As of July 5, 2025 the cover of Dua Lipa’s “Training Season” is now available on major online distributors. See the Training Season Release page for links.
I never set out to do this cover song with the intention of making any money, gaining social capitol, or getting discovered. With that in mind, if you enjoyed my take on this song, please put forth some good will into the world.
Some places to start:
- Make your art and share it
- Donate money to causes like the LA Wildfire Recovery, Cancer Research, etc
- Donate your time and help out your local community
Behind the Music #
The lyrics and melody of the cover are meant to be the same as the original. The vocal delivery was adapted to the underlying instrumentation, which itself was meant to tie into the lyrics and concepts of the original song.
The original is based around a nearly minimalist composition, allowing for the vocal performance to take the spotlight. The original is mostly a repetitive loop, with circus-like ambient textures, using clever changes to the song structure to create tension and release behind the vocals. It’s a very catchy song, has a great groove, a stellar vocal performance, and it’s fun to listen to on repeat. Once I was into the project, I discovered that Kevin Parker (aka Tame Impala) was involved, which brough an extra appreciation and understanding to the vibe of the original song. I worked out a demo for the cover and re-used way more elements of the original song, leaving more of a funk-rock feel in sections, but it never quite felt cohesive.
Given the story of my child coming into the world, a lot of this song was a reflection upon my own childhood and influences. My attempt to hold true to the original’s nostalgic callbacks was to infuse the influences of my own musical journey into the song – yet another kind of “training season”. The disjointed nature and dynamic shifts of the song reflect my own early life, which my own musical influences helped to express and create an escape from.
You may want to stream the instrumental version of the song while reading this 🎧!
In my version, the instrumental parts key in on vocal queues and concepts brought forth in the lyrics. The beginning of the song reflects more of a romantic seduction, giving the impression that the introduction is pleasant, peaceful, and made to appear as the ideal you have been in search of. The layers are more hazy and dreamlike to reflect the way we can project our ideals onto someone new, whether or not we can see what is true. Further, many of the parts were recorded multi-layered without the other layers audible when recording, creating intentional variations in the resulting mix – a representation of both shiftiness and lack of ability to settle on one choice over others.
Each transition offers a moment to take in the song and be open to the unknown ahead.
We move into conversation, as fluttering guitars dance, trying to fit with the bass.
The fuzz guitars enter at the periphery, occasionally interlock with the other instruments, but take attention away from the protagonist and the words being spoken.
The instrumentation tightens up with rhythmic unison, but there are still moments where the guitar lines stab and create tension. We are constantly surrounded by dreamlike textures. These lines that jump from the background are reminders of the reality in front of us, but they always fade back into the distance, allowing us to fall further into the dream.
Descending unison runs make way to the breakdown which is a reprieve. Things temporarily calm and simplify, then crescendo into the finale. We find simplification and symbiosis in the instrumentation, as the parts work together to build a greater result than what had come before. The last fading notes of the song beg the question of whether or not the love is true or if the truth is that it was all a daydream. The answers to these questions can only be revealed in time.