Steven Wilson – Christmas single ‘December Skies’ receives limited physical & digital release

Last year, Steven Wilson broke new ground with December Skies – an evocative, seasonal release with a twist. Embracing AI technology, Wilson took a bold leap into the unknown, collaborating with ChatGPT to create the lyrics for the heartfelt track, resulting in something uniquely him yet intriguingly new.

Now, one year on, December Skies will be given a physical release on 6^th December on limited edition CD and 7-inch vinyl formats. Both will include vocal and instrumental versions of the song and 3 exclusive Steven Wilson Christmas cards (illustrated by Hajo Mueller who also created the front cover). In keeping with Steven’s trailblazing commitment to immersive audio, December Skies will also be released in Dolby Atmos and spatial audio on Apple, Tidal and Amazon as well as a standard audio release on all other streaming platforms.

Originally given a low-key release exclusively on Steven Wilson’s YouTube channel and accompanied by a beautiful and appropriately AI-assisted video by Miles Skarin, December Skies quickly and quietly racked up in excess of 200,000 views over a few days. The track, originally written as an experiment after a friend challenged Wilson to create a Christmas song, captures the loneliness and reflective beauty of the winter season.

Just before Xmas last year I was challenged by a friend of mine to write a Xmas song, something I’d never considered doing before.  My stuff is way too miserable to make for a joyous Xmas song I reasoned, but with an AI version of myself helping out with some suitably seasonal lyrics, the result was December Skies.  It was swiftly recorded over a weekend with a little help from my buddy Randy McStine on lead guitar and backing vocals, and released online a few days before Xmas 2023. I have to say I’m incredibly pleased with the way it came out, so I’m super happy that it’s going to get its moment again this Xmas, and in physical form too! – Steven Wilson

Steven Wilson recently announced The Overview Tour for 2025 which will see him joined by Nick Beggs, Adam Holzman, Craig Blundell and Randy McStine for a huge run of European shows in celebration of his new album The Overview – 

Wilson has released a string of acclaimed solo albums, the last 3 all reaching the UK top 5 album chart, with 2021’s The Future Bites additionally being nominated for 2 Grammys. He has also amassed an extensive list of production and remixing credits for the likes of Tears For Fears, The Who, Van Morrison, New Order, Black Sabbath, and King Crimson among many others. 

December Skies will be released on Transmission on 6^th December on 7” vinyl and CD. Both formats include 3 collectible Steven Wilson Christmas cards and an instrumental version of December Skies. The single will also be released digitally with additional Dolby Atmos and spatial audio on Apple, Tidal and Amazon. Pre-order: https://stevenwilsontransmission.lnk.to/December_Skies