The 10 best indie covers of classic Christmas songs
So, this is Christmas, and once more, the same 20 or so tracks fill the airways, proving yet again that nailing yuletide music is the trickiest cracker of them all. If you can do it, then it’s a yearly royalty present that you’ll never regret. After all, it is estimated that Mariah Carey brings in roughly £2million each and every year from ‘All I Want for Christmas’. The magic seasonal song puzzle might be difficult to crack, but there are millions to be made if you can.
However, if that feat evades you, then you can always try your hand at a cover. Even the grumpiest humbug ends up singing them anyway, so there is no harm in a professional artist dabbling in a bit of festive cheer. Sometimes, these stars can even bring something fresh to the track and illuminate a new angle of Christmas. As Mark E. Smith said of his holiday views: “Christmas is more of a family time…where families can beat each other up.”
So, with that antagonistic reality-check fresh in our minds. We’re looking at the finest indie covers of classic Christmas tracks. Noel Gallagher might have said, “I fucking hate it with a passion”, but not every alternative artist agrees with his stance. Christmas seems to be a time when they can let their mask of ‘cool’ slip, and we’ve preserved those moments for eternity in the list below.
Without further jingly ado, from The Fall and Phoebe Bridgers to Arctic Monkeys and Shame, we’ve picked out the best Christmas covers that the indie world has to offer. Pour out a tipple and enjoy.
The 10 best indie covers of classic Christmas songs:
‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ – The Fall
The Fall’s acerbic post-punk autodidact Mark E. Smith doesn’t have much time for pompous posturing, he made that much clear when he sacked Marc Riley for dancing to Deep Purple. However, if this led you to believe that he would be the Salford Scrooge, then think again. He might have been mean, but he was never green. He did, however, hold truth as a pinnacle virtue, and when it comes to Christmas, no amount of tinsel and tradition can mask the inherent angst.
In truth, he’s pretty much nailed it there. Lord knows what Christmas around the Smith household looked like, but his explanation of a manic family get-together sounds like something he would have loved. Thusly, he seized upon this with his wild cover of ‘Hark the Harald Angels Sing’, cutting the traditional facsimile in favour of the true spirit of festivities.
‘Last Christmas’ – Arctic Monkeys
If you can’t have a laugh at Christmas, then what major religious festival can you get yourself up for? Probably none of them. Matt Helders has always been the most outgoing member of the Arctic Monkeys, so when he uprooted from his drum stool during their 2009 tour, fans knew that a treat was in store for them, and most likely a wry one at that.
What followed was a little stocking filler of joy. Helders has always displayed his singing talents with backing vocals, but seemingly when he goes front and centre, his timbre suits George Michael like a glass slipper. Brimming with a sense of humour, Helders whisks up the wonder of Christmas romance with aplomb. And who knew that they ripped off Wham! for the chords of ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’.
‘Must Be Santa’ – Kurt Vile
Kurt Vile has always been one of the most wholesome folks in the indie scene. Now, the father has recruited two little helpers to help him deliver a serving of Christmas as he tackles Bob Dylan’s ‘Must be Santa’ with his daughters. Admittedly, Dylan’s outing is less of a classic and more of an oddity, but it is the season to be jolly, so we’ll let the maestro off with that one.
“I thought I’d do an acoustic version and have my daughters sing backup, but then it turned into more of a weird synth version with their vocals, which is really the hook,” Vile explains. Happily adding: “I figured Bob wouldn’t hear it, but I still wanted to do it justice, and once I got my daughters singing with me I hoped he would at least like it. Now I know… he loves it [laughs]. Merry Christmas, Bob Dylan.” You can check out Vile’s version on Spotify.
‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ – Phoebe Bridgers
Bridgers takes this classic for an eerie, dreamy spin that somehow nails the drive-home feel of sleepy familiarity. It is certainly not a rendition that is going to light up the Christmas party and have people calling for a round of delicious Baby Guinness, but it definitely encapsulates a certain mystic essence of Christmas away from the tinsel.
All the old renditions by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Judy Garland have hinted at this morose, mellowed homecoming appeal, but Bridgers illuminates it like a homestead in Whoville. Moreover, she has a silken voice so tender that it could lull an excitable child to sleep and allow Santa to slip down the chimney in secret, bearing gifts for the morn. Never has the paradox of haunting yet comforting been more apparent.
‘Last Christmas’ – Lucy Dacus
Bridgers mate Lucy Dacus, however, went the other way with her Christmas cover, offering a rocking indie facelift to this pop classic. Filled with distortion and an adrenalised tempo, Dacus rattles off a sultry toe-tapper reminiscent of the sounds that used to fill sticky dancefloors around 2006. The song, just like those knackered converse years, is a ragged bit of fun.
If you’re going to cover a classic, then you may as well have a laugh with it. Dacus understood that she was never going to assail the original, so she decided to thrash it about just to see the look on its face. The result is a song that will certainly put an extra bit of pep in your step this year, just go easy if you plan on indie stepping on the icy pavement with this pounding.
‘Stay Another Day’ – Chvrches
East 17’s ‘Stay Another Day’ is a British Christmas classic, despite making no reference to the festive season within the song. The white parka jackets worn by the boyband in the video have become infamous. Unfortunately, Chvrches decided against donning the attire when they covered the track in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge in 2013.
The Scottish electronic outfit put their own twist on the 1990s hit and brought it completely into their realm. Sonically, it’s unrecognisable from the original, and Lauren Mayberry’s vocals insert a sense of dread into the cover. If you’re after an uplifting, festive favourite, then Chvrches’ version of ‘Stay Another Day’ isn’t for you, but their ability to transform it deserves commendation.
‘Feliz Navidad’ – Shame ft. Sorry
South London post-punkers Shame and Sorry teamed up for a Christmas cover in 2018 and opted for the Latino classic, ‘Feliz Navidad’. The Puerto Rican artist José Feliciano first recorded the track in 1970 after enduring homesickness in America and missing the comforts of his family surroundings.
When Feliciano recorded ‘Feliz Navidad’, he could never have guessed the international appeal the track would attract. Over 50 years from the song’s release, it’s still a permanent fixture on Christmas playlists, likely putting his grandkids through college. Shame and Sorry’s ramshackle version was sadly only performed once at Élysée Montmartre, Paris, but thankfully, footage exists. Shame wrote on Twitter: “we finally caved to peer pressure and played Feliz Navidad live. never again. ft @sorrybanduk.”
‘Last Christmas’ – The XX
In 2012, The XX were guests in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge in the run-up to Christmas, and similarly to Chvrches, they decided to inject an ounce of festive spirit into their appearance. The three-piece chose Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ as their cover, and they did the original justice with their creative reimagining of the hit.
There are two ways of covering a cheesy Christmas song. One option is to turn it into a karaoke session, or alternatively, follow The XX’s guide and treat the song deadly seriously. It was a tactic which panned out to be a spellbinding decision for the Mercury Prize winners, with Oliver Sim and Romy’s jostling vocals adding new spice to a familiar favourite.
‘Wonderful Christmas Time’ – Mac DeMarco
Every year, Mac DeMarco treats his fans to a festive cover around Christmas, which has become an annual tradition. DeMarco began the series with ‘White Christmas’ in 2015. He’s also taken on ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ and ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’. However, the highlight from DeMarco’s Christmas canon is his take on Paul McCartney’s ‘Wonderful Chrismas Time’.
Characteristically, DeMarco added an irreverent touch to the cover and the art which accompanied the release, depicting him and McCartney sitting together on a sofa. The caption reads: “It was a Christmas miracle. We had become one, we melded. Paul’s thoughts became mine, and mine became his. Flies had gathered to feed on all the beauty of Christmas that seeped from our pores.
‘Santa Baby’ – Wolf Alice
Since Eartha Kitt shared the original ‘Santa Baby’ in 1953, it’s become one of the most covered songs of the festive season. Artists who have taken it on include Taylor Swift, Gwen Stefani, Kylie Minogue, and Madonna, but Wolf Alice’s take is the sweetest.
In 2017, the group chose to cover Christmas favourite for their Spotify session, which was recorded at Strongroom Studios in East London. Wolf Alice took a minimalist approach with their delightful version. The four-piece mined a beautiful winter warmer, which acts as the perfect soundtrack while sitting around a crackling fire and deserves more attention.
