Miriam Clancy & Dion Lunadon Release Cover of The Chills Classic ‘I Love My Leather Jacket’
It’s New Zealand Music Month, the best time to reflect on and release a song by one of the most revered Kiwi bands, The Chills. Miriam Clancy and Dion Lunadon share long-time love for rifftastic banger I Love My Leather Jacket and joined forces to rekindle the magic of this revered cult tune, released globally through Desert Road and Declared Goods on Thursday 28th May, 2026.
The themes in I Love My Leather Jacket resonate deeply with Clancy – those of friendship, grief and existential and magical thinking – and their power-chord delivery wraps the song in a fun feeling straight out of the 1980’s Dunedin music scene.
Nine years ago when Clancy met Martin Phillipps in NYC, he was stoked to hear she had been playing I Love My Leather Jacket in her set around the city for over a year, with a girly octave up. It felt only right to record it by joining forces with another mutual friend – Kiwi rock ‘n’ roll legend Dion Lunadon – and direct Phillipps’ lovely words back to him, echoing how we all feel now that he’s gone.
Clancy and Lunadon convened to record in Brooklyn with guitars, both voices, bass and an organ, then added drummer Stan Mitchell from CBGB’s mainstay Kiwi band The Drongos to lay down some attic drums. Clancy says, “Super pleased to release this twisty version of such a great tune that means a lot to me. I’m glad that the most-excellent guitar riff gets another airing, grateful for all The Chills past and present and also for Aotearoa and the way it brings weird, wonderful and deep beauty into the world. Martin’s musical handprints are everywhere: the soil The Chills have richly sown into is still growing strange and amazing things, and now both of these are true for me: I love my leather jacket and I love my vanished friend.”
Look out for Miriam Clancy’s upcoming full-length release Final Girl, out in October, recorded half in Philly + Brooklyn with a band of musician friends (Moon Mullins, Jeremy McDonald, Chris Parker, Christopher McDonald) and half in New Zealand with co-producer/multi-guy Jolyon Mulholland.
Dion Lunadon releases Rare Gems Volume One June 24th, ten rare and unreleased studio tracks recorded between 2016 and 2026. Vinyl, CD and digital download pre-order is now up on his Bandcamp and smashing new single Crush is out now on all platforms.
