Who does not miss the carefree days of our childhood summers? No mortgage to worry about, no dull jobs, no career plans, no family to take care of, … The summer holidays were just months of idle joy, with nothing more to do than sleep in, hang out, get a tan, and indulge in “Summertime Love.” And what better way to soothe the longing for the sunny season in plain wintertime than with a set of summer-y covers?

With the aptly titled “Summertime Love EP,” A Permanent Shadow look back fondly at the time when the radio soundtracked these long summer days and nights away from school and other responsibilities that were to dominate our future lives.

The set kicks off with a mash-up of Adamski’s “Killer” and Sabrina’s über-hit “Boys (Summertime Love).” Says CP Fletcher, the band’s vocalist: “The Sabrina song has been on my mind for a very long time, in fact we covered it once for a live-in-studio session and loved it so much we decided to record it for a proper release.”

Other covers include “Self-Control” written by Italian singer Raf and made famous by the late Laura Brannigan in the summer of 1984. A Permanent Shadow sped the song up and almost stripped it off its signature riff to show a different side to this absolute smash hit.

Further tracks featured on the EP are “Sweet Harmony” by The Beloved, best remembered for its steamy video, as well as “Mary’s Prayer” by Scottish band Danny Wilson, a beautiful and melancholic single that shook the airwaves in 1987. The closing song is Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s “I Know There’s Something Going On,” originally written by Russ Ballard and produced by none other than Phil Collins. Again, A Permanent Shadow reduced the song to its bare bones and gave it a sheen that has little in common with the ex-ABBA singer’s version. “Doing covers is great fun,” confirms Fletcher, “it’s a fantastic exercise to take someone else’s music and approach it from a different angle.”

Fletcher and multi-instrumentalist/producer Valentí Nieto recorded the EP in Barcelona, with a guest spot from Jonah A. Luke, guitarist and singer in The Foxholes and Fletcher’s bandmate in the Spanish indie rock band, We Are Mono.

“Summertime Love” will be available on all digital platforms from January 17th. The single “Killer Boys” will be out on January 5th, Fletcher’s birthday.