Colin Stough is putting his take on a holiday classic. The American Idol finalist just dropped “Blue Christmas,” giving his unique spin to one of Elvis Presley’s iconic hits.
“Elvis Presley is not only a legend overall, but he’s also a Mississippi boy like me,” Stough says. “I grew up about 30 minutes from where he was born. I love ‘Blue Christmas’ and wanted to do a version of my own. It’s got this smooth, bluesy vibe which I really dig.”
The Christmas song comes only a few weeks after the release of Stough’s debut EP, Promiseland, which was out on October 20. The record includes “Lonely Song,” which Stough just dropped.
“There are these moments after a breakup where everything kind of settles and the loneliness kicks in,” Stough says of the story behind the song. “It’s those moments after the day winds down before the night sets in and you can fall asleep.
“The moments where you can’t stop thinking about everything and you finally start feeling all of the pain and loss that comes after a relationship has run its course,” he adds. “It’s the lonely hour.”
Stough moved to Nashville after his time on American Idol, trading his job in HVAC for a career in music, all thanks to his mother signing him up for Idol.
“My mom signed me up for it,” Stough previously told Music Mayhem. “I didn’t know how far I could go on it, and I ended up about damn near going all the way. So, I was pretty pleased with the outcome. It was pretty awesome.”
Stough is now grateful that his mother took the initiative, since being a full-time musician was something Stough dreamed about for years, but didn’t know if he would ever achieve.
“Being in the music industry is something I’ve always dreamed about,” Stough told Hollywood Life.. “I’ve kind of got a list; I’ve got goals for my life like everybody else does, and I want to keep checking them off … I’m writing every single day. Even if it’s just lines, I’m writing them down and getting them in my head. I definitely would love to drop an album one day.”
Stough released “I Still Talk To Jesus” after his time on American Idol. The song was a poignant and personal song co-written by Stough.
“The main point of the song is to not give up,” Stough said at the time. “Especially in this generation, and in this world, it is really hard to keep going. It’s hard to find people that you can talk to. This song is a reminder that you will always have that one source that is always with you.”
Find “Blue Christmas” and all of Stough’s music and upcoming shows at OfficialColinStough.com.
