San Cisco on covering Wiggles song H.O.L.I.D.A.Y. for ReWiggled and their April 2022 Canberra show

While that list is sure to be filled with a few names that have inspired your love of music, it's highly unlikely that The Wiggles would be included.

That was until the children's group pulled out all of the stops with their Like A Version cover of Tame Impala's Elephant, which went on to win Triple J's Hottest 100. The band is sure to be showing up on wishlists of young up-and-comers across Australia - putting bands such as San Cisco in an enviable position.

The three-piece from Fremantle was behind the cover of The Wiggles' 2018 song, H.O.L.I.D.A.Y. as part of ReWiggled. Along with San Cisco, the double album sees other contemporary Aussie acts doing Wiggles covers, before the children's group dish up their renditions of famous songs like AC/DC's Thunderstruck and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

Either way, they're covers unlike any other - and earned The Wiggles their first number one spot on the charts.

"I think their recent time in the limelight, like getting number one in the Hottest 100 and doing covers of Triple J bands, I think they've connected with a Triple J audience," San Cisco's Josh Biondillo says.

In what may be a record for most lead-up time for a San Cisco cover, Biondillo - along with bandmates Scarlett Stevens and Jordi Davieson - were in talks with The Wiggles for almost a year ahead of the release of H.O.L.I.D.A.Y.

San Cisco themselves had not long released their latest album, Between You and Me, and were playing shows in their home state of Western Australia, which had put a delay on the ReWiggled project. That was until Stevens was flicking through The Wiggles one day, looking for some inspiration.

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"She found H.O.L.I.D.A.Y. and sent it through and said 'This could be good and I feel like we could do a good job of this," Biondillo says.

"It came together very organically. It's all a bit of a blur, to be honest, but we did change it up a little bit and put in a bit more of a disco strings vibe.

"I personally really enjoy covering songs, because it's just getting somebody else's song and putting it through the San Cisco filter.

"I think we've been doing it for so long now that our style just catches on various elements of the song and it just sounds like a San Cisco song."

Since its release, the song has gained traction but is yet to make it onto San Cisco's setlist for its east coast regional tour, set to take over UC Refectory on Sunday.

"We haven't been playing it on the tour so far, but I'm sure we could figure it out and learn it pretty quickly live. It wouldn't be too hard," Biondillo says.

The tour will, of course, mainly focus on San Cisco originals, in particular songs of its fourth album Between Me and You, for what will be the first time on the east coast.

It's been a long time in the making, with the album coming out at the end of 2020, but such is life during the pandemic.

"It will been really good to see how the album has been received on stage and which songs kind of connect with the crowd," Biondillo says.

"It's a good gauge to see and just get an idea and a feel for what people are into. And it's just the most direct, raw honest response."

San Cisco is at UC Refectory on Sunday, 8pm. Tickets from Moshtix.

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