In addition to releasing a video for âChurch Clothes,â hosting her own podcast, This Nashville Life, and touring in 2017, CMT Next Women of Country alum Kelleigh Bannen is closing out her busy year by putting a soulful spin on a couple of classic holiday tunes: âDeck the Hallsâ and âO Holy Night.â
Both tracks will be available on Nov. 17, but you can get a sneak listen to âO Holy Nightâ today (Nov. 16) via Nash Country Daily.
ââO Holy Nightâ is probably my favorite Christmas carol,â says Kelleigh to NCD. âI love the language and I love the way it tells the Christmas story. For the last several years, Iâve sung âO Holy Nightâ at my church on Christmas Eve, so itâs just a really special song to me.â
Instead of going the traditional, church-esque route with her new recording, Kelleigh put her own rootsy twist on the classic Christmas tune.
âThe tricky thing about âO Holy Nightâ is that there are so many great traditional versions of the song and I didnât want to compete with those,â says Kelleigh. âWith Christmas recordings, I think you either have to go really classic or you have to go really creative. Justin Glasco, who produced these Christmas songs, had the idea that we take the âO Holy Nightâ from its traditional version as a waltz [3/4 time] and make it 4/4. We wanted it to still be very reverent, but with a rootsy, soulful feel.â
Watch Kelleighâs performance of âO Holy Nightâ in her new concept video.