Stevie Nicks’ ‘Edge of Seventeen’ hits a new inflection point as MAY-A turns the classic grunge-leaning
stevie nicks returned to the center of a fresh cover moment after Australian singer-songwriter MAY-A reimagined the 1981 track “Edge of Seventeen” for triple j’s Like a Version, delivering a guitar-driven, distortion-heavy performance with her live band.
What Happens When Stevie Nicks’ iconic riff is removed and the song is rebuilt?
MAY-A’s Like a Version performance took a deliberate structural risk: “Edge of Seventeen” was stripped back by removing the original’s signature guitar riff and refocusing the opening on a restrained, vocally led arrangement. From there, the cover expanded into a heavier second half defined by distortion, pushing the performance toward a grunge-inflected sound while still leaving space for dynamic turns in the band arrangement.
As the performance developed, the band introduced both guitar and bass solos, but not immediately—holding back the most forceful elements until the second half. The result was a reworking that balanced tenderness with a raspy, rock-edged delivery, placing the vocal at the center while still signaling a clear shift in tone and texture as the cover progressed.
What If the cover’s emotional thesis matters as much as the sound?
MAY-A framed the song choice as intentional, describing a desire to cover something connected to Stevie Nicks specifically because of the way the Fleetwood Mac co-founder writes about loss. In explaining the selection of “Edge of Seventeen, ” MAY-A said she has not seen someone write about grief and loss “in such a powerful and strong way, ” calling that quality “unique and inspiring. ”
That intent shaped the performance’s pacing: starting with restraint rather than immediacy, then widening into something heavier. The cover’s arc—softened opening, distortion-led build, and late-arriving solos—mirrored a move from reflection into release, while keeping the central melody as the anchor point.
What Happens Next for MAY-A after Like a Version—on stage and on record?
The Like a Version appearance also included a live performance of “Last Man on Earth, ” drawn from MAY-A’s debut album Goodbye (If You Call That Gone), released February 20. In comments tied to the album, MAY-A described a deliberate resistance to commercial instincts, calling the record a “slow burn” that listeners “have to sit with, ” and adding that she intentionally avoided making it “hi-fi” or “really catchy and full of hooks, ” aiming for something “as raw as I could make it. ”
The “Edge of Seventeen” arrangement also reflected that preference for experimentation and rawness. Guitarist and collaborator Chloe Dadd played a central role in shaping the final version, with MAY-A describing how the cover came together through extended rehearsal exploration: the song was played “in so many different ways” before the arrangement was built out.
Next, MAY-A is set to take the debut album on the road. The Goodbye (If You Call That Gone) tour begins April 2 at The Princess Theatre in Brisbane, followed by dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, and Adelaide, with MAY-A performing with her live band.
For Like a Version itself, the cover lands during an expanded March slate that doubled the program’s weekly output for the first time, adding both Friday and Tuesday sessions throughout the month—an operational change that also broadens the runway for cover performances like this one to cut through.
In the immediate picture, stevie nicks remains the connective tissue: the original song’s emotional theme, the decision to rebuild its most recognizable musical elements, and the new performance context that turns a classic into a contemporary statement without pretending it is anything other than a reimagining.
