We Speak Music
The Maverick Band Share New Singles ‘Christmas Is Coming’ and ‘A Lonely Homeless Christmas’
Supporting HRH Prince William’s ambition to end homelessness with the release of two special Christmas songs ‘Christmas Is Coming’ and ‘A Lonely Homeless Christmas’ – with profits going to homeless charities.
HRH The Prince of Wales recently launched his campaign to end homelessness in the UK. Recent research has identified that at least 271,000 people are recorded as homeless in England alone, including 123,000 children.
John Cristal, The Maverick Band’s singer-songwriter says, “I originally wrote a cheerful, very family orientated Christmas song called “Christmas is Coming”. The song is about all the things families typically do in the run-up to Christmas.
However, having written that song and subsequently reading about the homelessness campaign that HRH Prince William has recently initiated, The Maverick Band felt very strongly that there should be a song to support such a worthy project, especially when you read the shocking statistics.
John Cristal did a lot of research in order to appreciate the different aspects of homelessness – that was a real an eye opener and quite upsetting. The song is titled ‘A Lonely Homeless Christmas’. He is very optimistic once people have heard it, they will feel motivated to donate to the various homeless charities, who do such great work. All the profit from the song will go to a number of large and small charities.
The Maverick Band decided to launch both Christmas songs simultaneously as a ‘’Double A-side’ to help reinforce the extreme polarised positions between a very happy, cheerful household and a very lonely, homeless person, at Christmas. They hope radio stations will lend their support to this initiative and play the ‘Christmas is Coming’ first followed immediately by the ‘A Lonely Homeless Christmas’ to maximise the effect and emotional impact.
The Maverick Band comment on the releases: “These are two diametrically opposed songs; Christmas is coming is all about the typical things a family do during December in the lead up to Christmas, while A lonely homeless Christmas is about those less fortunate than ourselves who are living on the street starving, when everyone else are having a great time and over indulging! You couldn’t get a more polarised situation if you tried.”
London-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Waz-u returns with his second album, Preludes: Dusk Psalms, set for release on 16 May 2025 via independent label Biodiversity. The 15-track record further refines the artistic depth of his debut, blending electronic textures and classical compositional techniques in an intricate, immersive listening experience.
Ahead of the album release, Waz-u is dropping an exclusive vocal version of ‘Vermillion: G Major’ from the album, accompanied by its original instrumental version. ‘Vermillion’ with Lilyg will be released on 18 April 2025, evoking intimate indie-folk and pop and follows the release of a vocal version of ‘Lament’ with Tom Norrington. ‘The singles are a way to give a voice to the atmosphere of the record and to lyrically encapsulate some of the themes explored,’ explains Waz-u. ‘Lily and Tom are good friends of mine and have both been listening to early iterations of these preludes – it felt right to involve them directly on this record.’
‘Preludes: Dusk Psalms’ marks a new branch of Waz-u’s emerging sound, guided by the duality of tradition and innovation. Combining his musical roots in early ‘90s dub techno and classical music, the album weaves carefully layered synthesizers and electronics to evoke the ambience of sacred music — from the gentle timbres of a choir or an organ to the quiet, open, and reverberating spaces of a church. Also featured throughout the album is experimental musician G9 LUV, who creates textures and drones by bowing his bass guitar, resulting in cello-like sounds. The release follows Waz-u’s 2024 debut LP, Prayer For Dawn, which merged dub, techno, and electronica in an exploration of the ritualistic traditions associated with both organized religion and dance.
Bringing the album’s themes to life, Waz-u will celebrate the release of Preludes: Dusk Psalms with a special performance at Our Holy Redeemer in Clerkenwell, London on 14 May 2025. Set against the church’s resonant acoustics, the event will feature live performance arrangements, including a choir, with further details to be announced soon.
-
We Speak Music7 days agoJeff Pevar & Inger Nova Announce Italy Tour and Innovative Album Release on Musical Bead
-
We Speak Music7 days agoJulyo Unveils New Instrumental Album AMARanto
-
We Speak Music1 week agoB.A. Badd drops new single “100” (Prod Sypooda)
-
We Speak Music7 days agoAmericana Singer-Songwriter Richard Daigle Releases New Single “Cajun Getaway”