Buzz Blog
Last year, a group of bands got together to explore a charitable idea by King Niko vocalist Ransom Wydner. This year, it’s what many of them looked forward to the most this winter. Specifically, the live recording session, where many of the musicians come together to create, problem solve and have a lively day of music making.
“What makes Voltron Christmas different is that it is truly grass roots and collaborative. Nobody's really ‘in charge,'" Wydner says. “Everyone brings something to the table and everyone has their say. Everything we do is by the seat of our pants, and we constantly push ourselves and each other.”
The 12-song album, Operation Voltron Christmas Volume 2: Even More Christmas, is available for download here. The bands include: King Niko, Royal Bliss, Totem & Taboo, Charles Ellsworth, plus many more bands and artists too numerous to list. CDs, whose printing was donated by The Molding Box, can be purchased from the contributing artists or at The Road Home for a suggested donation of $10. The Road Home is a nonprofit social-services agency that assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake County and along the Wasatch Front.
Here’s a listen to King Niko’s “Next Christmas”:
About the song: “It's kinda silly and sentimental, but we like it,” Wydner says. “I remember LOVING Christmas as a kid, but as an adult, I've always been a bit of a scrooge about it. I hate the cold and the snow and worked a lot of Christmases in retail -- enough to sour it for anyone. So, I thought, "Well, what DO I like about the holidays?"
Operation Voltron Christmas Volume 2: Even More Christmas is truly destined to be a “lasting force for positive change in the future.”
