Nation of Language – Tougher Than the Rest
Nation of Language have covered “Tougher Than the Rest”, the Bruce Springsteen track from his 1987 album Tunnel of Love. The Sub Pop synth-pop trio have made it unmistakably theirs: where Springsteen’s original leaned on polished late-80s production, the band push the synth elements further forward and let the song float in their register.
The cover has a good backstory. Vocalist Ian Richard Devaney grew up in New Jersey, Springsteen country, but this particular song passed him by. He came to it only recently, and its presence in his life solidified during last year’s tour. “I can remember finishing a particularly emotional show somewhere deep in last year’s tour”, he says, “and our sound engineer, Skinny, started playing it as our exit music. It caught me so hard that I stayed there, just offstage, and listened to the rest of the song blasting, mixed with the sounds of all of the people milling about the venue”. That kind of origin story tends to produce better covers than the ones that start with a label request.
Instrumentally, the band had a useful advantage. When it came time to record, they had a Yamaha CS-80 on hand, the same synthesizer model that appeared prominently on the original Tunnel of Love sessions. Working with familiar textures gave them a reference point without forcing them to replicate. The result keeps the emotional weight of the original while updating its context. The arrangement trusts the song’s structure rather than trying to reframe it with production tricks, it’s a cover that felt personal from the start, not an obligation to listen to.
“Tougher Than the Rest” will be out May 29 on a limited 7” (1,000 copies) via Sub Pop, paired with B-side “The Conversation”.
Tour Dates:
Europe:
- Jun. 11 – Porto, PT – Primavera Sound Porto Parque Da Cidade
- Jun. 12 – Stuttgart, DE – About Pop Festival
- Jun. 13 – Hilvarenbeek, NL – Best Kept Secret Festival
- Jun. 16 – Lille, FR – L’Aeronef
- Jun. 17 – Luxembourg, LU – Den Atelier
- Jun. 18 – Lucerne, CH – B-Sides Festival
- Jun. 19 – Lyon, FR – Transbordeur Club
- Jun. 21 – Athens, GR – Release Athens Festival X SNF Nostos
- Jun. 23 – Toulouse, FR – Le Bikini
- Jun. 24 – Bordeaux, FR – Rock School Barbey
- Jun. 27 – Camaiore, IT – La Prima Estate Festival
- Aug. 07 – Brno, CZ – Pop Messe Festival
- Aug. 09 – Buftea, RO – Summer Well Festival
- Aug. 12 – Leipzig, DE – Täubchenthal
- Aug. 14 – Budapest, HU – Sziget
- Aug. 15 – Vienna, AT – Flex
- Aug. 18 – London, UK – Village Underground
- Aug. 19 – London, UK – Village Underground
- Aug. 20 – London, UK – Village Underground [SOLD OUT]
- Aug. 22 – Crickhowell, UK – Green Man Festival
- Aug. 23 – Liverpool, UK – Camp and Furnace
- Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK – Irish Centre
- Aug. 26 – Bristol, UK – Electric Bristol
- Aug. 27 – Norwich, UK – Waterfront
- Aug. 29 – Málaga, ES – Canela Party
North America:
- Jul. 09 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall
- Jul. 10 – Las Vegas, NV – Swan Dive
- Jul. 12 – Reno, NV – The Alpine
- Jul. 14 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall
- Jul. 15 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
- Jul. 17 – Forest Grove, OR – Grand Lodge *
- Jul. 18 – Carnation, WA – Remlinger Farms *
- Jul. 19 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
- Jul. 22 – Asheville, NC – Eulogy
- Jul. 23 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
- Jul. 24 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre ^
- Jul. 25 – Bentonville, AR – The Momentary ^
- Jul. 26 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove ^
- Jul. 28 – Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater ^
- Jul. 29 – Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater ^
- Jul. 31 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre ^
- Aug. 02 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre ^
- Aug. 03 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre ^
- Aug. 04 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square ^
- Sep. 16 – Millersville, PA – Phantom Power **
- Sep. 17 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar **
- Sep. 18 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar [SOLD OUT] **
- Sep. 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount **
- Sep. 21 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Small’s Theater **
- Sep. 22 – Columbus, OH – Skullys **
- Sep. 24 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall **
- Sep. 25 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Beanfield **
- Sep. 26 – Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace **
