Lindsey Stirling‘s latest holiday album, Snow Waltz, features her takes on classics like “Feliz Navidad,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Deck the Halls” and her current hit, “Joy to the World.” She says she’s able to come up with fresh versions of these old favorites by focusing on her “secret weapon” — her violin.
“I always think to myself, ‘Why would someone want to listen to my version?’ There’s so many versions that have been done of all these different songs, and especially if you’re not having that vocal, like, why would someone want to listen to a violin version?'” she tells ABC Audio.
“So then I get to think of creative ways [to do them]: ‘Well, the violin is great at this style, a voice can’t do that,'” she adds, noting that “thinking of things that a violin can do” allows her to create things that “maybe no one else really can.” She laughs, “It’s really fun to think of it as my secret weapon!”
And Lindsey says that focusing on the powers of her violin allowed her to create some truly unique takes on those classics.
“It took the songs in such different directions, like ‘Joy to the World,’ I took it in a Celtic direction because I was able to do all these Celtic riffs and make the song super unique,” she explains. “And all of them are done in ways that you’ve never heard them done before. So whether it’s everybody’s cup of tea or not, who knows? But at least I enjoy them.”
She laughs, “They made them really fun for me to arrange and write, and if anything, it’s at least different. There’s a reason to listen.”
People definitely are listening to Lindsey’s Christmas songs: She’s currently in the middle of her annual holiday tour.
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