Credit: Andy EarlFollowing Dolores O’Riordan‘s unexpected death in January 2018, Bad Wolves released a cover of the Cranberries single, “Zombie.” The cover was a hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs and charting on the Hot 100.
However, the surviving members of The Cranberries aren’t as big fans of Bad Wolves’ version.
“[I] didn’t really like it,” drummer Fergal Lawler tells ABC Audio. “It wasn’t my cup of tea.”
O’Riordan was actually supposed to be featured on Bad Wolves’ take on “Zombie,” but unexpectedly passed before getting a chance to record her vocals. In releasing the cover, Bad Wolves announced they’d be donating the proceeds to O’Riordan’s family.
Still, Fergal and his band mates weren’t especially comfortable with the timing of the cover’s release. O’Riordan died January 15, and Bad Wolves dropped their “Zombie” four days later on January 19.
“I think it was a bit too soon,” says guitarist Noel Hogan. “For my liking, anyway.”
“The whole thing seemed insensitive or something,” Lawler adds.
As Bad Wolves’ “Zombie” was zooming up the charts, the surviving Cranberries were grieving the loss of their frontwoman, as well as working on a new album, In the End, which features O’Riordan’s final vocal recordings.
“[To each] their own, it just…we had other things, as well, going on at the time that we were focusing on,” says Hogan, adding that he doesn’t wish any of the Bad Wolves members “any kind of ill will.”
In the End, the final Cranberries album, was released last April. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album.
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