Kevin Morby Contributes Cover of “Blue Christmas” for Amazon’s “Indie for the Holidays” Playlist

“Indie for the Holidays,” an Amazon Original Holiday Playlist, offers an sprawling range of artists covering holiday classics as well as contributing new, original songs. All songs are available exclusively now for streaming on Amazon Music through Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music. We’re pleased to announce that this year’s “Indie for the Holidays” includes a contribution from our own Kevin Morby.

Morby wraps up a banner year that saw the release of his widely-lauded fourth album, City Music, by offering his moody take on “Blue Christmas.” Premiering yesterday via Noisey, Morby’s “Blue Christmas” is sparse and longing, anchored by a slow-moving bass line, the kick beat of the drum, and Morby’s signature croon.

Of the song, Morby explained, “Kyle and I have spent Christmas together for the past two years, so I thought it appropriate to record a Chris Kringle jam with him in his home studio. On Christmas Day Kyle [Thomas, King Tuff] usually dresses like an elf and skips around and screams “Christmas!” Every five minutes or so. Christmas in LA is a funny thing, it’s usually about 65 degrees and sunny out so it always feels a little psychedelic that’s it’s actually Christmas day, after growing up in the Midwest where it usually snows, or at the very least is very cold. But there’s something special about celebrating the Holidays in the sun. Anyways Kyle and I chose “Blue Christmas” because I wanted to pretend I was Elvis for an afternoon, and we had a great time making it. Truth be told, the whole thing was a Christmas Miracle.”