When a Southern rock band decides to take on a Christmas standard, the results are rarely predictable. But GREYE, the 2025 Josie Music Awards Southern Rock Group of the Year, has done just that with a bold new recording of Greg Lake’s “I Believe in Father Christmas.” The track swaps sugary holiday cheer for crunchy guitars, layered arrangements, and a message that cuts deeper than most seasonal fare.
The idea for the recording didn’t come from a label executive or a holiday marketing push. It started when drummer Ray Grimard suggested the song as a potential addition to the band’s December live sets. After several years of performing it onstage, GREYE felt the arrangement had earned its own studio moment.
“We’ve performed the song live for a few years and have always had a soft spot for Greg Lake and ELP,” says lead vocalist Hannah Summer. “It just felt like the timing was right to put out a proper studio version!”
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For guitarist Jett Wolfe, the song’s lyrical and musical complexity set it apart from the usual holiday rotation. “I’ve always appreciated the special character of this song,” Wolfe says. “It offers a refreshing musical approach while still capturing the spirit of the season.”
GREYE brought the same collaborative energy to this cover that fuels its original work. Every band member contributed to the arrangement, preserving the core of Lake’s composition while injecting their own musical identity. Wolfe points to the blend of big rock power chords and country-influenced guitar bends as the source of the track’s distinctive edge. Summer describes the result as a slightly softer musical departure for the band, but one that still carries the hallmarks of GREYE’s production: keyboards, background vocals, and that unmistakable Southern rock guitar influence.
Though “I Believe in Father Christmas” carries a darker tone than many holiday classics, GREYE sees its core message as one of generosity and positivity. “Some people have told us that this song is quite dark for a Christmas song, but we think the true message is that if you put goodness out into the world, you will receive that same goodness back,” Summer explains. “We always ultimately try to put out a positive message with our music, and we hope that listeners can identify with this song and pay it forward this holiday season.”
That message was a key reason the band chose this particular song. Rather than record another familiar Christmas standard, GREYE wanted to offer listeners something unexpected. “When we decided to do a Christmas song, we wanted to do something that people weren’t going to hear in every supermarket during December,” Summer said. “The message is something that very much aligns with our values, and Greg Lake is such a masterful writer, it was an easy choice.”
The band approached the recording with deep respect for Lake’s original work, aiming to preserve the spirit and magic of the composition while making it unmistakably their own. For GREYE, this track was a chance to explore new creative ground and reveal another side of the band. “This song certainly shows a different side of the band, and it was a really fun departure for us creatively,” Summer says. “We always love a chance to step outside our comfort zone and take on a challenge.”
With an eighth full-length album currently in development, GREYE continues to build on its vision of Southern Rock 2.0—honoring the genre’s roots while pushing toward a fresh, modern sound. On this holiday single, the band delivers a powerful interpretation of a classic, backed by a message that encourages listeners to spread a little more goodness into the world.
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GREYE
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Why it matters: In a holiday music landscape often dominated by the same dozen songs, GREYE’s choice to reinterpret a darker, lyrically rich track shows how artists can use seasonal releases to deepen their creative identity. The band’s emphasis on giving back and spreading goodness also reminds listeners that even a rock-heavy Christmas song can carry a message worth hearing.
