Julia Jacklin Returns To 'Like A Version' With Sugar Ray Cover

Mary Varvaris

Opening up about the decision to cover 'Every Morning,' Jacklin said, "This song just makes me feel grateful to be alive."

Julia Jacklin for triple j's 'Like A Version'
Julia Jacklin for triple j's 'Like A Version'(Credit: YouTube/triple j)
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Julia Jacklin and her band returned to triple j studios to put their own spin on a well-known song: Every Morning by US rockers Sugar Ray.

They flipped the sunny feel of the original, a ‘90s classic, into a road-trip soundtrack kind of song, with Jacklin harmonising with bandmates Jennifer Aslett and Jacob Diamond, while Jess Elwood holds it down on the drums.

It’s undoubtedly another stunning cover from Jacklin, having put her own spin on The Strokes’ Someday in 2017 for Like A Version.

While in the triple j studio, Jacklin performed Get Away From Me (I Think I’ll Love You Soon), the lead single from her forthcoming album, The Gem (named after the Collingwood pub).

Discussing the decision to cover Every Morning – and slow it down to make it an immediate Julia Jacklin classic – Jacklin explained that she’s liked the song since she was a little kid, and it’s been with her forever, in many ways.

“I love any opportunity to connect with my younger self as much as I can,” Jacklin shared, adding that “I feel like we were singing it together—me, now, and her, back then.”

She continued, “I have always enjoyed how spirited this song sounds, and I just kind of like how it feels like it starts at 100%, and it kind of stays there. I don’t know, this song just makes me feel grateful to be alive. It makes me feel connected to the source of life.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Jacklin discussed the impact of her Someday cover on her career, revealing that she actually only watched it for the first time just days before returning to the triple j studio. She also expressed gratitude for having artists cover her songs on Like A Version, saying they made her feel like a real songwriter.

You can watch Jacklin’s spin on Every Morning, the performance of Get Away From Me, and her interview with triple j, below.

Jacklin’s new album, The Gem, will be released on Friday, 25 September. It marks her debut release on 4AD, while in Australia it’s dropping via Remote Control Records. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here.

The Gem was produced by Jacklin and Robert Muinos and recorded in Melbourne, her first album to be created that way. Muinos, owner of Rat Shack Studios, was a key collaborator alongside Jacklin’s friends Jacob Diamond (guitar), Mimi Gilbert (bass), and Jess Elwood (drums).

“I want to love and be loved, but I also want to be free. The tension between those two things has been the central question of my life,” Jacklin explained, revealing that that’s the theme integral to the album.

Julia Jacklin is one of Australia’s most revered, celebrated songwriters. The Gem follows three celebrated solo records: 2016’s Don’t Let The Kids Win, 2019’s Crushing, and 2022’s PRE PLEASURE.