Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
The spoken word solo artist gives us an exclusive look at the video to his festive new single
After the 2020 we’ve had, you can forgive the people who have put their Christmas tree up in August as those who are deservedly hungry for a little Christmas cheer… and who want to stop crying randomly when carrying out household chores. Thankfully, it is now December and so you can start to drink in all the festivities guilt-free, without your dad kicking off that Jesus’ birthday celebrations “start earlier and earlier every ******* year.”
Before Sainsbury’s tries to flog their chocolate by commercialising another horrific war, or John Lewis strips down a Slayer song to its bare essence to soundtrack some boardroom inspired schmaltz (making you to question the commercial forces at play and turning you into a Marxist Grinch before the first drop of snow falls), then feast your eyes on the audification of what Charles Dickens was getting at in the form of Faithful Johannes’ excellent new single.
It’s OK To Be Alone (This Christmas) is a very good Christmas song. So good in fact that it could easily soundtrack Love Actually 2. The video, which we’re delighted to get an exclusive look at, has all the charm and DIY ethos of a school nativity play and features Faithful Johannes looking dapper as he rocks a Santa hat and some Sinatra inspired clobber.
We find out more from the man himself…
‘I’ve vowed to release a Christmas song every year until my own demise. I enjoy it. But there’s pressure as December looms. The chorus came to me in the shower in October, the basics of the rest at the piano after I’d got dressed.
The song is directly about it being OK to have Christmas apart from family and friends this year because of the virus, but is also an arm around the shoulder for anyone winding up alone at Christmas any year. I tried a couple of very Covid-specific lines, but felt they clunked a bit, so I left them out.
I had the bones of the song and music written, when Ben (Nel Unlit, Sullivan & Gold) got in touch. I’m in total awe of Ben. He writes fast and confidently. He’s a precise, yet warm singer and musician. He’s like some music sorcerer or alchemist. He Benned all over it with guitars, backing vocals, synths and glockenspiels – he really brought Christmas to the table. You should check Ben’s Christmas Carol album, it’s out now on CD and vinyl via Butterfly Effect.
In the spirit of this year, the video was made at home, with my partner Leslie-Ann filming me doing some top class acting. We haven’t put the tree up yet.
I’m doing a live stream on Facebook Live on Saturday 5th of all my xmas songs (https://fb.me/e/1Wmzh7Tpo ) and I’ll be behind a couple of doors on Richy’s Advent Calendar Zoom fundraiser for the Music Venues Trust on December 13th alongside a bunch load of local heroes ( https://fb.me/e/1ZmDMgVsW ).’
