Singer songwriter Helen Ballentine – who records as Skullcrusher – has released a cover of “Words Come Back” by The Hated, a standalone single out now via Numero Group. On the track – a subtle, ambient folk reinvention of the 1985 early emo blueprint – Ballentine said: I was immediately drawn to the lyrics of ‘Words Come Back’ and loved that it sounds so different from anything I’ve ever made. I wanted to try capturing the intensity of the song in a different way.”

Recorded at home with Ben Weinman, ‘Words Come Back’ takes cues from the original’s chaotic and repetitive structure, but channels Dan Littleton’s intensity into a brooding, contemplative number. “This is my way of making a punk song,” she continued, “ignoring structure and letting everything just pour out—though quite a bit quieter.”

Often cited as one of the earliest emo outfits, Dan Littleton, Erik Fisher, Colin Meeder, and Mike Bonner formed The Hated in Annapolis, MD. Their 1985 nine-song debut album, The Best Piece Of Shit Vol. 3, featured The Hated’s first true moment of brilliance in “Words Come Back”—a stinging indictment of their hometown’s Nam shrapnel and racist undercurrent set to a near-blast beat. Five hundred copies of the cassette were circulated around the greater Chesapeake area, and a legend was born.

The ‘Words Come Back’ cover by Skullcrusher follows the release of Quiet The Room, her debut album, released 14th October 2022 via Secretly Canadian – a stunning and quietly moving work that reflects the journeys we take through the physical and spiritual realms of ourselves in order to show up for the world.

Skullcrusher tour dates:

28th September 2023 – Pop Montreal – Montreal, QC