Local H Going Undercover

Local H will release its first-ever collection of covers, Local H's Awesome Mix Tape #1, on October 19th on G&P Records. The EP will be available on CD, digitally and, in a nod to the format for which it was named, on limited-edition cassette. It's the band's first release since 2008's critically acclaimed 12 Angry Months. (Frontman Scott Lucas will also release The Absolute Beginners EP with his solo project, Scott Lucas & the Married Men, on October 19th.)

"We'd talked about doing a covers record before, but it just never got off the ground," says Lucas. "We make these mix-tape type of comps that we play before our shows. On our last tour we had this mix of all the songs we've ever done as covers. And that clicked. That would be the way to do an all-covers record. Fashion it like an old school mix tape. Something that a crazy drug dealer out of 'Boogie Nights' could play to scare Mark Wahlberg," he says, acknowledging the EP title's reference to the film.

The compilation contains the power duo's take on Pink Floyd's "Time," Concrete Blonde's "Joey," The Jesus Lizard's "Puss," and more (full track listing below). All songs are previously unavailable studio recordings, though Local H has consistently peppered its live set lists with these and other covers. TV on the Radio's "Wolf Like Me" and Agent Orange's "Blood Stains" were audience favorites on the band's recent 6 Angry Records Tour.

In the past, Local H has covered everyone from Guided By Voices to Foreigner to the Godfathers to Britney Spears, whose hit "Toxic" appeared on their Alive '05 live album.

"We've always done covers live," explains Lucas, "It's just fun for us. Period. We never do songs as a joke. Every cover we've ever done is a song that we love. And that goes for Britney, too."