Cold Christmas

Cover art by Josephine Olausson

The Aislers Set closed out the last century by sculpting endearing and infectious songs out of the best elements of the rock n’ roll’s pop luminaries—from the wall-of-sound of ‘60s girl-groups to the austere melodicism of The Velvet Underground on through the charisma of the revered C86 Brit pop scene and to countless niches in between. The Bay Area band contained enough grit to win the touring companionship of Sleater-Kinney and Bratmobile yet buoyant and charming enough to be name-dropped by Belle & Sebastian. Yet for all the praise and accolades bestowed upon their three studio albums and numerous singles, The Aislers Set slipped into dormancy in 2003 when founding member Linton left San Francisco for New York City and fellow guitarist/vocalist Wyatt Cusick relocated to Gothenburg, Sweden. Those chillier climes may have something to do with the last-tracked Aislers Set song—the standalone holiday duet “Cold Christmas.” Recorded by Linton and Cusick over the holidays of 2010, “Cold Christmas” contains all the seasonal magic of A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector filtered through the scrappy charm of indie rock. The songwriting duo trade verses against a backdrop of jangling electric guitars and trumpet calls, with Cusick offering up a warm hearth and Linton opting to enjoy the winter landscape. The one-off track could very well be an ode to the geographic distance between the songwriters, but its simple description of pining for loved ones during the holidays is both timeless and universal. After ten years, the unseasonably sunny “Cold Christmas” is finally available to the public. Suicide Squeeze is proud to present this unearthed future holiday classic on December 11, 2020 as a digital single on all streaming platforms.