I'll start out by noting that I'm not a stupid n00b, or anything. I'm actually a real musician with experience with multiple instruments, and I have a music theory background (albeit small, I'm mostly self-taught). I wanted to get that away so that my wonderful answerers and I can be on the same page. 
My band and I have been interested in doing a cover of a pop song for some time.We're an alternative/hard rock band, and our music sounds nothing like pop. If course, we could sound like pop if we wanted, but we'd really like to retain our alternative rock sound, hopefully contributing to the genre by covering, not just "ripping off" another artist. Some bands have done amazing covers (anyone hear Seether's new cover? ^_^). A good example of this is Evan's Blue with their covers of Possession by Sarah McLaughlin and Caught A Lite Sneeze by Tori Amos. I mean... they hardly sound like the originals!
You may think I'm lame, but I wanted to do a cover of A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton in the same fashion, keeping true to rock, but doing a cover of an unconventional non-rock song. I'm just not really sure where to begin, or what techniques to use. If anyone has any suggestions, knows a good starting point, or has any experience with this at all, I could really use it! Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them.
-E
My band and I have been interested in doing a cover of a pop song for some time.We're an alternative/hard rock band, and our music sounds nothing like pop. If course, we could sound like pop if we wanted, but we'd really like to retain our alternative rock sound, hopefully contributing to the genre by covering, not just "ripping off" another artist. Some bands have done amazing covers (anyone hear Seether's new cover? ^_^). A good example of this is Evan's Blue with their covers of Possession by Sarah McLaughlin and Caught A Lite Sneeze by Tori Amos. I mean... they hardly sound like the originals!
You may think I'm lame, but I wanted to do a cover of A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton in the same fashion, keeping true to rock, but doing a cover of an unconventional non-rock song. I'm just not really sure where to begin, or what techniques to use. If anyone has any suggestions, knows a good starting point, or has any experience with this at all, I could really use it! Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them.
-E