Wynona Bleach – Release Anti-Xmas Single ” (Don’t Know Why) I Wish You Merry Christmas”

Wynona Bleach are one of Belfast’s brightest voices; signed to the legendary indie label Fierce Panda, two trips to Austin for South by South West and New York for Hey Colossus festival as well as handful of American tour dates, radio play on Seattle’s KEXP, John Baker on Dublin CityFM, BBC 6 Music, BBC Across the Line and BBC Introducing, multiple Spotify editorial lists, coverage in Hot Press, Genuine Irish and First Music Contact. Nevermind, performing at Reading and Leeds Festivals, supports with Feeder, The Slow Reader’s Club, Lonely the Brave and being personally invited to support the mighty Alice In Chains for two sold-out shows in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre and Belfast’s Telegraph Building. The band have been busy of late working on their sophomore album to follow 2022’s ‘Moansoake’, but they still found the time to record their scathing (but still festive) take on a Christmas single, (Don’t Know Why) I Wish You Merry Christmas. Originally finding inspiration by scribbling lyrics on the back of an unemployment benefits application envelope. It’s about being totally broke on Christmas and not really understanding the point of it all. All mixed by Grammy nominated mixer and producers Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh.

Wynona Bleach formed in Belfast in 2018 quickly releasing debut single ‘Eyes Burning’ and haven’t stopped since. In 2021 the band hauled an entire studio 1,400 miles from Belfast to a valley in rural, central Portugal where they lived and worked in an abandoned factory creating their debut album, Moonsoake, which was co-produced by Bill Ryder-Jones (The Coral). Now the band, comprised of Jonny Wood(guitar), Mel Shannon (vocals), James Foy (drums) and Carl Gilmore (bass), return with a fuzzed out (but festive) Xmas single that shakes the decorations off the tree.

‘(Don’t Know Why) I Wish You Merry Christmas’ opens sounding like any wholesome family Xmas movie, smooth bass, jazzy cymbals and a chiming xylophone. None of which lasts long as we’re hit with a wall of dreamy fuzz and drums that are far more Siamese Dream than the Little Drummer Boy. A closer listen to the lyrics and all is not well at Xmas. Far too often people get wrapped up (ahem..) in the commercialism of the holiday and can put undue pressure on people to fall into debt over a perceived need for material goods as an expression of love. It’s this sentiment that’s expressed here. Jonny says. “The lyrics were originally written on the back of an unemployment benefits application envelope. It’s about being totally broke on Xmas and not really understanding the point of it all.”

When it came time to record the band turned in house to Jonny who runs 1980 Something Studios in Belfast, the song was self-recorded in an old disused ballroom, with a thousand sad dances seeping their way into the track. The band then handed it over to long-time collaborators and Grammy nominated mixer and producers Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh for mixing.

‘(Don’t Know Why) I Wish You Merry Christmas’ on its face is a fun alt-Xmas single, leaning into festive troupes, then kicking down the Xmas tree with fuzzy guitars and pounding drums. The other side is that it’s a poignant reminder than not everything is sleigh bells and egg-nog at Xmas and it can be a time of stress for those struggling. It’s the duality that makes it stand out amongst the tide. Now you have a good answer to ‘What’s your favourite Xmas song’?