DEFTONES’ Stephen Carpenter Names Favorite Cover of the Band

Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter made yet another appearance on ‘The Dr. Greenthumb Show’ last week, joining Cypress Hill’s B-Real and crew for a laid-back chat covering a range of topics — all while partaking in the show’s signature herbal refreshments.

During the conversation, the topic of cover songs surfaced early on, leading Carpenter to reflect on Deftones’ own history with covers, including their once-regular live rendition of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So”. That track was a staple of their setlists from the mid-90s through 2007, making its final appearance during a June 2007 performance.

While Carpenter didn’t dwell long on the band’s covers, he did highlight a standout reinterpretation of a Deftones song that caught his attention: Bad Rabbits’ soulful take on “Sextape.” Originally released back in January 2011, the post-hardcore/funk outfit’s spin on the ‘Diamond Eyes’ deep cut left a lasting impression on Carpenter. He commented:

“I’ve heard lots of actually good covers. There’s a band that does one of our songs, I can’t remember their name right now, I would only mess it up… They did ‘Sextape.’ I want to say they’re from back East, I can’t remember. There’s some people out there that do some really good versions. Some people do it exact and some people really mix it up, and do like, you know, a whole ‘nother version of it. It’s dope.”

After some back-and-forth with the show’s hosts, Carpenter confirmed the cover he had in mind was indeed Bad Rabbits’ version.

Elsewhere in the episode, co-host C-Minus brought up Failure’s 1998 cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence,” prompting Carpenter to share his appreciation for the band’s unique approach:

“I love their covers, because they have a signature style of chord progression that they kind of do. Like they do all the progressions that you’re familiar with, except for they bend one part, and you’re like ‘ahh!’… So when they do covers that’s how it is. You’ll hear the song, you’ll know the song, but then they bend it.”

With a new wave of fans discovering Deftones through viral moments on TikTok, cover versions of the band’s catalog continue to surface. Just last month, “For The Song You Saved: A Tribute To Deftones” saw 23 artists reimagine songs from across the band’s storied discography, with proceeds benefiting charity.

Additionally, Mac Glocky’s 2023 covers album “Defstyle” offered a creative, genre-bending tribute to the band’s influential sound. Another standout from this year includes Winnetka Bowling League’s hauntingly stripped-down version of “My Own Summer (Shove It),” recorded as part of a studio challenge issued by Musora. That cover is currently available via all major digital platforms.

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