Philip Frobos has released two new covers, and they pair dark humor with coffee and eggs. The Atlanta post-punk musician, who plays guitar in Omni, has shared versions of Sorry’s “Waxwing” and Jane Birkin’s “Kawasaki.”
The releases come after a busy few years for Frobos. He released his debut solo album Vague Enough To Satisfy in 2021, and since then he has kept moving. Omni put out their album Souvenir in 2024, and the band is now marking the anniversary of their debut album Deluxe with a deluxe version. Frobos says these covers have been on his mind for a while.
“‘Waxwing’ and ‘Kawasaki’ were two covers that had been on my docket for some time,” Frobos explains. “‘Waxwing,’ originally by the elegant and occasionally grotesque band Sorry (UK), features dual drumming from Rodrigo Avendaño (Soccer Mommy) and Jonah Swilley (Revival Season, Mattiel) and was recorded by Avendaño at his studio in Atlanta, GA and mastered by Andy Clarke.”
Why He Chose These Two Songs
Frobos says he heard Sorry’s “Waxwing” when the single landed on Stereogum, and he knew immediately he wanted it for his own set. The track caught his attention for reasons that speak directly to his sensibility as a musician.
“I found it to be captivating in its dark humor, contemporary dystopian outlook, and subsequent disengagement,” he says.
The cover draws on a band that Frobos describes as elegant and occasionally grotesque. That tension — the balance between grace and horror — is something he clearly responds to. The dual drumming from Avendaño and Swilley adds texture, and the recording process brought together people working across different projects.
The Birkin Cover And Its History
The second cover, “Kawasaki,” comes from a very different place in time. Frobos frames it as a track whose themes come from a different place and time of societal rejection, apathy, and nihilism. But the source of the track is far older.
“Kawasaki,” also recorded by Avendaño, shares similar themes that come from a different place and time of societal rejection, apathy, and nihilism,” he adds. “Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg, and Jean-Claude Vannier are household staples; Sunday mornings with coffee and eggs, et all.”
The reference to coffee and eggs is a small joke about domestic comfort. It fits the pattern of Frobos finding something strange and compelling in both songs.
Who Built The Record
The production credits read like a map of Atlanta’s indie scene. Avendaño, who plays in Soccer Mommy, recorded both tracks at his studio in Atlanta. Swilley brings Revival Season and Mattiel to the drum chair alongside him. The mastering came from Andy Clarke.
That collective approach shows in the sound of the covers. Frobos is not simply re-recording these songs on his own; he is building them with collaborators who bring their own ideas to the table.
The Stereogum Connection
Frobos mentions Stereogum specifically when talking about “Waxwing.” The reference lands with a small note from the writer, who says they wrote the Stereogum post in question. The connection is personal, and it speaks to how Frobos operates as a listener.
He hears something he likes and moves quickly to make it his own. The Stereogum post was the moment he locked in on the song, and he has spent the time since turning that moment into these recordings.
What The Covers Actually Sound Like
Frobos does not describe the two covers as exact recreations. He describes falling in love with the Sorry track when he saw the single press hit Stereogum, and he found it captivating in its dark humor, contemporary dystopian outlook, and subsequent disengagement. That suggests he approached the songs with his own instincts rather than strict fidelity.
The Anniversary Edition Of Deluxe
Omni’s anniversary edition of Deluxe is part of the backdrop here. The band is currently celebrating the anniversary of their debut album with a deluxe version, and Frobos’ solo work sits alongside that project.
The two covers arrive at a moment when Frobos is juggling multiple fronts. His solo career, his work in Omni, and the anniversary edition all share space in his schedule right now.
What We Make Of It
These covers work because Frobos knows what he wants from them. He hears dark humor and dystopian dread in Sorry’s “Waxwing,” and he hears coffee and eggs alongside societal rejection and nihilism in Birkin’s “Kawasaki.” Those contrasts are what make the pairing interesting.
The production credits tell a story of a musician who builds his work through collaboration rather than isolation. Avendaño’s studio in Atlanta brings people from different bands together, and that collective energy shows in the finished tracks.
Frobos has found a way to honor these songs without copying them. He hears what makes them special and captures that quality in his own performance. The result is two covers that feel like his own work, even when they carry someone else’s title.
Key Facts Box
- Album: Vague Enough To Satisfy (2021)
- Omni albums: Souvenir (2024), Deluxe (anniversary edition)
- Covers released: “Waxwing” by Sorry, “Kawasaki” by Jane Birkin
- Recording: Studio in Atlanta, GA, recorded by Rodrigo Avendaño
- Mastering: Andy Clarke
- Drumming: Dual drumming from Avendaño and Jonah Swilley
The covers are described as part of Frobos’ ongoing solo work.
Source material: “Omni’s Philip Frobos Shares New Sorry & Jane Birkin Covers,” Stereogum.
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