“I hadn’t planned on doing a Christmas cover, but last week a music blog asked me for one so I figured why not?” Haesemeyer explains that he grew up singing in church choirs, and always loved the ancient lyrics and vibe of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” sung at Christmas services.
The song’s lyrics go back to 700 B.C. and the music was written in the Dark Ages. “Whoever the monks were who put it to music had soul,” Haesemeyer chuckles.
The song was pulled together quickly. Haesemeyer worked with Levi Seacer (of Prince fame) to develop the groovy vibe. “We did it in a day. We didn’t overthink it. I think the honesty of the vocal and the spirit of the song comes through that way.”
Seacer was also involved in arranging the soul singers on the single (Think I’m Going Down) from Haesemeyer’s September release.
John Haesemeyer (HAZE-mire) is a San Francisco based performing artist who fuses folk and pop genres, emphasizing intimate vocals, acoustic guitar, orchestral instruments, and the rhythm section of a rock band.
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