The band said the track was a "dance punk classic" and a "constant in the tour van"
By Poppy Burton 1st February 2026
Sprints, 2026. CREDIT: tom Ham/PRESS
Sprints have shared a rocked-up cover of Le Tigre‘s ‘Deceptacon’ and gushed about the influence of Kathleen Hanna – check out their version below.
- READ MORE: Sprints – ‘All That Is Over’ review: a newly controlled version of the incendiary Dublin rockers
Having risen to fame fronting the legendary punk band Bikini Kill – who spearheaded the riot grrrl movement with their incendiary lyrics and electrifying live performances – Hanna’s presence in the punk scene made it a safer and more inclusive space for women.
AdvertisementAfter their breakup, Hanna went on to front Le Tigre, whose 1999 self-titled debut contained punk classic ‘Deceptacon’, which the Dublin punk band have now reimagined ahead of their return to North America.
Speaking about the significance of the track, vocalist Karla Chubb said: “I’m not sure there’s a woman in the world who plays guitar that hasn’t been inspired by Kathleen Hanna. ‘Deceptacon’ is a dance punk classic, a constant in the tour van, and a cover we used to throw into festival sets for fun.
“What better way to mark our return to the States and honour our love of US Punk than to release our little rendition of ‘Deceptacon.’”
On Wednesday (January 28), Sprints kicked of their tour with a sold-out show in Minneapolis, with further stops set for Toronto, Boston, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and more, before the band return to Europe, the UK, and Ireland across the spring and summer.
RecommendedLast year, the band shared the follow up to 2024’s five-star ‘Letter To Self’ in ‘All That Is Over’. NME gave the record three stars, and said that while much of the experimentation and differentiation on this record was promising, “its weakness tends to be exposed on tracks that are more indebted to the Sprints formula.
“Two driving and heavy tracks, ‘Descartes’ and ‘Need’, come one after another on the first side of the album. On these, the tumbling drums and piercing guitars feel held back by the more measured songwriting, and one may find themself longing for the pure, visceral, incendiary blasts that Sprints have previously done so well.”
