Brett Eldredge

Presents hide under the tree. Flames torch the chestnuts. Family members occupy every livable corner
of your house. You can’t figure out who messed with the thermostat, but it’s okay because Christmas
has begun
again! These kinds of scenes
(and many more)
play out like montages from your favorite
Christmas movie in the music of Brett Eldredge. As if handing you a cup of eggnog, he draws listeners
right into the magnetic pull of the holidays, soundtracked by boist
erous big band orchestration, heartfelt
balladry, and simultaneously warm and robust vocals. The award
-
winning Illinois
-
born and Nashville
-
based multiplatinum singer, songwriter, producer, and entertainer delivers the ultimate tribute to the
most wonderful
time of year on
Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family)
—
his eighth full
-
length LP, and
fourth holiday album, and debut release for his own independent label Warm and Cozy Records.
“It’s hard to keep up traditions, but my family really holds Christmas sa
cred as a centerpiece of the
year,” he says. “No matter what you have going on, we’re all going to come together as a family and
commit to being here. You’re sleeping on a small bed in a room with your cousins, and your aunts and
uncles are next door. Ther
e’s a line for the shower. The house is crammed, but it works. It’s such a
unique thing to humble yourself and get back to what really matters. Every year, we’re sitting around
the tree in the same place. We’re telling some of the same stories, but we’re a
lso making new traditions.
If there’s one thing I can do, I can show up once a year, and the rest of my family feels the same way. I
hope we can do it forever.”
He's certainly done his part to project this spirit as loudly as possible.
The world first
got to know Brett in 2010. Since then, he has affirmed himself as an eloquently clever
songwriter and a show
-
stopping performer. Simultaneously, his catalog has expanded at a prolific pace,
Bio - Brett Eldredge 2024_RFlorino (2)[11].docx
boasting a pair of Gold
-
certified albums and nine singles certifi
ed either Gold or Platinum by the RIAA.
Beyond gathering billions of streams, he has notched seven #1’s on Country Radio, launched two albums
into the Top 3 of the
Billboard
200, and taken home various honors at the CMA Awards, ACM Awards,
and BMI Country
Awards. He also served up two fan
-
favorite holiday albums, namely
Glow
[2016] and
Mr. Christmas
[2021]. Among many highlights, his cover of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside!” [feat. Meghan
Trainor] emerged as a staple, generating over 207 million Spotify streams a
nd counting
, and earned
them their first #1 record on the AC chart
.
Glow
notably ignited the spark for the annual
Glow
Tour
,
selling out hallowed venue
s
.
Following the 2023 iteration of the tour, he enjoyed Christmas with his family, but he didn’t want it to
end. So, he spent January and February in New York City, writing and recording for what would become
Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family)
. His band
leader Ian Miller joined the party as producer, and
he worked with writer Idarosie.
“This probably isn’t a surprise, but I’m one of those folks who loves Christmas music year
-
round,” he
laughs. “After the last tour, I was still in this place of Christmas
magic, and I wanted to stay in that
headspace. I was walking the streets of New York, singing these songs in my head while snow was
falling. It can be Christmas anytime if you let it be.”
Fittingly, he introduces the album with the opener and first sing
le “Merry Christmas (Welcome to the
Family).” Charming strings melt into a bright piano melody punctuated by jazzy guitar, swooning horns,
and sleigh bells. As a drumroll picks up the pace, Brett opens the door to the ultimate celebration,
“You’re in for a
real big treat. Merry Christmas, come meet my cousins, aunts and uncles, neighbors and
friends
.
”
“I had this story in my head of introducing a stranger to my really whacky experience of going home for
the holidays and meeting all of the interesting, craz
y, beautiful, and awesome characters in my family,”
he goes on. “I had just experienced another Christmas with 50 people in my house. We opened
presents, went to Christmas service, and everybody was sleeping in the attic. At the end of the song, I
introduc
e everyone
to my family, everyone from my brother and mother to
Uncle Jim and A
u
nt Margo.
The message is,
‘Let yourself unapologetically be a kid. Be okay with everything being imperfect. Let your
Christmas flag fly!’
”
On “Sweet December,” he and Kelly C
larkson lock into a heartfelt call
-
and
-
response, delivering a
dynamic holiday duet
and
Eldredge
shares, “
after singing under the mistletoe together, I knew there was
no one else in the world I wanted to sing this with
.”
Piano glistens as their voices entwi
ne
in the song
,
“Baby turn on the Christmas tree, take me home, and set me free. A blanket’s good, but your love’s even
better
.
”
“It’s a simple winter love song,” he says. “Kelly’s voice has this soulful retro feeling. I’ve never done a
Christmas song in
this style, and I really love it.”
Then, there’s “Warm and Cozy.” Revolving around a sultry bass line, it stands out as the first song in
history to immediately urge,
“Turn on Christmas Vacation
.
”
“One of my favorite things about the song is I’m talki
ng about
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
,
”
he grins. “To my knowledge, I’ve never heard anybody reference that movie in a song. The track has this
laidback swagger, and it’s sort of sexy. It’s crazy I’m creating this Christmas album on my own for my
Bio - Brett Eldredge 2024_RFlorino (2)[11].docx
label, Warm And Cozy Records. So, I felt more invested in my story than ever, and I hit the ground
running.”
Elsewhere, he paints a wild picture on the boisterous “The Night St. Nick Got Sick,” which finds an
ordinary man tasked with filling in for an un
der
-
the
-
weather Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
“When I was making this song, I felt like a little kid again,” he proclaims. “Christmas reminds all of us
that we haven’t changed. I might have a beard and taxes, but I’ve got the same heart.”
“It Must Be Christmas” gleefully bottles the butterflies of waiting for
Christmastime
to kick off in
earnest. Tambourine holds down the groove as he sets the scene,
“All the lights are blinking wrapped
around the trees, carolers are singing up and down the
street, I miss this. Oh, I think it must be
Christmas
.
”
“When I go home for the holidays, I’m always just twiddling my thumbs waiting for Christmas to start
and wishing I was in that moment,” he admits. “I long for that neighborhood Christmas feeling, be
cause
I love the togetherness of everyone coming together
as a community
. It’s the rebirth of the holiday
spirit.”
On
“
Season of Light and Wonder,
”
soft piano glows alongside subtle strings. This simple soundscape
gives his voice
the
space to shine.
“
It m
ight be my favorite,
”
he notes.
“
The more vulnerable side of me comes out when I hear it. The
message is to allow your heart to feel th
e season
’
s
spirit and let it engulf your soul. It
’
s a reminder of
why we need this music.
”
On the other end of the
spectrum, he locks into a groove with Idarose on “Who Will You Be Kissing On
New Year’s Eve?”
“It’s a bit flirty,” he observes. “There aren’t a ton of New Year’s Eve songs out there, but I love the
opportunity to dress up and go to the ball. It encapsula
tes a lighthearted night before the ball drops.”
Ultimately, Brett is welcoming everyone to the family now
during the
season of lights and wonder
.
“When you listen to this, I hope it reminds you to lean into your traditions and maybe even reach to
some
one you haven’t talked to in a while,” he leaves off. “Loosen up a little and be who you are during
the holidays. Embrace love, family, and togetherness. Don’t take it all too seriously. I just want to tell my
stories and do what feels right in my heart. I
feel like I have a lot more to give and receive as an artist
and in my life. I’m just excited to unleash this Christmas beast onto the land.”
BOILER
The world first fell in love with award
-
winning Illinois
-
born and Nashville
-
based multiplatinum singer,
songwriter, producer, and entertainer Brett Eldredge in 2010. Since then, he has affirmed himself as an
eloquently clever songwriter and a showstopping
performer. Simultaneously, his catalog has expanded
at a prolific pace, boasting a pair of Gold
-
certified albums and nine singles certified either Gold or
Platinum by the RIAA. Beyond gathering billions of streams, he has notched seven #1’s on Country
Radi
o, launched two albums into the Top 3 of the
Billboard
200, and taken home various honors at the
CMA Awards, ACM Awards, and BMI Country Awards. He also served up two fan
-
favorite holiday
Bio - Brett Eldredge 2024_RFlorino (2)[11].docx