Photo Credit: Brooke Stevens

Old Crow Medicine Show is looking to start the holiday season off early. The two-time Grammy-nominated ensemble shared that on November 21, they will release a new album steeped in Christmas spirit. OCMS XMAS via Hartland Records is slated to feature two covers and 11 original songs, strung together in multicolored lights and evoking a timeless sense of string-band stomp. As part of the initial listen, the band shared their cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” a piece of the set and a nod to the late artist on his 85th birthday. 

Speaking about the lead single and significance of its arrival, Ketch Sector says, “Of all the Christmas songs the radio stations drench us with as soon as the Thanksgiving feast turns to leftovers, there is only one I never tire of hearing. John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s message of peace, unity, love and understanding makes ‘Happy Xmas (War is Over)’ an anthem all the world over.”

He continues, “Some fifty years after the kids from The Harlem Community Choir lent their voices to this amazing track, the Old Crows gathered the Purple Martin Choir around a microphone in the basement of Episcopal School of Nashville, the school I started, to join us on this revered song celebrating the holiday which honors the Prince of Peace’s birth. Altogether, with young and old singing as one, Old Crow Medicine Show stands up with the peacemakers around the globe, pushing those in power to put an end to war.”

Beyond their interpretation of Lennon’s yuletide celebration, OCMS XMAS presents “December 26,” a songwriting debut for the band’s longtime member, Morgan Jahnig. “All About a Baby” is dipped in Zydeco, and “North By Northeast” gives regional residents a song that honors the harsh winters and short days. Elsewhere on the record, “Holly Jolly Christmas” pulls in assistance from horn players from the Tennessee State University ensemble Brassville. 

“We’re in the joy business,” Secor says via press release. “From the very start, a lot of the virtues of Christmas—the revelry, the sing-alongs, the happiness—have been present in our show.”

The band will support the record on the road, with the first-ever “Holiday Hootenanny” tour, which begins on December 3 in Fayetteville, Ark., followed by nine stops that will take place in the Southern part of the country before Midwest stops and ultimately an East Coast conclusion on December 20 in Englewood, N.Y. See a complete list of dates below. Purchase tickets at www.crowmedicine.com/tour. 

Pre-order OCMS XMAS. Listen to “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” below.