From Akron, Ohio, the Singer/Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist Davey Squires sum up our year with his recent holiday single, "COVID Christmas." While blending sounds like Jazz, Rock, Blues, and Electronica, we can feel this fluid fusion expand with help from rapper Master Puff and his rocking verse.
Having toured across the country, Davey Squires remains a favorite in the local Northeast Ohio music scene. Listeners easily gravitate towards the skilled stylings of Davey Squires, as his instrumental fusions, funky grooves, and smooth delivery offer exceptional individuality and authenticity.
With his latest holiday single, "COVID Christmas," Davey Squires provides a warm sonic instrumental that gets us ready for the season of giving. Through broad instrumentals with help from a bright piano melody, mid-tempo drum patterns, swinging guitars, smooth harmonica, and uplifting saxophone, we're sailing through this single with ease.
"COVID Christmas" begins with soft shakers, jingle bells, and a bright instrumental beat drop portraying the warmth of Jazz. Once Davey Squires makes his way in, he jumps into the song with passion and delivers his powerful crooning vocals while describing our holidays spent six feet apart from loved ones.
We love the bright and smooth instrumentals within this piece, as we drift from the piano into a spirited harmonica and a soulful saxophone solo that offers food for the soul. Not to mention the brilliant lyricism from both Davey Squires and the featured rapper Master Puff, the two bring vastly different approaches that add incredible versatility.
We're grooving away with the unique and fresh holiday tune "COVID Christmas," as Davey Squires and Master Puff have perfectly captured our inner thoughts regarding the unconventional holiday season that's heavily underway.
Hello Davey and thank you for joining us at BuzzMusic. We love the authentic feel you've captured with your unconventional holiday tune, "COVID Christmas." Why did you want to create a holiday single that captures our current times?
Creating something out of the whole situation with a positive spin was so important to me. I try to be the best optimist I can be and I wanted to end the year of 2020 with something lighthearted to take into 2021, and what better than a Christmas song. I think we need something cheesy and fun right now without any politics or agendas.
Could you tell us about your instrumental creative process within "COVID Christmas?" Did you play and record the instrumentals yourself?
When I set out to write the instrumental I wanted to create that signature jazzy Christmas sound (you know the one). My good friend and bassist, Blake Oaks played the groovy bass lines you hear and I played and composed all other parts, recording them at my home studio in Akron, OH and RealGrey Records in Canton, OH respectively. Fun fact, this single is actually the first original song of mine that I’ve mixed and mastered on my own!
Why did you want to expand the song and add a verse from Rapper Master Puff for your single "COVID Christmas?"
I wanted to add something in the second half of the song that the listener wouldn’t expect. I guess you could say it’s a musical twist and Master Puff was a perfect fit.
Speaking on the lyricism from you and Master Puff within "COVID Christmas," how did both of you write your lyrics to tell the unique story of our current times?
I think the song lyrically is very interesting. Master Puff and I didn’t work together on the creation of our lyrics, we kept that process separate for us. For this song specifically, we both came up with the words at the moment. It took me about 30 minutes to come up with both my verses and the chorus and Master Puff didn’t even have any words when he came over to record, though he had an idea of what he wanted. I love that about him. He does what he does at the moment and that’s a real talent and a true talent for a great rapper like himself.
When did you begin creating your single "COVID Christmas?" Did the single see many changes along the way, or did you run with the initial ideas and concepts?
I started to write in the middle of November and everything came together very quickly. Within a couple of weeks, I had the whole song done, mixed, and mastered. There was so much inspiration going into this one and the whole process, though short, was so refreshing. I guess this year has taught me to go with the flow and things will get done.
Many artists are writing about themes of the pandemic and our holiday season. How did you create "COVID Christmas" to stand out from other songs with similar ideas?
When it comes to chord progressions I always try to put some sort of spin on it, whether that’s putting in an extra bar somewhere or making chords unnecessarily complicated. By far, my favorite thing about Davey Squires's “COVID Christmas” are the lyrics. Lyrically, the song covers the COVID climate in both a family and work environment while trying to tightrope the balance between being too serious and being too cynical. Showing that being too serious or too lackadaisical about the situation can cause problems. In the end, as the chorus states, I just want you to have a happy new year.
Aside from your holiday tune "COVID Christmas," what should listeners expect from your overall sound as an artist? Where would you say you're most comfortable in terms of genres?
As an artist, I mainly blend jazz and rock, though I sprinkle some classical, blues, and synth-pop into the mix occasionally.