David Bowie Cover of the Week: Harmony Punks covers “I’m Afraid of Americans”

This week’s cover is a version of Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans” by Harmony Punks, a three-piece band from Tucson, Arizona, consisting of Jason Kelly on vocals and guitar, Marshall Prescott on vocals and bass, and Matt Wineinger on drums. The band describes the song as having become one of its favorites to perform and cites its lyrics about hedonism as part of its interest in the song.

The band’s arrangement draws from both Bowie’s original version and his later collaboration with Nine Inch Nails. In a video discussing the recording, Kelly explained that Prescott’s suggestion that he listen to the Nine Inch Nails version helped determine his approach to the guitar:

“It wasn’t until Marshall pointed out that there was another track with a collaboration with Nine Inch Nails that I was like, oh, I can take that heavy Nine Inch Nails and kind of imbue the guitar sound that we already have that we’ve been developing.”

Kelly said he combined that approach with the bass part Prescott had developed and experimented with effects intended to emphasize elements of the synthesizer sound in Bowie’s recording. “From there,” Kelly said, “we just kind of completely made it our own.”

Prescott said he initially was uncertain whether “I’m Afraid of Americans” would work for the band, speculating that it might be “too out there.” Of course, the prospect of a Bowie cover being “too out there” makes me want to hear it, and I was not disappointed! The only downside this week is that this is an audio-only cover, but the band does a great job with the song.

I have encountered covers of “I’m Afraid of Americans” more frequently in recent years, in part because it is often used to convey a message of political protest. I thought it was insightful that these guys picked up on its lyrics as actually being critical of an American style of hedonism rather than politics per se. What they’re getting at is more often identified as “consumerism,” but I thought it was a thought-provoking way to describe the song. More importantly, it sounds great!

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Harmony Punks made its debut in 2024 at Local Love Tucson events at 191 Toole and the Rialto Theatre and has since performed at Tucson venues including Hotel Congress and The Rock. For more on the band, visit their website here: https://harmonypunks.com/home