“We tried, we failed. We tried, we failed.” Never before this song would I have imagined that these words would sound so great. But leave it to Morrissey and Johnny Marr to pen defeatist words to an upbeat swinging tune. On the version newly released by Midwest power pop artist The Persian Leaps , The Smiths’ song ‘Jeane’ sounds even more chipper, even more alive and timely – years after the final release by the legendary Manchester band. In short, this is a fabulous rendition, deserving of applause.
This propulsive and addictive rendition of one of The Smiths‘ lesser known tracks celebrates the band’s colossal body of work and the impact it has had on so many people. Originally released in 1983 as the B-side to ‘This Charming Man’ on 7-inch vinyl, it would later be re-released in several formats in 1992.
Hailing from the St. Paul – Minneapolis area, The Persian Leaps revolves around principal songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Drew Forsberg, who wrote solo under that name for years before finally putting a band together in 2012. Steadily serving up 90s college rock-inspired compositions, their distinct sound is cleverly built on a magnetic alternative rock foundation.
“This cover of ‘Jeane’ is my tribute to The Smiths, who have been an important influence on me since 1985. I never took guitar lessons, but I did buy a ‘Meat Is Murder’ songbook and learn to play the songs as best I could. Without the Smiths, The Persian Leaps would still exist, but we’d sound very different, with less jangle and happier lyrics,” says Drew Forsberg.
“Despite being a huge fan of The Smiths since 1985, I’d never actually heard ‘Jeane’ until 5-10 years ago. The song blew me away. It’s not unusual to track down a rarity or B-side and find it interesting if underwhelming, but ‘Jeane’ felt to me like an essential Smiths song that’s been unfairly overlooked. It also sounds unfinished to me – as though with a few more takes and some production love, it could have been an A-side. I’d always wanted to cover a Smiths song and “Jeane” felt like one I could put my own mark on and perhaps even introduce to people who don’t know the original.”
This single follows The Persian Leaps’ widely acclaimed ‘Machines for Living’ EP (2022) and the ‘Drone Etiquette’ album (2021), which was met with wide acclaim from publications on multiple continents.
The Leaps got off on the right foot with their 2013 debut ‘Praise Elephants’ EP, described by NME Magazine as “celestial guitar jangle”. They then released an EP every autumn until 2017, delivering one perfect power pop cocktail after another – from 2014’s sophomore ‘Drive Drive Delay’ EP to their fifth ‘Bicycle Face’ EP. Following the massive 2018 anthology ‘Pop That Goes Crunch’, the Leaps’ return as a studio project, releasing the ‘Electrical Living’ LP in 2019 and the ‘Smiling Lessons’ EP in 2020 as a duo together with Jon Hunt.
‘Jeane’ is out now via Land Ski Records. and is available across online platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp.
CREDITS
Drew Forsberg – Vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, drum programming
Recorded by August Ogren, The Terrarium
Mixed by Neil Weir, Blue Bell Knoll
Mastered by Bruce Templeton, Microphonic Mastering
Cover art by Jon Hunt
Written by Johnny Marr and Steven Patrick Morrissey (BMI)
Originally performed and recorded by the Smiths [Rough Trade, 1983]
Artist photo by Rouse Production
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