What was the creative process like for this particular single?

It’s an idea I had for a little while, maybe two years. It was just kicking around and I wasn’t getting anywhere. I wanted to fill it with double entendres and be really clever, but I didn’t want it to feel forced. I got started with what I know – which is LA is weird at Christmas when you’re from someplace that has snow. I got a little way in and wondered if maybe the whole idea wasn’t stupid. I sent what I had to my partner and TruckerBomb guitarist Ursula Lari and asked her about it. She said, “That’s amazing. You have to finish it.” So I did.

Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "Christmas Bush?"

The producer Uri Gelman suggested some hand claps. The drummer Alrick Bills, Ursula and I went into the booth and did them. Some time while we were in there, someone hit their thigh, and it sounded good so we did another take of thigh slaps. We might have been a little too aggressive because we wound up feeling bruises the next day. Especially Ursula — she had black and blue thighs for a few days after.

What did you enjoy most about making "Christmas Bush?"

I’ve known the producer Uri for years and always wanted to record with him. The timing worked out that we could do this track at his place and I’m really happy with how it came out. I suppose what I liked best was having everyone together. We have put out an album but Ursula only played on three tracks and Alrick joined after the recordings, so it’s the first time all of us recorded together. Plus, we had our friend Steve Peckingham, known as the Lonesome Captain, as a guest on guitar. We have played a lot of shows with his band on the bills so it was nice to have him play.

What do you believe sets your live performances apart from other bands?

We have a lot of fun playing live and I think the audience can see that. We try to make each show a little different too. Sometimes we’ll throw an unexpected cover in the set. We will rearrange some songs we’ve played for a while so the live version isn’t the same as the recorded version. I may be biased, but I also think we have some of the best songwriting of any of the bands around the scene.

Is there a specific song that holds a particularly special meaning to you? Can you share the story behind it?

That’s hard. There’s something special about a lot of them. “Irregardlessly” was our first single, so that’ll always be special. The first time I played “Van Nuys,” I got off stage and a few people in the crowd were talking about it and remembered the lyrics. That’s really rare. The song “Mobridge, South Dakota” was the first song I wrote in the pandemic and it’s special for a couple reasons. One, it’s the first song that Ursula started singing with me and I realized how good our voices sounded together. Second, Ursula had the lyrics wrong and it took me over a year before I heard it. That’ll be funny forever.

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