When viewers turned on the season two premiere of HBO Max hit series \u201cThe Pitt\u201d on Thursday, the first thing they heard was the dramatic percussion intro of The Clarks\u2019 \u201cBetter Off Without You.\u201d<\/p>\n
The inclusion of the Pittsburgh music scene titans was an effort by producers to add local flavor to the Pittsburgh-set series. On Thursday, The Clarks released a new EP titled \u201cEchoes From The Pitt\u201d with a re-recorded version of \u201cBetter Off Without You\u201d to introduce a new influx of listeners to the band.<\/p>\n
The Clarks formed at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1986 and found success with songs such as \u201cPenny on the Floor\u201d and \u201cCigarette.\u201d Their most successful album to date \u2014 2000\u2019s \u201cLet It Go\u201d \u2014 included \u201cBetter Off Without You.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lead singer Scott Blasey told TribLive that \u201cThe Pitt\u201d executive producer R. Scott Gemmill reached out to the band last summer about putting their music in the show.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe started looking into Pittsburgh music and he came across The Clarks,\u201d Blasey said. \u201cHe found our music, he really liked it, really loved \u2018Better Off Without You\u2019 and decided he wanted to use it in the opening.\u201d<\/p>\n
To capitalize on this new exposure, the band\u2019s manager suggested they put out a new EP with \u201cThe Pitt\u201d in its name. In the fall, The Clarks headed into the studio and re-recorded \u201cBetter Off Without You (The Clarks Version)\u201d along with laying down covers of \u201cWouldn\u2019t It Be Good\u201d by Nick Kershaw and \u201cWalk Away\u201d by The James Gang. The EP also includes the band\u2019s two most recent singles, \u201cNo. 9\u201d and \u201cSupernatural.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new version of \u201cBetter Off Without You\u201d is faithful to the original but features harder-hitting drums and a crisper, more prominent guitar that enhance the rock tune.<\/p>\n