Make the Yuletide gay (or lesbian) with these two Christmas albums
Mary Lambert, and Tegan and Sara, bring us joyful tidings with music perfect for the Holidays.
Happy Holigays
Grammy-nominated Mary Lambert, the voice of Macklemore’s triple-platinum “Same Love,” is releasing a holiday EP with covers of classics such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and originals, as only Mary can create them, such as the single, “Seasonal Depression,” a song about the necessary self-are at a difficult time of year.
Mary has revealed her own mental health journey around her bipolar disorder and true to the singer-songwriter’s signature honesty, she doesn’t shy away from the issue just because this is a Christmas album.
Happy Holigays was produced and engineered by Mary at home under lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. While in quarantine, Mary experienced anxiety at being in a higher-risk group for contracting Covid-19, and making an album seemed like an act of self-care as well as artistry.
“I wrote ‘Seasonal Depression’ after I received a phone call from a friend who was experiencing suicidal thoughts. I planned on writing a classic Christmas song, and ended up writing a song about eating snacks and crying! I guess this is the effect of the trash fire of 2020,” says Mary.
“Christmas Cookies” features Mary’s partner, a nonbinary professor in a country music inspired duet. “Wyatt and I play music all the time together, and I thought their voice would sound perfect in the song. We were dying of laughter while recording, so I included some of that in the actual track,” says Mary.
The EP is satisfying in a more traditional way, too, with some classic Christmas covers, some piano, and an operatic rendition of “Ave Maria” with longtime collaborator and best friend, Tim Mendonsa on guitar.
Pre-order Happy Holigays here.
Happiest Season
Facet Records / Warner Records proudly present the Happiest Season soundtrack, executive produced by GRAMMY Award-nominated songwriter and Facet Records co-founder Justin Tranter (Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Bebe Rexha, The Chicks).
In celebration of the queer community, and this film which is arguably the first-ever queer romantic holiday movie, written and directed by Clea DuVall, eleven tracks feature LGBTQ+ songwriters or artists. The star-studded tracklist including Sia, LP, Tegan and Sara and more.
“There are LGBTQ artists and/or songwriters on every original song,” says Justin Tranter. “The soundtrack’s focus is on LBTQ women to pay tribute to the brilliant queer woman who co-wrote and directed the movie. I hope we did you proud Clea!”
HAPPIEST SEASON TRACKLISTING
- Anne-Marie – “Think of Christmas”
- Bebe Rexha & Shea Diamond – “Blame It on Christmas”
- BAYLI– “Jingle Bells”
- Shea Diamond – “Mrs. Claus”
- Jake Wesley Rogers – “O Holy Night”
- Sia – “Candy Cane Lane”
- Brandy Clark – “Only Time of Year”
- kennedi – “Christmas Morning”
- Carlie Hanson – “Chosen Family”
- Tegan and Sara – “Make You Mine This Season”
- LP – “Silent Night”
Pre-order Happiest Season here and get “Make You Mine This Season” here.
