The Matinee Give “Last Christmas” An Americana Twist
Covering a classic song is always challenging, especially when it is an iconic Christmas tune. But that didn’t stop BC Roots Rock band The Matinee from infusing an Americana twist into their rendition of the holiday single “Last Christmas,” – giving the track a new spin true to the band’s style.
Written by George Michael, and originally released by WHAM! in 1984, the single was never on high rotation for lead vocalist Matt Layzell, but recording this version was a lot of fun for him and the band.
“This song has been stuck in my head for months now, and its lyrics and story have grown on me,” says Layzell.
Fresh off the release of their fourth studio album, Change of Scene (September 22), the band gathered over two days in October to record and produce this new version from their home studio in Vancouver. They sent it down to Steve Dawson (Matt Andersen, Old Man Luedecke, Birds of Chicago) in Nashville to mix it, and he added some sweet pedal steel to the track for that little extra shot of rum in the eggnog.
“We’ve written our own Christmas tunes in the past, but we’ve never taken a stab at one of the classics,” shares Layzell. “You can’t go a few hours without hearing this one during the holidays, and we hope our version stands up and stands out and has you feeling festive for years to come.”