2 Shadows Add Heavy Twist To “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”

Vancouver band 2 Shadows are furthering their fast-rising career with a surprisingly heavy cover of a Green Day classic. 

Take a quick moment to think back to 2004. Can you see it? It is a time before social media and smartphones, where every kid you see is carrying around a Walkman with a CD they hope don’t skip. If a family has a computer, it most likely sits in a communal room in the house. Nobody talks about streaming because streaming doesn’t really exist yet. Life is simple. Some might even say better than it is right now, but that’s neither here nor there.

If you were to turn on the radio in this flashback, there is a fairly good chance you would hear Green Day’s now-iconic single, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.” The mid-tempo ballad was one of several hits off Green Day’s multi-platinum album American Idiot. However, I would argue it’s the only song that still sits in heavy rotation today. The reasons why are as varied as the ways people can love a song. It’s catchy and hopeful, yet sad in all the right ways. In other words, it’s a perfect pop song.

Vancouver’s 2 Shadows do not make pop music. I don’t even know if they would admit to enjoying pop music, to be honest, but they do have a masterful understanding of what makes a good song great. Thanks to constant hardworking and an unforgettable live show, the rock-forward band has been steadily building steam since its inception in 2015. Their recorded music has been short in supply, but recently, the band dropped the Green Day cover you never know you needed in your life.

That’s right. 2 Shadows have taken their combined understanding of all things rock to concoct a thunderous and refreshingly great take on Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” It’s the kind of cover you would expect to find on a Punk Goes Pop compilation, boasting breakdowns and screams alongside the iconic harmonies we all know by heart. Check it out:

Pretty wild, right? The appearance of Ryan Hayes from Righteous Vendetta on guest vocals only adds to the already memorable cover with an extra layer of grit and rage.

Speaking about the cover, 2 Shadows singer Glen Bridden offered:

“When Tryst and I started experimenting with different songs to cover on the album we both felt an immediate connection to ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’. We went through a huge turning point, in the past year especially, where we had to start making sacrifices in our daily lives in order to keep the band growing. We had to seriously re-allocate our time to focus on our dream and it caused some of our personal relationships to wither or break off entirely. ‘Boulevard’ describes this feeling of isolation brilliantly and it was a very cathartic outlet for us. Our interpretation of the song really goes out to all the people who have sacrificed to pursue their dreams and to the 2 Shadows community who continue to support us every step of the way.”

If you wish to hear this cover live, you’re in luck! 2 Shadows are touring with The Veer Union this spring, and the first show kicks of Thursday night in Vancouver.