Best of 2015 Awards: Cover of the Year

From punk covers to acoustic to pop, it all came down to five covers that were voted best of 2015 by none other than the fans themselves. You did the voting, but now our team will present why these top five bands earned the recognition and how they made each cover something of their own.

5. Landon Tewers – “Hold On, We’re Going Home” (Originally by Drake)
“Landon’s an interesting fellow whose dualities are a bit reminiscent of Batman. Intelligent business man by day, dangerous deathcore vigilante by night. One could describe him as a gentle giant, however. A far cry from any of The Plot In You’s material Landon’s excellent cover of ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’ is more in line with his hip-hop solo material and all the better for it. Landon, with his silky smooth R&B delivery, sounds positively at home (no pun intended) here. You’ll be led to believe he carries swagger with him in his back pocket along with his car keys and bloody knife.” – Matthew Powers

4. Our Last Night – “Can’t Feel My Face” (Originally by The Weeknd)
“Re-imagining one of the single best pop songs of the year successfully is no mean feat, but Our Last Night are experienced in this field having already covered “Skyfall”, “Blank Space” and others magnificently. Twisting the 80s groove of the original into a rock twisting cavalcade, the Wentworth brothers unsurprisingly put more grit into the song than The Weeknd did while retaining the sheen. Guitar technicality, big churning riffs and soaring vocal hooks combine in an unpredictable take on a fantastic song.” – Michael Bird

3. I Prevail – “Blank Space” (Originally by Taylor Swift)
“I Prevail is way underrated and deserves more recognition than they are given. But with their cover of “Blank Space,” I Prevail shows just how talented they are. They are able to start off from lower pitched singing and soft piano playing, then pick up with heavy drumming and deep screams. The transition between the two is so smooth and is consistent throughout the song. It almost doesn’t sound like a typical Taylor Swift breakup song.” – Alex Lizette

2. Ice Nine Kills – “Animals” (Originally by Maroon 5)
“It’s a joyous occasion when the INK boys release a new cover and “Animals” is no exception. In keeping with the original tone and intention of the song frontman Spencer Charnas maintains a seductive quality in his voice that keeps the upbeat metalcore take on the pop original enjoyable and passionate. Yes, of course there’s breakdowns and growls too.” – Matthew Powers

1. PVRIS – “Chandelier” (Originally by Sia)
“There’s one thing PVRIS vocalist Lynn Gunn has in common with Sia– the strength in her voice. Lynn Gunn perfectly filled the tone of independence and edginess given off by the track. Although the original and cover are very similar, PVRIS adds more of a punk sound that provides the track with a more upbeat tempo that makes the listener want to swing from a chandelier, too.” – Alex Lizette