Four years ago, Metro Detroit’s Blockhouse Valley made plans to reimagine two classic songs for the holiday season.

While heading north to a performance at the Lexington Village Theatre, Ashleigh Glass (vocals) and Cody Cooper (mandolin, guitar) discussed creating a rootsy arrangement for “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

“We had a little time to play together before Cody’s performance that evening, and the arrangement came to us very quickly and naturally,” said Glass, who’s performed with Cooper in the Americana group since 2019. “So much so that we decided to film it there in the Airbnb and posted it to our social media that night.”

After their trip to Lexington, Michigan, the two shared their idea with bandmates Jon Howard (guitar) and Danny Steinkopf (upright bass) and created a radiant version that beautifully captures the holiday spirit.

“The textures added by the mandolin and upright bass truly polished the gem that we started with,” Glass said. “We are excited to share the emotional roller coaster of our rendition that embraces the familiarity of the classic and adds our warmth, relatability and spirit.”

To further capture that feeling, Blockhouse Valley also opted to record a Celtic-inspired version of “Auld Lang Syne” as a B-side to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

“Cody’s arrangement truly astounded me! I love that our version plays into the Celtic roots of the traditional piece and elevates it beyond the typical drinking song interpretations,” Glass said. “We hope that this call to reflection and appreciation for your past, present and future will be a welcome addition to holiday traditions.”

I recently spoke to Glass about the group’s latest holiday singles, a Dec. 15 show at Four Keys Brewing in Blissfield, Michigan and plans for 2024.

Q: What’s been inspiring you lately? What excites you the most about the upcoming holiday season?

A: Fall is our favorite season, and this year it’s been wonderfully busy! We’ve been playing a lot throughout Southeast Michigan and getting to soak in the beautiful colors, sounds, smells and flavors that make autumn magical. With such beauty, we lose some light and settle into a cooler, cozier state that seems to inspire us. We embrace the deeper and darker spots in our feelings and that tends to translate into our music.

With the holidays approaching, we are looking forward to seeing loved ones that we miss throughout the busier seasons of our daily lives. We’re also excited to embrace the many community festivities and traditions we look forward to between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.

Q: What’s special to you about these two songs in particular? How does each track represent the holiday season for you and your bandmates? What do you hope listeners take away from your versions of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Auld Lang Syne?”

A: My family is spread out across the U.S. and Japan, so this Christmas is particularly special because we will all be together for the first time in many years. Growing up in a large, musical family in West Virginia, all family gatherings included pulling out the guitars and singing together. To this day, no matter how few of us are assembled, any time we’re together, there’s music.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” has always been a favorite because it potentially expresses the ache and longing that often comes with the holidays for those who find themselves apart from the people they love. My family’s roots are deep and always lead us home, but many in my family (myself included) have ventured away. Though our pursuits are exciting and rewarding, there is nothing that can replace the closeness of family and the joys of togetherness, especially during the holidays.

Our arrangement and interpretation of this song is intended to convey its duality. The song feels uplifting when you know that you will be able to go home, but somehow [becomes] painful when that moment will only be in your dreams. This one song is somehow able to serve as a celebration and a lament depending on your perspective. We hope we have captured that in our arrangement.

“Auld Lang Syne” is old wisdom that improves with age. The meaning of the traditional New Year’s song isn’t limited to once a year, but it does implore the listener to consider the experiences and relationships of their past and celebrate them. Good, bad, tiresome, incredible … whatever the highs and lows, those moments crafted who, what and where you are now and deserve recognition and appreciation. It’s the perfect toast for a new year or a new season.

Q: How did bandmates Jon Howard and Danny Steinkopf help you elevate those two tracks?

A: Jon Howard and Danny Steinkopf are incredible bandmates whose musical instincts and feedback have helped to bring these arrangements to life. Jon’s versatility on guitar helps add color to our arrangements and enhances them past our expectations as he fills out the middle of the band’s acoustic sound. Danny comes from a diverse musical background that solidifies the foundation of our arrangements as we work to blend elements from other genres into our unique Americana style. Both are wonderful collaborators in rehearsals, performances and recordings.

Q: How long did you spend recording “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Auld Lang Syne” at Stone Soup Recording Studios in Maumee, Ohio? How did Eric Sills help you shape the overall sound for those two tracks? 

A: Stone Soup Recording Studios has a unique setup that enables us to record simultaneously, but also individually. We each recorded in an isolation booth with cameras and monitors so we could see and hear our bandmates almost as though we were playing in a performance. It was a really fun and highly efficient process.

Both songs were recorded and rough-mixed in just a few hours, due in large part to the incredible facilitation and feedback from audio engineer Eric Sills. Eric’s musicianship and excellent ear, partnered with his years of experience and finely honed skills, made this recording experience an absolute blast. It might have gone even faster if we hadn’t been messing with each other and playing Name That Tune in between takes.

Q: You and Cody are playing Dec. 15 at Four Keys Brewing in Blissfield, Michigan. What do you two have planned for your set for that upcoming show? Any plans to play your two new holiday tracks as well as other holiday favorites?

A: We are excited to make our debut at Four Keys Brewing. We will be adding a few of our holiday favorites, including duo arrangements of the two songs we’ve released, to our usual, eclectic mixtape in our acoustic style. Our favorite movie is The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is traditionally viewed during the trimming of the tree at our house, so fellow fans may notice a few nuggets rarely heard elsewhere.

Q: What’s up next for you later this year and into 2024? Any plans to write new material or go back into the studio?

A: In honor of the autumn muses, we took some time in October to focus on songwriting out in the middle of the woods in Hocking Hills. During those few beautiful days, we made a lot of progress on our upcoming album, which we anticipate will be recorded and released in 2024. In the meantime, we’re actively booking festivals and gigs throughout Michigan and Ohio.