White Lies Lana Del Rey Ride Cover

If Lana Del Rey's "Ride" struck you as one of the singer-songwriter's strongest songs yet, you're not alone; turns out, British post-punk band White Lies love it too. "First and foremost, 'Ride' has stood out as a thoroughly evocative and accomplished piece of songwriting against a lot less inventive contemporary efforts," says bassist Charles Cave, adding, "It's written using the Lydian mode which, consciously or not, is an unusual harmonic palette to draw on for pop music in 2013! That kind of thing gives us boys a real kick and tickle, so we were drawn to it from the get-go."

The London-based trio, who just released their third album, Big TV, this summer and kick off a US tour today, decided to tackle the 2012 track and give it an indie rock makeover. The end result is a version of "Ride" that's pared down to just a pulsating bass, simple keys, the twinkle of a xylophone, and lead singer Harry McVeigh's deep-yet-emotive baritone voice. "Our goal with this cover--and a small set of other recordings we've done at the same time--was to strip the song to its bare bones to reveal the foundations and expose a great melody. As you will hear, the 'production' is minimal but we have managed to tone down the White Lies sound into something a little more intimate and perhaps with an easier entry point for listeners not so into 'rock music,'" Cave explains.

It also gives a subtle nod to Lana Del Rey herself, an "old friend" of the band. As the White Lies bassist puts it, "Whilst that does not play such a big factor in picking a song to cover, we have shared some important musical moments and it's always nice to tap your hat, as it were, to other musicians whose integrity you can vouch for and whose future you care about!"

Listen to White Lies' cover of "Ride" below--we've got the exclusive premiere--and click here to get their full list of White Lies' US tour dates.