It all starts with a cough, in 2007 All Time Low released a song that would soon become a phenomenon, a classic, a hit. Many artists have covered this emo staple and put their own twist on it, Violet Nine being no exception. For such a beloved pop-punk song there was a high bar All Time Low set so it's only natural for intimidation and fear of covering such a popular song. In this case, Violet Nine shouldn't be nervous about whether or not they hit the mark, because they absolutely nailed it.

Violet Nine is a rock band from Bethlehem Pennsylvania made up of lead singer Tyler Kern, drummer Brian Derkacs, bassist Dave Zimmerman, guitarists Kyle Long and Brandon Gregorzek. In addition to covering Dear Maria, Count Me In (originally by All Time Low) and No Tears Left To Cry (originally by Ariana Grande), the band released their debut EP last year entitled Trials as well as singles Fever Dream, Poison and Bury You Alive. They have played alongside bands such as Blessthefall, Slaves, Issues, and Divide The Fall.

All Time Low was a big part of my teenage years and I remember when Dear Maria [Count Me In] came out. It easily became on of my favorite songs from the band. ATL was one of two bands I listened to consistently even after bouncing around to other music genres for over 10 years.

It was November 2019 when I first heard the metalcore band [Violet Nine] preform this cover and was stunned. I was really impressed. Fast forward to June 2020 when the band teased the release of the cover. The anticipation and excitement, (for me anyway) was high and while I had no doubts V9 would slay the song, I kept thinking back to that show and how amazing it was then.

I fell in love from first listen. Yes, I heard it before at a show, but there are cases where one is better than the other. This is NOT the case. While words can't express how much I love this song, my recent song history can (seriously it's been on repeat all day not to mention for a good three hours after it dropped.), I can't stop listening to it and I really don't want to.

After listening to both the original and covered version of the song back-to-back, I can identify where Violet Nine deviated from the traditional sound and put their own unique spin on the classic song. This new version has a harder rock vibe as opposed to pop-punk. The guitars are a little heavier, an overall rougher/edgier sound, and there is a little bit of screaming of lyrics around the chorus.

Overall Violet Nine knocked it out of the park and believe they did the song justice; they should be proud. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.