Petal has recorded a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky.” The band cut the single in a collaboration with Brooklyn artist Kevin Devine. In their version, Petal cut the signature synthesizer sound and decreased the tempo of the Long After Dark classic. The change altered the song’s tone completely, creating a somber contrast to the original.

The stripped-down cover is nothing like the Heartbreakers’ version. Benmont Tench’s heavy synthesizer made the track a memorable early-MTV staple. Hearing the song without its defining sound isolates the vocals and makes the lyrics more powerful.

Another standout difference is the singing itself. Kylie Lotz does not sing with Tom Petty’s defiant snarl. Her own beautiful delivery changes the song’s tone. As Lotz sings, “You Got Lucky” is drenched in solitude and becomes more wistful than the Heartbreakers’ original.

Until recently, the song was the one track on Greatest Hits or Long After Dark that I would skip every time. Off all the Heartbreakers’ hits to dust off, “You Got Lucky” was the single that I least wanted on a set list.

I learned to love the song after hearing it during the Heartbreakers’ 40th Anniversary Tour in 2017. Hearing Tench and Mike Campbell’s excellent play in concert made the studio recording more vibrant. After hearing the band perform the same group of songs so often in previous concerts, it was an unexpected highlight of the tour.

My recent change of heart made Petal’s cover of “You Got Lucky” more intriguing. It is now the second time in over a year that a new listening experience changed how I felt about a song that has been around since 1982.

Petal hail from the Scranton, Pennsylvania area. They are currently touring in support of their second album, Magic Gone.

In addition to releasing a record and touring, Petal also recorded a live studio session with KEXP. I first heard the band through the Seattle station’s podcast. You can also watch Petal’s live session here.

Petal’s “You Got Lucky” and Kevin Devine

Petal’s cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky” is set for release on September 28. The song was recorded as part of Kevin Devine’s Devinyl Splits series. Devine covers Petty’s iconic “Into The Great Wide Open” on the flip side of the record.

The split drops the same day as the posthumous Heartbreakers compilation Tom Petty: An American Hero.

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