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Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Katie Curley has reimagined the holiday music landscape with her heartfelt new EP, Big Colored Lights. Released on November 15, 2024, this seven-song collection ventures far beyond typical seasonal cheer, offering an intimate and poignant look at family dynamics, childhood memories, and the passage of time. Produced by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (Steve Earle, Bottle Rockets), the EP is a refreshing take on Christmas music that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.
Big Colored Lights emerged from a unique challenge Curley set for herself: to write one Christmas song every year. Over the course of nearly a decade, these songs became a time capsule of her evolving artistry, with each track capturing a different emotional facet of the holiday season. The result is a collection that feels raw and revelatory, transforming the familiar echoes of Christmas into a snow globe of memories being gently shaken.
Opening track “Christmastime Therapy” sets the tone with its unflinching exploration of family gatherings, blending Curley’s crystalline vocals with Rob Clores’ plaintive piano. The sass-filled “Closing in on December” features Mark Spencer of Sun Volt on pedal steel and reflects Curley’s knack for layering humor and vulnerability. The EP’s title track pays homage to her grandfather’s holiday decorations in rural Washington, while “Shotgun Wedding in Bethlehem” reimagines the nativity story with clever country flair, complete with angelic harmonies from Drina Seay and Shanelle Jenkins.
The album’s organic warmth owes much to the core band—Curley’s husband Brendan on guitar, Max Newland on bass, and Kenny Soule on drums—who recorded live at Cowboy Technical Services in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Powerhouse vocalist Lizzie Edwards joins Curley for the soul-stirring finale “New Year’s Too,” ensuring the EP ends on a high note.
For Curley, Big Colored Lights also serves as a farewell to her childhood home in Washington State, as her parents prepare to retire in Spain. “This EP is my way of holding on to my childhood while letting it go,” she reflects. Through her honest storytelling and vivid imagery, Curley has created a holiday record that resonates far beyond the season, inviting listeners to reflect on their own memories.
Stream Big Colored Lights now across all platforms and experience Katie Curley’s distinctive voice illuminating the complexities of the holiday season with grace and grit.
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