Every musician remembers the moment music stopped being something they simply listened to and became something they wanted to create. For some, it was a single song. For others, it was a collection of records whose melodies, harmonies, and unforgettable hooks inspired a lifelong love of making music.
Fresh off the release of their sophomore album Cross Country in 2025—which spawned the single “Jenny,” now surpassing 595,000 streams on Spotify—Working Royals found themselves wanting to keep that creative momentum going. Instead of immediately beginning another album of original material, they turned their attention to Cover Up—a celebration of the artists and songs that became part of the soundtrack to their lives and helped shape the music they make today.
Choosing just twelve songs from a lifetime of musical influences became a fun and surprisingly rewarding journey for Zach Kellum (vocals), Ben Finkleman (keyboards, percussion, producer), and Paul Meehan (vocals, guitar, piano). The band spent weeks sharing ideas, rediscovering forgotten favourites, debating possibilities, and reliving the records that helped define their musical identities. The result is twelve fresh interpretations of songs by Joe Jackson, Duran Duran, Heart, April Wine, Level 42, Payolas, Supertramp, Steve Miller Band, The Alan Parsons Project, Philip Bailey & Phil Collins, John Waite, and Genesis. More than a covers album, Cover Up is as much about the journey that led to Working Royals as it is about the music itself.
Instead, they focused on preserving the melodies, emotion, and songwriting that made each one timeless while allowing their own personality to naturally shape the arrangements. The goal wasn’t to reinvent the songs, but to refresh them with the warmth, rich vocal harmonies, musicianship, and organic chemistry that have become defining characteristics of the band’s sound.
Recorded with the same collaborative spirit that has always driven Working Royals, the sessions embraced experimentation and unexpected moments that only happen when musicians create together. More than anything, Cover Up became a reminder of why the band fell in love with making music in the first place. There was no pressure to reinvent the originals—just bandmates enjoying the process of playing together, following ideas wherever they led. Those spontaneous moments found their way throughout the album, from subtle arrangement changes to more adventurous ideas, including a half-time dub-reggae groove that gives “Easy Lover” a fresh new feel while remaining faithful to the song’s infectious energy.
Perhaps no song better captures the spirit of Cover Up than Supertramp’s “Take the Long Way Home.” As Working Royals reimagined the track, they found themselves rediscovering everything they love about making music together. Stripped back to its essence before being rebuilt through the band’s own musical chemistry, the song became a powerful reminder that the greatest moments in the studio are often the ones that simply happen naturally.
For the band,Cover Up is a celebration of timeless songwriting, enduring melodies, and the artists who unknowingly inspired three musicians to begin making music together. It’s a heartfelt thank you to the songs that came first—and a reminder that great music never loses its power to inspire, whether you’re hearing it for the first time or rediscovering it decades later.
More than anything, Working Royals hopes Cover Up encourages listeners to reconnect with the music that shaped their own lives. Whether it’s rediscovering a forgotten favourite, turning the volume up on a song they haven’t heard in years, or introducing these timeless classics to a new generation, the band hopes the album inspires the same sense of excitement and joy they experienced while recording it.
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