Casper Skulls Cover Françoise Hardy's "Où Va la Chance"

It's "a song for my very French mémère," says vocalist Melanie St-Pierre

BY Matt BobkinPublished Nov 27, 2020

Since releasing debut album Mercy Works three years ago, Toronto post-punks Casper Skulls explored their softer side with 2018 single "O My Enemy." Their newest release, a cover of French chanteuse Françoise Hardy's "Où Va la Chance," decidedly meets in the middle.

The intro to the cover, itself a translation of Phil Ochs' "There but for Fortune," trades in Hardy's baroque arrangement for something closer to Mazzy Star's plaintive dream pop before slowly melting into Casper Skulls' signature rock histrionics.

Says vocalist Melanie St-Pierre on the cover choice, "One of my first languages was French and, although I'm not as fluent as I used to be, I wanted to cover this one because it's one of my favourite songs."

She adds, "When I was young, my mémère used to sing a French song to me called 'Melanie' by Chantal Pary and André Sylvain. I specifically remember the lyrics going "'Melanie, on a besoin de toi,' which translates to something like 'Melanie, we need you.' Now, as an adult, I realize how sweet that was. We decided to cover 'Où va la chance,' a song for my very French mémère."

Listen to Casper Skulls' cover of "Où Va la Chance" below.

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