Folk Bitch Trio
“Sex On Fire”
Performed for triple j’s “Like A Version”
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
It’s one of my favorite things ever when a song gets covered and flips gender along the way, giving it a whole new feel and perspective from the woman’s point of view.
That’s the story with Folk Bitch Trio’s cover of “Sex On Fire.” It was originally a massive hit for Kings of Leon back in 2008, giving them their first #1 hit in a slew of countries and selling over a million copies. The horny, earnest made-for-radio tune has just enough edginess to feel like you’re a voyeur into someone else’s rockstar sex life. Even just typing that sentence, I’m like, “no wonder this was a hit!”
Through the lens of Folk Bitch Trio, the male bravado of Kings of Leon is stripped away and a lovely folk-a-fied version of the song lays bare to the listener.
What’s left is the gorgeously intertwined voices of Grace Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington and Heide Peverelle, who make up the trio. They recorded this cover for the Australian radio show triple j, which has made a name for itself internationally with their buzzed out “Like A Version” series, which invites groups like Folk Bitch Trio to take on an unexpected tune by someone else.
It creates a whole new perspective on the song and follows some of my other favorite gender flips, like John Prine singing alongside the Cowboy Junkies on the live version of “If You Were The Woman and I Was The Man,” or Jarina De Marco’s subdued disco flip of “Give It To Me Baby,” originally by Rick James.
Their 2025 album “Now Would Be A Good Time” was one of my favorite albums of the year. This cover will be a great gateway drug for folks just getting into Folk Bitch Trio and their incredible songwriting and singing.
