Whether it's an annual Love Actually watch party or getting takeout on Christmas Day, everyone has their own holiday traditions. For the last six years, Phoebe Bridgers has made one of covering the saddest possible holiday song she can get her little Skeletor hands on.
This year, it was the Handsome Family's "So Much Wine," following previous renditions of Tom Waits' "The Day After Tomorrow," Merle Haggard's "If We Make It Through December," Simon & Garfunkel's "7 O'Clock News / Silent Night" in collaboration with Fiona Apple and Matt Berninger, McCarthy Trenching's "Christmas Song" with Jackson Browne and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
Her selections are, evidently, no accident — in a new interview, the singer-songwriter professed her love for "fucked up holiday songs." (While she probably didn't mean holiday songs by the band Fucked Up, if those existed, you would certainly find them on Exclaim's annual Holid-Eh! List.)
Last week, Bridgers sang as Sally opposite Danny Elfman's Jack Skellington in his annual The Nightmare Before Christmas concerts with the BBC Concert Orchestra at London's OVO Arena Wembley, and NME caught up with the two artists backstage. They discussed their performances together, other recent collaborations (like Bridgers's appearance on the "insane" new SZA album SOS) and, of course, the holidays. 'Tis the season, after all.
"I like fucked up holiday songs," Bridgers said of her latest Christmas cover, proceeds from which benefit the Los Angeles LGBT Center. "I always have. I remember being so inspired when I went to Nashville and saw where Elvis had done his Christmas album and, because he's a crazy person, he had to make it feel like Christmas in July."
"It's also a cool thing to do for charity every year, and it's fun. I like tradition," she added.
"Oh god, Fucked Up Holiday Songs," Elfman exclaimed. "I just found the title of my next composition!"
You can watch the full interview below.
This year, it was the Handsome Family's "So Much Wine," following previous renditions of Tom Waits' "The Day After Tomorrow," Merle Haggard's "If We Make It Through December," Simon & Garfunkel's "7 O'Clock News / Silent Night" in collaboration with Fiona Apple and Matt Berninger, McCarthy Trenching's "Christmas Song" with Jackson Browne and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
Her selections are, evidently, no accident — in a new interview, the singer-songwriter professed her love for "fucked up holiday songs." (While she probably didn't mean holiday songs by the band Fucked Up, if those existed, you would certainly find them on Exclaim's annual Holid-Eh! List.)
Last week, Bridgers sang as Sally opposite Danny Elfman's Jack Skellington in his annual The Nightmare Before Christmas concerts with the BBC Concert Orchestra at London's OVO Arena Wembley, and NME caught up with the two artists backstage. They discussed their performances together, other recent collaborations (like Bridgers's appearance on the "insane" new SZA album SOS) and, of course, the holidays. 'Tis the season, after all.
"I like fucked up holiday songs," Bridgers said of her latest Christmas cover, proceeds from which benefit the Los Angeles LGBT Center. "I always have. I remember being so inspired when I went to Nashville and saw where Elvis had done his Christmas album and, because he's a crazy person, he had to make it feel like Christmas in July."
"It's also a cool thing to do for charity every year, and it's fun. I like tradition," she added.
"Oh god, Fucked Up Holiday Songs," Elfman exclaimed. "I just found the title of my next composition!"
You can watch the full interview below.