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.
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