2020 has definitely been a wild year- but we finally made it to the holiday season! With Christmas one day away, I’ve put together a list of some of the must-have holiday country songs for your holiday playlist, that are sure to bring you some cheer.
Sons of Daughters, “Moonshine & Mistletoe”
Contemporary Canadian country duo, Sons of Daughters (Chrystal Leigh & Jimmy Thow), recently released their holiday single, “Moonshine & Mistletoe” which was written by Jimmy Thow, Chrystal Oudijk and William Tracy Byarlay. But this isn’t your typical holiday song– the song has some serious edge, and it’s just the table-turner we need in 2020. Drawing upon a rock-country sound, it has a heavy presence of the drums. Making it an upbeat song that is bound to get everyone jamming along.
The lyrics take a country twist on the age-old Christmas song, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, by explaining why Santa truly is coming to town– and in this case, it’s to hit on the country girls and for the moonshine. Let’s not forget about Santa’s reindeer, who also let loose and drink in this song. So if you want to switch things up, then this is the song for you.
Jerry Sereda,“Santa’s Got a New Ride”
Yet another twist on a classic holiday story, we have Jerry Sereda’s, Santa’s Got a New Ride.” Written by Jerry Sereda, Codie Prevost and Troy Kokol, this is a fun, lighthearted song that re-imagines Santa as a countryman who drives a brand-new Dodge instead of a sleigh. And Santa’s new ride isn’t left up to the imagination, with the strong imagery present within the lyrics, “Up there on the rooftop… sittin’ in a new Dodge. Chrome rims and pinstripes, With a lift kit, sittin’ large, jacked-up, turbocharged, mud flaps and straight pipes, Lightin’ up the sky, rippin’ up the night, lookin kinda like Santa’s got a new ride” (Jerry Sereda, 0:36-0:58). Overall, the song has the makings of a fun, new holiday country classic that the whole family can enjoy.
Don Amero, “Don’t Let Christmas Pass You By”
Don Amero, “Don’t Let Christmas Pass You By” is an emotional tribute to his father who passed away in 2016. It’s a slower, melodic song that hits you right in the heart. The message behind the song is one we all need to hear in 2020- to not take the time we have for granted, and not let the moments we have with our loved ones pass us by. To call our loved ones and check in on them, whether it being over zoom or facetime. To truly be there for our friends and family who may be going through a rougher time with Christmas looking a little different this year and the pandemic impacting so many. Yet this is just one of many holiday songs off of Don Amero’s Holiday EP, “Amero Little Christmas”. There’s truly a song for everyone on the album, so it’s worth checking out!
Scarlett Butler, “Christmases With You”
Emerging country group Scarlett Butler (husband & wife duo Joni Delaurier & Troy Kokol), recently released their debut single, “Christmases with You”. With just one listen, it’s instantly become a holiday favourite. This is a heartfelt, sweet holiday song that speaks about going through the holiday seasons together as a family and how they often are some of the fondest memories we share with our loved ones. With a standout line being, “It was GI Joe and mistletoe and 12 below and our breath would turn to white” (Scarlett Butler, 0:53-0:59), which is reminiscent of childhood/family Christmas memories- leaving listeners nostalgic. So if you’re looking for a song that speaks to the true meaning of the holidays, then this is the song for you.
Charlie Weber, “Don’t Tell Me It’s Christmas”
Charlie Weber is a Canadian Americana/folk artist hailing from London, ON. In 2019, Weber released a single in collaboration with Julia Haggarty, titled “Don’t Tell Me It’s Christmas”. The song was written by Julia Elizabeth Haggarty, Charles Daniel Weber & Alex Carl Emrich. While this isn’t a 2020 song, it’s still worth including in the mix. The song has a strong acoustic guitar opening, that carries you straight to the melodic and emotional lyrics that speak about missing someone you love and how difficult the holidays can be for those who spend them alone or away from their loved ones. If you’re a fan of the Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas”, you’ll love this song.
Ryan Langois, “Glory Hallelujah”
Written by Ryan Langois himself, “Glory Hallelujah” is a fresh holiday song that brings new life to the characters within the traditional Christmas Nativity scene. For, the song imagines what the Donkey, the Shepard/Shepherdess and the Wiseman might be thinking, and how they all came together for the birth of Jesus Christ. Which, are stories we may not have known we needed, but we definitely do! It’s also a very upbeat and cheery song that will surely have you singing along. Not to mention the official lyric video for the song, which was designed by Not Your Designer (Julianna Laine), and really ties the whole song together.
Follow the artists & check out their music:
Sons of Daughters:
Website: https://www.sonsofdaughters.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/sonsofdaughters/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/sonsofdaughtersmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sonsofdaughters
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6PFwa7Q53EIBWY2Yc1K0nR
Don Amero:
Website: http://donamero.com/
IG: https://instagram.com/donamero/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/donameromusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/donaldamero
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6vHn9yt7XU0dwlw0677xxs
Jerry Sereda:
Website: https://www.jerrysereda.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jerrysereda/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/JerrySeredaMusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jerrysereda
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/05Ep4irecODok0zZU7M2DS
Scarlett Butler:
Website: https://scarlettbutler.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wearescarlettbutler/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/ScarlettButlermusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IScarlettButler
Charlie Weber:
Website: https://www.charlie-weber.ca
Ryan Langois:
Website: https://www.ryandlangloismusic.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/ryan.langlois.music/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Ryan.Langlois.Music
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryan_d_langlois
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kPyAErBc0UrOH2ZDqmN7I
Works Cited
Charlie Weber & Julia Haggarty – Topic. “Don’t Tell Me It’s Christmas”. Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 1 Dec. 2019. Web. 23 Dec. 2020. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGmeCta5Mxs>.
Don Amero. “Don’t Let Christmas Pass You By-Don Amero”. Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 8 Dec. 2016. Web. 23 Dec. 2020. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv98-Pm_v3Q>.
Jerry Sereda. “Jerry Sereda – Santa’s Got a New Ride (Official Music Video)”. Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 14 Nov. 2020. Web. 23
Dec. 2020. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2tLUFCSmfc>/
Ryan Langois. “GLORY HALLELUJAH – Official Video” Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 11 Dec. 2020. Web. 23 Dec. 2020 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMht-w1o1_4>.
Scarlett Butler- Topic. “Christmases With You”. Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 22 Nov. 2020. Web. 23 Dec. 2020 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxkqgrJCpw>.
Sons of Daughters. “Sons of Daughters – Moonshine & Mistletoe”. Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 30 Nov. 2020. Web. 23
Dec. 2020 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83LH-QM-pRc>.
