King Calaway Releases “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)”

Not even a month after they dropped their first studio album, Rivers, King Calaway is back with their first holiday release; a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over)”. Originally released in 1971 to celebrate the end of the Vietnam War, it has since been covered by a variety of artists including Neil Diamond, Celine Dion, REO Speedwagon, Maroon 5 and many others. Now, we get to hear Nashville’s newest, rising country group record it.

This six-man group did not change any of the lyrics to this political, yet historic Christmas track, but definitely gave it their own personal touch. Instead of it starting with an acoustic guitar, King Calaway uses a piano and includes a violin that fades out when the lyrics come in. Throughout the song, the group’s signature harmonies take front and center and at the end, the violin comes back in to give this timeless song a new twist.

The group decided to choose this Christmas song specifically as it reflects the band’s collective spirit and strong belief in togetherness. King Calaway is very familiar with the idea of coming together as all six members are from different cultures, backgrounds, and regions spanning from Tennessee to Minnesota, all the way to Scotland.

“We really tried to convey messages of hope and happiness in the album Rivers we just released and wanted to continue that theme with the release of ‘Happy Christmas.’ We also wanted to pay homage to the great John Lennon – an artist who has influenced us as a band tremendously,” drummer Chris Deaton confessed in a recent press release. “When recording the track, we stayed very true to the original but were still able to instill what is quickly becoming that distinct King Calaway sound. We hope people love our take on this Christmas classic.”

King Calaway’s tour runs until December 1^st. For tickets, head to their website. To keep up with the group, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

“Happy Christmas (War is Over)” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give it a follow for your new country fix.

 

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