
JD McPherson had been itching to make a video for 2018’s Socks (New West) for a good long while—one that did justice to the offbeat, nostalgic fun of its original holiday tunes.
“A couple of attempts were made, but nothing ever seemed to match the spark of the album,” says the Nashville-based roots and rockabilly stalwart.
But then McPherson’s Oklahoma film-school buddy, Sean Dejecacion, had crazy idea: Why not give album highlight “Holly, Carol, Candy & Joy” a French New Wave cinema spin?
“It was just snobby enough to make me feel satisfied,” quips McPherson. “I called a few pals together to play the roles of the titular characters, and everyone did such an amazing job. It was a flippin’ blast. AJ Haynes from Seratones agreed to come in right off tour to shoot her part. My pal Ava, who played Candy, had to eat five pounds of sugar for her role—she deserves at least a BRIT Award or something.”
Legendary photographer Jim Herrington played himself in the video. “Jim looks like a character from one of those films anyway, and he actually had all the period-correct cameras,” says McPherson.
McPherson has always loved Christmas music from the ’40s and ’50s. But it was Nick Lowe who nudged him to write his own holiday tunes. Now he’s hitting the road in support of Socks for the first time in two years. (Dates below.)
“It looks like it’ll be a yearly tradition—pandemics notwithstanding,” McPherson says. “I can’t wait—I’ve missed it.”
—Hobart Rowland
Tour Dates
12/8 – Indianapolis, Hi-Fi
12/9 – St. Louis, Mo., Delmar Hall
12/10 – Kansas City, Mo., Knuckleheads
12/11 – Tulsa, Okla., Cain’s Ballroom
12/12 – Omaha, Neb., Waiting Room Lounge
12/14 – Minneapolis, Cedar Cultural Center
12/15 – Madison, Wis., Majestic Theatre
12/16 – Chicago, Thalia Hall
12/17 – Columbus, Ohio, Athenaeum Theatre
12/18 – Lexington, Ky., Burl
12/19 – Nashville, The Basement East
