It’s December, which round these parts means it’s time once again for The Joyzine Advent Calendar! This year we’re celebrating our 20th edition, so we’ve scoured the archives to mix in some calendar classics along with a few fresh festive cuts from our favourite artists.
As always every track on the calendar will be absolutely free to download, and we don’t force you to sign up for our mailing list (though you can if you want, here) or hand over all of your personal data. The calendar is our Christmas gift to the world (or at least the part of it that enjoys seasonal songs by obscure indie musicians), but if you’re also in the giving mood we’d love you to make a donation to our chosen cause, the excellent anti-racism charity HOPE not hate, which you can do here.
On with the free festive tunes!
We’ve been covering Peter Richard Adams’ music for almost as long as we’ve been covering music, from Worcester wonk-pop outfit And What Will Be Left Of Them? in the earlier years of this millennium through numerous other bands, a few solo releases, current band HEY YOU GUYS! and his ongoing musical project with his wife Rosie Green, who provide the first of today’s double header of festive treats with a track from their new Peter With Rosie album Christmas Across The Fields, which was released earlier this week. ‘Shortest Day, Longest Night’ is joined by ‘Filthy Little Christmas’ by AWWBLOT?, which was the first of many tracks Pete has given us for the calendar over the years and showcases a rather different end of his musical spectrum. You can download them both below.
We caught up with Pete to find out more about the new record and what else he and the bands he’s in have been getting up to this year.
What have you been up to this year?
Looking back, quite a bit! In March HEY YOU GUYS! went on a short national tour supporting Kerbdog, which was enormous fun. My wife Rosie and I (as Peter With Rosie) released 3 EPs as part of our Across The Fields project, which we’re now capping off with a fourth Christmas-themed instalment. We also relocated to Devon. Due to family commitments I had to cancel a short HEY YOU GUYS! tour (which was to include the Joyzine 20th Anniversary show at The Lexington). That was a low point, but I kept busy by finally publishing the Pod To Pluto novel and a children’s book for a great charity called Lilipad.
What have you got planned for 2024?
This year I’m planning on putting family first, but I do have a fair bit already in motion that I’m going to honour (such as the release of the full Across The Fields album and some HEY YOU GUYS! 10th anniversary fun). I don’t think I’ll be signing up for anything new for a while though. Let’s see what happens.
Tell us about your track
This track is called ‘Shortest Day, Longest Night’. It’s taken from Christmas Across The Fields by Peter With Rosie, which is a companion piece to our Across The Fields concept project about the 2000 year history of my home village.
Before it all gets too artsy-farty-hokey-folky though, I’ve also thrown in something a bit more punk rock in the shape of ‘Filthy Little Christmas’ by AWWBLOT – And What Will Be Left Of Them? It seemed appropriate as that song was my first inclusion on the Joyzine calendar, all those years ago.
This year Joyzine has been celebrating our 20th birthday – what were you up to in 2003?
In 2003 we were in my bedroom in the Midlands, preparing to launch AWWBLOT – And What Will Be Left Of Them? Which is how we ultimately came to meet Joyzine, of course 🙂
Any new year’s resolution?
Just to spend more time with the family.
Download ‘Shortest Day, Longest Night‘
Download ‘Filthy Little Christmas‘
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
Follow on Bandcamp: Peter With Rosie / HEY YOU GUYS! / AWWBLOT?
Check back tomorrow for another free festive download!
Catch up on all of this year’s Advent Calendar Tracks so far:
1: MJ Hibbett – I Got You What You Want For Christmas
2: Matt Edible & The Obtuse Angels – Advent Beard
3: Old Man May – Laden Sleigh
4: Michael M (SLIME CITY) – It’s Easy To Hate This Time of Year
5: The Fades – Last Christmas (On The Beach)
6: AK/DK – Auld Lang Syne
7: Modesty Blaise – I’ll Be Home for Christmas
8: The Awkward Silences – I’ll Be Getting a Divorce for Christmas
9: Dead Horse – Eating The Reindeer
10: Palm Ghosts – Always Christmas Time
11: Charley Stone – Merry Christmas Actually
12: Premium Leisure ft. Piney Gir – September Gurls
13: Fierce Panda Records present Wynona Bleach – (Don’t Know Why) I Wished You Merry Christmas
14: LOUD WOMEN present I, Doris – Merry Menopause
15: Damaged Goods Records – Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians of The British Empire
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