Andrew will Leap into Xmas for good cause
A Perthshire guitarist has helped record a Christmas song with a difference to raise funds for an environmental charity.
Andrew MacLellan, from Crieff, is part of popular eight-piece band Randolph’s Leap.
The band’s lead singer Adam Ross wrote the song ‘Christmas, Burn It All’ as a farewell to 2019 and to express hope for better times in 2020.
The song inspired Lloyd Meredith, head of Olive Grove Records, to gather artists from all over Scotland to help with the recording.
Friends of the Earth Scotland will benefit when the digital single goes on sale today (December 6).
Former Crieff High School pupil Andrew said: “We were keen to round off a slightly chaotic 2019 by doing something positive for the environment.
“As musicians, it can be hard to offset the carbon impact of your own constant travelling or trying to move beyond the abundance of plastic cups and water bottles in music venues. The natural world plays an important role in Adam’s songwriting and Friends of the Earth is doing a great mixture of work on climate and other environmental issues.”
To record the song, a choir of singers from the Olive Grove roster joined Andrew and his bandmates in the studio to lend their vocal talents, including Scottish album of the year nominee Carla J Easton as well as members of Broken Chanter, Pocket Knife, Campfires in Winter, The State Broadcasters and Henry and Fleetwood plus Lloyd Meredith himself.
Inspired by the events of 2019, Adam describes it as: “A slightly nihilistic ‘goodbye and good riddance’ to 2019 and a tentative hint at optimism for the new decade.”
The lyrics start with the stark line: “It’s Christmas time and all your heroes are dead.” The song goes on to reference the Heathrow drone incidents, Brexit, climate protests and the passing of celebrities, including a direct nod to indie music hero Daniel Johnston.
The digital single is available to download on major platforms from December 6 and is accompanied by a video of the recording session, made by Randolph’s Leap bassist Vicki Cole.
Olive Grove and Randolph’s Leap are also celebrating the release with a gig at Glasgow’s Glad Café on Thursday, December 12 which will also feature a Christmas karaoke session. All proceeds will again be donated to Friends of the Earth Scotland.