’re a little low on the details: the Long Beach, California group was known for their mix of genres, blending ska with reggae, hip-hop, surf rock, and punk. “Doin Time” – which samples a version of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” – was from the band’s third album, released in 1997 after the band’s lead singer Bradley Nowell sadly passed away after an overdose in 1996.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t listen to at least one Sublime song,” Del Rey shared in a quote. “They epitomised the SoCal vibe and made a genre and sound totally their own.”
The band is about to get a new wave of interest thanks to a new film by director Bill Guttentag, which premiered at the end of April. According to Tribeca, the “definitive documentary charts Sublime’s meteoric rise, tragic end, and lasting legacy”. Lana’s cover hasn’t exactly been met with love: her stans are rabidly demanding a new album, while Sublime apparently had to delete a lot of comments from fans that weren’t thrilled she’d covered one of their favs.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Lana has put her own spin on a classic – she’s previously covered Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box”, Nina Simone’s “The Other Woman”, and “Blue Velvet”.
Listen below.