Well, it's not exactly a Christmas song, but I have written a song inspired by this festive season that has rolled around once again. It does not have any jingle bells in it, I'm sorry to say, but it does have a choir of angelic children, and I'd like to think it goes well with a cup of mulled wine and a candlelit room.

If anyone is interested to know why you have to pay to download the song, read on below. If you couldn't care less, bypass the next paragraph and save yourself some valuable seconds that could have been used for scratching, or something equally rewarding.

The idea to put out a song for the festive season came during a long four hours spent on the hard shoulder of the M4 in the freezing cold in late November. As you probably know, we are not attached to the music industry any more than someone who makes hats out of fruit and sells them to his neighbours is attached to the clothing industry. Whatever side you take in the debate over industry versus independent artists, it remains an unavoidable truth that financial backing is important and is a pain in the bottom to come by for most independent bands. Whilst down in Cornwall recently for some gigs we ran into a huge stinking cloud of bad luck that cost us all of the money that we had been saving since the Summer in order to fund our next album. Another unavoidable truth: vans break down and cost lots to sort out (we've been learning some valuable lessons lately). I know, boo-hoo for us and all that, but anyhow this song for the winter season is something positive that has come out of the whole ordeal, I'd like to think. Hopefully if a few good folks who appreciate the music that we work so hard on are willing to pay for it then this will be a start to raising some of that money back so we can get on with album number two in the new year.

But all of this has nothing to do with the song. It's called 'The Pigeon Men' and with the help of some friends I've been beavering away on it for the past week to get it finished before the new year. I have to say a huge thank you to Piers Lewin, whistle-playing guru, for providing the mighty wind, and to the children of Atlantic Class for humouring me and giving up their lunch hour to sing my song.

Let's try make it Christmas number 1 in the well known 'Home-Recorded Alternative Folk Electronica Songs by Hairy Young Men' chart!

Wishing you a happy festive season,

John x