Artist: Robbie Robertson
Song: “Happy Holidays”
In Their Words: “We love Christmas and the holidays, it brings good cheer, and also stress and depression, so I wanted to do a song that celebrates both sides and have a little fun.” — Robbie Robertson
Artist: Liz Vice
Song: “Refugee King”
In Their Words: “I don’t write very often. Songwriting often feels like a miracle and when I’m in a space to write there is an hour of wrestling myself to just chill, surrender, and let the music come to me.
“‘Refugee King’ was written during a songwriting retreat at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Five of us were put into a group together. We could either write an original song or rewrite a well-known carol. We decided to rewrite ‘Away in a Manger.’ One thought that came to mind was, ‘How does a crying baby change this whole image we tend to celebrate around Christmas?’ The arrival of Jesus wasn’t pretty and a lot of babies died during this time.
“The story of Christmas is less about gifts under a tree, but about Jesus coming to this hot mess of a world to invite us to indulge in what heaven has to offer on earth (now).
“I thought about this song often and as time went on, I knew the song was begging to be released to reach the people it was supposed to reach. I didn’t release the song to be a voice for anything other than the story of Jesus. Humans just tend to repeat history.
“I first performed the song when I opened for the Blind Boys of Alabama. While we waited to hit the stage, the band that I had hired sat in the lobby. To kill a little time, I decided to record a live take. After that short tour, while visiting family in Portland, I reached out to some people I knew and recorded the song. It was a pretty quick turnaround. I knew what I wanted and I wanted it to be simple and that’s how I produced it. Vocals, guitar, cello, and had my friend in Virginia, Orlando Palmer, add some of his sweet piano playing on it. Had my friend Danny mix and a woman who did the mastering for my vinyl master this track.
“Turned out great and I’m hoping that this song just causes people to pause and re-evaluate the real story of the birth of Jesus.” — Liz Vice
Artist: BAILEN
Song: “Christmas Is All Around”
Album: we did a Christmas thing (EP)
In Their Words: “The holidays are nothing without some fun romcoms, and we are all big fans of Richard Curtis and Bill Nighy and thought it would be funny to cover the cover in the movie Love Actually. It turned out that the song actually lent itself great to harmonies, so we had fun with it and kept it tongue in cheek.” — BAILEN
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
