UK based guitar centered pop group Ghost Station are getting everyone into the festive spirit with the release of their brand new original holiday single ‘Christmas Telly‘.
Here we speak exclusively to Ghost Station about their new single and all things Christmas;
What made you want to release a Christmas single?
There’s no doubt that there’s some great Christmas songs out there, The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl, [Paul] McCartney, Slade etc but the reality is that those songs have been around for 30 years and on constant rotation since the Eighties so it seemed like a good idea to write something new that could sit alongside those classics. My background is what used to be called “indie music” where no-one writes Christmas music because it would compromise their serious artist image but to hell with that, I want an old-fashioned knees up! Plus [John] Lennon, Elton [John] and [Bruce] Springsteen have all released Christmas singles before so if it’s good enough for those legends then it’s good enough for Ghost Station!
Are there any Christmas songs that you’d like to cover?
I’d probably go with Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea although I’m not very good at covers as I end up singing in the same style as the original artist. And Chris Rea is far too gravelly for my choir boy tones so I’d need a truck load of throat sweets in the studio.
The new track is inspired by festive TV so which programmes do you enjoy watching over Christmas?
You can’t beat a bit of Morecambe and Wise at Christmas time, legendary comedians. They had something like 20m people plus watching those shows back in the Seventies, that’s double the current EastEnders viewing figures. OK, there was only about three channels back then but it’s still mightily impressive. I think there’s an Alan Partridge documentary this year on BBC 2 so that will be great I’m sure. My 2-year-old will want CBeebies on constantly so I’m hoping for a festive edition of Hey Duggee. If you haven’t got kids then you’ll never have seen it but trust me, it’s genius!
Which Christmas movie is your favourite?
I love Nativity with Martin Freeman, such a great film. Plus the teaching assistant, Mr Poppy, is comedy gold. It’s on Amazon Prime so that will definitely get an airing in our house. Muppet’s Christmas Carol rules as well. You’ve got The Muppets AND Michael Caine. That’s a winning combination in anyone’s book. Michael Caine is such an icon that he’s referenced in another Ghost Station song called ‘Tear It Up’.
Which holiday song gets you feeling all festive?
It’s old school all the way in our house at Christmas time because I like listening to the classics from way back, something like Nat King Cole, chestnuts roasting, all that stuff. I’d like to hear Gregory Porter singing some of those festive tunes from the Fifties as he is one of my favourite vocalists right now. Maybe a little bit of Rod Stewart as well, he does a great duet with Cee-Lo Green on an old up tempo song called Merry Christmas Baby, check it out!
What are your Christmas plans for this year?
I’m heading off to the Canary Islands to escape the cold and then I’ll be back in the UK just before Christmas Eve. You can’t beat a bit of winter sun and they’ve got all the decorations up over there as well to remind you it’s actually December and not mid-summer. It’s a bit weird to be sitting in a bar and listening to White Christmas on the stereo when it’s 25 degrees and there isn’t a cloud in the sky!
What traditions do you typically engage with over the festive period?
I like to watch the Midnight Mass service on the BBC, generally everyone is asleep in our house except me so it’s nice to sit there and contemplate the last 12 months, both personally and what’s been going on in the wider world. Plus it’s important to be thankful for what you’ve got in your life, it’s easily forgotten about in this time of instant gratification.
Do you have any special Christmas memories linked to music?
I remember having to sing a verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem on my own during the school Christmas play when I was about nine or ten. End of term, all the parents in the school hall, it seemed like a big deal back then! I was into drama but I never got any of the big nativity roles. That said, I was the Innkeeper one year, that’s the best it got for me, anything that has the potential for comedic grumpiness gets my vote.
Make sure you follow Ghost Station on Twitter @GHSTN to keep up to date with all their latest music and tour news!
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