Two-time Grammy winners Old Crow Medicine Show are ringing in the holidays with a brand-new record. Their first holiday project, OCMS XMAS, will be released November 21 on Hartland Records and features 13 tracks, including 11 originals and two reimagined classics. True to the band’s signature style, the album blends festive storytelling with string-band energy, shining fresh light on their celebrated roots sound.
A Tribute to John Lennon with “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”
In honor of John Lennon’s birthday, the band has released their new single, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” a powerful rendition of the global peace anthem originally recorded by Lennon and Yoko Ono.
The track features harmonies from the children’s choir at the Episcopal School of Nashville, which was founded by Old Crow frontman Ketch Secor.
Secor reflected on the song’s enduring impact:
“Of all the Christmas songs the radio stations drench us with as soon as the Thanksgiving feast turns to leftovers, there is only one I never tire of hearing. John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s message of peace, unity, love and understanding makes ‘Happy Xmas (War is Over)’ an anthem all the world over. Some fifty years after the kids from The Harlem Community Choir lent their voices to this amazing track, the Old Crows gathered the Purple Martin Choir around a microphone in the basement of Episcopal School of Nashville, the school I started, to join us on this revered song celebrating the holiday which honors the Prince of Peace’s birth. Altogether, with young and old singing as one, Old Crow Medicine Show stands up with the peacemakers around the globe, pushing those in power to put an end to war.”
Listen Now
New Originals and Festive Favorites
Beyond the Lennon tribute, OCMS XMAS offers a mix of rowdy originals and inventive covers. Highlights include:
- “December 26” – the songwriting debut of longtime band member Morgan Jahnig
- “All About A Baby” – a Zydeco-inspired track
- “North By Northeast” – a tribute to New England winters
- “Holly Jolly Christmas” – featuring Brassville, the horn ensemble from Tennessee State University
- “Breakin’ Up Xmas” – an Appalachian standard recorded live at the band’s Hartland Studio in East Nashville
“We’re in the joy business,” Secor said. “From the very start, a lot of the virtues of Christmas — the revelry, the singalongs, the happiness — have been present in our show.”
Holiday Hootenanny Tour and Ryman Tradition
Supporting the release, Old Crow will launch their first-ever “Holiday Hootenanny” tour this December, bringing their festive spirit to stages across the country.
The band will also continue their beloved tradition of New Year’s Eve concerts at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, this year featuring special guests:
- Dec. 30: The 502s and AJ Lee & Blue Summit
- Dec. 31: Shovels & Rope and The Creekers
Old Crow Medicine Show Tour Dates
- October 9 – Kalispell, MT @ Wachholz College Center
- October 10 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM
- October 11 – Billings, MT @ The Pub Station
- October 12 – Rapid City, SD @ The Monument
- October 23 – Charlottesville, VA @ Ting Pavilion
- October 24 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
- October 25 – Spruce Pine, NC @ Hilloween’s Hurricane Helene Benefit Concert – Three Peaks Enrichment Center
- December 3 – Fayetteville, AR @ Walton Arts Center+
- December 4 – Nashville, IN @ Brown County Music Center +
- December 5 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre +
- December 6 – Joliet, IL @ Rialto Square Theatre +
- December 7 – Huntington, WV @ Joan C Edwards Performing Arts Center +
- December 16 – Tysons, VA @ Capitol One Center (Capital One Hall)+
- December 17 – Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall +
- December 18 – New London, CT @ Garde Arts Center +
- December 19 – Torrington, CT @ Warner Theatre +
- December 20 – Englewood, NJ @ Bergen Performing Arts Center +
- December 30 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium=
- December 31 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium #
- Old Crow Medicine Show’s Holiday Hootenanny with Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
= with The 502s and AJ Lee & Blue Summit - # with Shovels & Rope and The Creekers
Continuing a Legacy of Innovation
The holiday project follows a landmark stretch for Old Crow Medicine Show. In 2023, the band marked their 25th anniversary with the Grammy-nominated album Jubilee and reissued their debut O.C.M.S. on vinyl. This year, Secor released his first solo album Story The Crow Told Me and stepped into his role as the new host of Tennessee Crossroads. His documentary Louder Than Guns also premiered at the Nashville Film Festival.With OCMS XMAS, Old Crow Medicine Show continues to balance tradition with innovation, offering fans new holiday anthems while honoring the classics that define the season.
