Artist: Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors
Song: “Let It Snow”
Album: Let It Snow EP
In Their Words: “We are thrilled to release this new Christmas EP. It has our take on the classic ‘Let It Snow’ and two original songs — Ellie singing ‘Christmas Style’ and our first-ever Scrooge song, ‘It’s Christmas.’ ‘Let It Snow ‘ is one of my favorite Christmas songs to sing with the family around the holidays. Was a really fun one to record with Ellie.” — Drew Holcomb
Artist: Samantha Fish
Song: “Run Run Rudolph”
In Their Words: “‘Run Run Rudolph’ is always such an upbeat song, we thought it would be cool to dip it in some noir. It’s catchy and fun. I wanted to pay homage to the classic Chuck Berry song, yet interpret it in a different way. I think it walks the line between vintage rock ‘n’ roll and being a unique track all its own.” — Samantha Fish
Artist: Wade Bowen
Song: “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
Album: Twelve Twenty-Five
In Their Words: “Christmas has always been the most personal of holidays, with its combination of faith and family. That was true for me while growing up and it’s still true for me today, albeit in a completely different way. As a husband and father who spends so much time traveling the world playing music, I love the feeling the Christmas season brings to my life. And I recognize how quickly time passes and how each Christmas is unique and fleeting. With my family, I try to keep the best parts of the warm, magical, small-town vibe that my parents gave me while growing up in Waco.
“I’ve always wanted to make a Christmas album that reflects all of that. All that I’ve grown to love. I can remember sitting around listening to Christmas music with my mom and sisters and singing every word. So when it came time to choose the songs for this album, I wanted those to be part of the project. But on top of the classic songs I grew up with, I want to introduce my kids to the modern holiday songs by my favorite singers or things that I watched on TV that also became part of what Christmas means to me. So this record is a reflection of all of that…with a timeless feel. It was made with friends and family, singing songs that came to mean something to me over the years. And maybe, if we’re lucky, something on this album might become a small part of what Christmas means to you. I hope you enjoy it.” — Wade Bowen
Artist: Phöenix Lazare
Song: “Winter White”
Album: Winter White/Evergreen
In Their Words: “‘Winter White’ is a full-spirited Christmas lullaby that celebrates the magical annual transition into the holidays. Capturing the warm glow of the season, the song is straight from my heart. This is emulated in the vocals, piano and soft drums that lie underneath lyrics reflecting on the small miracles of a simple, yet meaningful holiday. I hope ‘Winter White’ transports listeners to a cozy, familiar kitchen or fireside.” — Phöenix Lazare
Artist: Josh Rouse
Song: “Christmas Songs”
Album: The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse
From the Artist: “[‘Christmas Songs’] was written a few weeks before recording the record. I was on tour in Sweden and I needed one more song to add to the group I had been collecting for years, an end credit if you will. I had Lee Hazlewood and the album Cowboy in Sweden in mind.” — Josh Rouse
Artist: Valerie June
Song: “Let It Snow” (single)
In Their Words: “Since the holiday season seems to begin sooner and sooner each year, my favorite holiday songs are the ones that make you want to cuddle up with a warm cup of tea and watch through the window as the season shifts from fall to winter.” — Valerie June
Artist: Bear’s Den
Song: “Only Son of the Falling Snow”
Album: Only Son of the Falling Snow (EP)
In Their Words: “I wrote the song a while ago. It’s a very nostalgic and reflective song which imagines someone looking back on their own life and walking into their old house, reliving some pivotal moments of their life and re-engaging with who they are as a person and where they’re at now. I read Winter, the novel by Ali Smith, and it really inspired me to want to write songs specifically about winter. I think it’s an incredibly inspiring time of year and it was a really fun and collaborative process for Kev and I to work on these songs, flesh them out, and bring them to life: embracing piano ideas and more acoustic elements whilst still exploring electronic textures behind the more reflective lyrics and sparse arrangements. We’re very proud to share this song with you.” — Andrew Davie, Bear’s Den
Artist: Old 97’s
Song: “Snow Angels”
Album: Love the Holidays
In Their Words: “‘Snow Angels’ is a holiday song written in the tradition of ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ Unlike really any other song I’ve ever written, it deals with issues of social justice and world peace in a very upfront way. We are all the same and we are all brothers.” –Rhett Miller
Artist: Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes
Song: “A Week in December”
Album: Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes: A Week in December
In Their Words: “I actually wrote this one in the height of summer (maybe that means I’ve levelled up as a songwriter? It’s a challenge to write a Christmas song in your shorts…haha). But I really started thinking about it last winter visiting a friend in Calgary, and talking about that trip home for that ‘week in December’ that most can manage when they live away.
I think most people who make that visit are confronted with quite a mix of emotions: obviously all the happy ones with family and friends, but also the more difficult ones of seeing your old home with different eyes, and seeing how things have changed. I found that balance interesting to write about, trying to capture that back and forth: beautiful lights…in bad weather, going to a Christmas bar show…that’s cacophonous. It falls into that introspective side of ‘end of the year’ songs, but for my friend – and for me – it ultimately reminds us why we go home that same time every year.
I’m singing with Nancy Hynes, who is my partner in ‘real life,’ and has sung harmony on my records since 2011. This album is called Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes: A Week in December, and is our first true duo record, featuring 10 Christmas classics and 2 originals. Nancy’s love of Christmas music was a driving force from the start, and I knew it would be a duo record right from pre-production.
Director Andrew Winter had a good idea when it came to the overlays using some clever tools in After Effects, and we found some treasure troves of footage — both his and ours — that brought things together. I think he did a great job of adding a different dimension to the song while still keeping true to it — an under-appreciated challenge in making music videos.” – Ian Foster
Artist: Dailey & Vincent
Song: “Let It Snow”
Album: The Sounds of Christmas
In Their Words: “We wanted to include “Let It Snow” on The Sounds of Christmas because when you hear the song’s familiar lyrics and cheerful melody, you can’t help but get into the Christmas spirit.” — Dailey & Vincent
