ALLISON RUSSELL RELEASES “HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS” DOUBLE-SIDED SINGLE
DEBUT ALBUM
OUT NOW ON FANTASY
Allison Russell has released “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, a new double-sided single on which Russell interprets the holiday classic in both French and English. The single is out today via Fantasy records. Listen here. Russell, who has supported Lake Street Dive, Jason Isbell and many more throughout 2021, will begin a short run of solo dates kicking off November 11th at Third Man’s Blue Room in Nashville, TN. She’ll continue her tour in January of 2022 with shows planned throughout the UK, Europe and the United States. Both solo shows and support slots are planned throughout the year including The Ryman on March 3rd with Yola and a string of dates with Brandi Carlile next fall. Full tour dates below.
Allison Russell on Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
I consider myself a hopeful agnostic, but Christmas has always loomed large in my world. As a child of an abusive, dysfunctional and deeply impoverished family – holidays were always harrowing and fraught. Christmas in particular set all the skeletons in our family’s closet to cavorting. The brightest light of my difficult childhood was my maternal Grandmother, Isobel Roger Robertson. Every year we would watch ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ together and neither of us could get through Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” without crying.
I’ve always felt that this song resonates on a deeper level and speaks to the feelings of grief, loss, melancholy, separation and isolation that many of us carry through the holidays. But it also speaks of hope… Early onset Alzheimer’s took my Grandma Isobel too soon, but I find myself carrying on many of her traditions. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is now a favourite of my daughter’s. During the lockdown days of the pandemic, I started teaching my daughter French. I decided to translate “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” as a challenge for myself and an encouragement for her to keep going with her studies. It’s a timeless melody and I hope I’ve done the poetry some justice. Here’s wishing you and yours love & health & peace & happiness through hard times and good x
In the critically acclaimed Outside Child (produced by Dan Knobler), the poet, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, activist and co-founder of Our Native Daughters and Birds of Chicago, unpacks her youth in searing detail throughout the album. She sings about deliverance and redemption, about the places and people and realizations that helped her survive and claim her freedom. It’s an album of strength and affirmation, not victimization,” said The New York Times in their profile on Russell. Following the release of Outside Child, she performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS This Morning, made her Opry debut and appeared at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Allison Russell has been nominated for two Americana Awards this year and included on the prestigious Polaris Prize long list. Russell also acted as the closing curator at the 63rd annual Newport Folk Festival. In the set, she brought together BIPOC/LGBTQIA+/Ally visionaries for a landmark collaboration with a mission of placing Black Womxn and active Allies at the center, the event included Adia Victoria, Brandi Carlile, Chaka Khan, Margo Price, Kyshona, Yasmin Williams and so many more.
LISTEN TO OUTSIDE CHILD HERE
Photo credit: Marc Baptiste
TOUR DATES:
November 11: Blue Room, Nashville, TN
December 07: The Space, Evanston, IL
December 08: The Space, Evanston, IL
December 09: The Listening Room, Grand Rapids, IL
January 18: AB Club, Brussels, BE
January 20: Upstairs @ Paradiso, Amsterdam, NE
January 21: New Morning, Paris, FR
January 22: Le 106, Rouen, FR (with Delgres)
January 24: Omeara, London, UK
January 25: Louisiana, Bristol, UK
January 28: The Fire Station, Sunderland, UK
January 29: Celtic Connections at RSNO, Glasgow, UK
February 01: Girls Just Wanna Festival, Riviera Maya, MEX
February 02: Girls Just Wanna Festival, Riviera Maya, MEX
February 03: Girls Just Wanna Festival, Riviera Maya, MEX
February 04: Girls Just Wanna Festival, Riviera Maya, MEX
February 05: Girls Just Wanna Festival, Riviera Maya, MEX
February 24: Memorial Hall, Cincinnati, OH
February 25: The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
February 26: Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton, WI
March 03: Ryman, Nashville, TN (with Yola)
March 06: The Barns at Wolftrap, Vienna, VA
March 07: City Winery – Pier 57, New York, NY
March 08: The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA
March 09: State Theatre, Portland, ME
March 13: Kentucky Center – Bomhard Theatre, Louisville, KY
March 19: Cayamo Cruise, Miami, FL
March 20: Cayamo Cruise, Miami, FL
March 21: Cayamo Cruise, Miami, FL
March 22: Cayamo Cruise, Miami, FL
March 23: Cayamo Cruise, Miami, FL
March 24: Cayamo Cruise, Miami, FL
March 25: Cayamo Cruise, Miami, FL
August 18: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD (with Brandi Carlile)
September 09: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (with Brandi Carlile)
September 10: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (with Brandi Carlile)
ALLISON RUSSELL ONLINE:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube