‘Tis the season for hot chocolate, holiday lights, and nostalgic tunes!
This December, Elle Winter is putting her own spin on a holiday classic, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
We chatted with the New York Native about reimagining the holiday playlist staple with the original writer, Jeff Barry, her holiday traditions, and an exciting new project.
Excerpt from the podcast:
You just released your cover of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” which was written by Jeff Berry and originally sung by Darlene Love. What has it been like putting your own spin on the Christmas classic, especially while working alongside the person that originally wrote it?
It was so exciting to get his reaction. I’ve always wanted to do a Christmas song. As I’m gearing up to release this next project, and [considering how] Christmas time is usually a time when original music or non-holiday-themed music, doesn’t have a chance to get its moment, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to ease into this next chapter. It’s been just really incredible to put it together and give it my own flavor because it’s been covered so many times by Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, Meghan Trainor, probably even more than that. It’s been really, really special to take on that challenge of making it my own. And I’m lucky that Kizzo also really guided me in that process and I’m so excited for everyone to hear it and see the video. I’m super excited.
What did you add to the song to make it yours?
Whether it’s little melody changes or a different kind of rhythm or pocket, I think little things like that. It kind of goes back to what I was talking about earlier, just that level to detail in each song, each note, each phrase, I think is super important and can really just change the whole shape of a song. And then definitely on the production side, it really reflects the production of the sound, of the next chapter of the next song.
If you could set fans up in the perfect environment to listen to your version of the song, what do you imagine it looking like?
You know what I love to do during the holidays is go to an area town. I know there was this spot in Brooklyn, the homes are just so lit up and insanely decorated. If I were you guys, I would go to drive through some area town that goes really hard at the Christmas decor and blast it and just enjoy it. And I hope it’s snowing too. That would just add an extra layer of festivity.
Listen to the rest of our interview with Elle Winter on our podcast!