Initially unwilling, Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, the principal source of original material for the band, accepted the task as a challenge.

Friese-Greene: "I had a drum pattern loosely inspired by Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' and Mark was playing 'Green Onions' organ over the top."

In 2009, "Life's What You Make It" was covered by Australian rock musician Rowland S. Howard for his final solo album Pop Crimes.

[34] American rock band Joywave covered the song for a Spotify Singles release for the music streaming service in 2018.

[35] The track appeared in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, where it plays on the fictional in-game pop radio station Flash FM.