Kelleigh Bannen Releases Two Brand-New Holiday Tracks

Christmas has come early for Kelleigh Bannen fans, who will be able to stuff their stockings with two new holiday favorites this season - "Deck The Halls" and "O Holy Night" - as you've never heard them before. Produced by Justin Glasco (The Lone Bellow), Bannen's renditions bring a soulful, rootsy twist to the traditional Christmas classics. Both tracks are available everywhere today.

"I have always had a special obsession with Christmas music, in fact Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' was the first album I knew by heart," says Bannen. "As an artist, I think when it comes to recording Christmas music, you either have to go really classic or you have to go in and do something really different. 'O Holy Night,' was really a happy accident. It's usually a waltz, but we realized such a classic and recognizable melody could fit in just about any style, so we recorded it in 4/4, which gave me a lot more room to play with it vocally," she adds.

"On 'Deck The Halls,' I just kind of stumbled onto this little alternate melody for the "fa la la" part. Both songs are a little bit of unexpected but still celebrate the spirit of the originals, which made recording them a lot of fun."

Kelleigh has released two concept videos for both tracks, which can be seen here and here. An official music video for "Deck The Halls" will be released later this month.

Bannen will close out November by opening for Little Big Town at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on the 27th, the final date of the band's extended residency at the historic venue.

About Kelleigh Bannen: Raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Kelleigh Bannen has built her career on a sound steeped in the city's past, present and future, mixing country twang, pop hooks and southern storytelling into the same pot. Throughout a career that's included major-label singles, status as one of CMT's Next Women of Country, independent releases, and tours alongside superstars such as Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Cole Swindell and more, Bannen has consistently called her own shots. Her most recent EP, the critically-acclaimedCheap Sunglasses, included songs all co-written by Kelleigh. From the thrill of playing super-sized shows, to the challenge of forging her own path in a competitive town, Kelleigh has lived the country music dream: its challenges, its triumphs, and its rewards.

For more information, visit www.kelleighbannen.com.

Her influence reaches far beyond the stage, too. This Nashville Life, a podcast launched and hosted by Kelleigh, shines a light on the "business" side of the music business. Featuring guest interviews, stories, industry tips and plenty of insight from promoters, radio execs and fellow songwriters, the podcast received glowing reviews in its first year. Kelleigh is still chasing her own dream, but she's sharing advice with others, too, equipping a generation of dreamers with the tools they need to create their own careers.

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