A prolific singer/songwriter long celebrated for his DIY production ethic, Hawker M. James (formerly Mike James/Mikey Jukebox, mastermind behind Admirers and the Mercies, one-time Longwave drummer, and stockpiler of bedroom demos) releases his first-ever Christmas song as a gift to his fans and a reminder that we needn’t be so cynical about the holidays in spite of how difficult we might find them to be.

James, a genuine fan of the holiday season, says “I want listeners to understand that I mean every word of this tune. There’s not even a hint of irony. People complain a lot this time of year, but I think any time you can get people together where you otherwise would go the whole year without seeing them, it’s a good thing. And if you’re giving kids gifts, what could be wrong with that.”

As with so much of his material, the main melody for “It’s That Time of Year” came to James almost fully formed several years ago, but he sat on it for a while. “Every year around the holidays I hear it in my head,” he explains, “so I’m not sure why it’s taken me ‘til now to record it.”

When the initial inspiration came to him, James heard something along the lines of an orchestral “pops” tune (along the lines of what Rochester Philharmonic pops conductor Jeff Tyzik would feature in one of his programs) with a splash of Tom Waits -- and Bing Crosby. “I watch Holiday Inn every year,” James explains. “That’s my favorite Christmas movie. Obviously White Christmas too. I’m into that whole Irving Berlin vibe. I wanted this song to be Gershwin-like.”

James also imagined a children’s choir on “It’s That Time of Year,” but made due with a group of singers who he didn’t have to pay as much -- i.e: his Demos bandmates Jay Milton and Cal Saunders (who also happened to be working on their own rendition of “Silent Night”). Late on a wintery night as James’ grandfather lay in a hospital bed close to the end of his life, James, Milton, and Saunders stood in front of a microphone and sang the chorus vocals. James had to push the group to sing in its upper register, but in three swift takes he captured the magic. “There was a lot on my mind that night, obviously, having gone straight from the hospital to the recording space. But I think it shows in how… spirited the performances ended up being.”

These days, James doesn’t fuss over production details as much as he has in the past. He tracked the basics, layered the three sets of group vocals for a choir effect, and mixed the song in three short sessions and it was done -- something fans can look forward to as James proceeds with this next phase of his career. “I’ve always been a production fetishist,” he says. “And that’s still going to be there, but I’m more focused on the songs themselves now. Rather than sit on things because I’m trying to capture certain textures and production methodologies. My music now is like the food I’m eating -- more organic, less GMO.”

It’s fitting, then, that James would record this song now, when he’s less preoccupied with the sonic presentation.

“This song pops in my head and I’m thinking ‘This is one of the best things I’ve ever written.’ I feel like this song fits right in with the vibe of ‘Jingle Bells,’ like it could’ve been written back in the golden era of Christmas music. I mean, when I die, this song deserves to be remembered, whereas something like ‘Culture Shock’ probably won’t be. Let’s be honest.”

-Saby Reyes-Kulkarni