Frontman for The Sword, J.D. Cronise, has shared a cover of The Sonics’ “Santa Claus” in honor of the upcoming holiday. Cronise’s version of the track is available on Bandcamp as a free download.
The single incorporates jingling bells and a thriving electric guitar. Cronise croons over the Christmas-filled lyrics, Cronise keeping his vocals close to the original while the instruments lend a gritty twist. The original track was released in 1965, and includes a slight blues sound. Cronise sticks closely to the original sound while the guitar takes on a more vibrant sound.
The Sword shared a cover of Rush’s “Working Man” earlier this year, and the band released two compilations, Chronology: 2006-2018 and Conquest of Kingdoms in July. The first record included music that The Sword had played throughout their career, while the second stood as a new album from the band.
The band was initially planning to tour with Primus and Wolfmother last summer, however their tour dates wound up being rescheduled due to the ongoing pandemic. The Tribute to Kings tour will be a tribute to the band Rush, with the tour dates now scheduled for next summer.
In 2018, The Sword announced that they would be going on hiatus, canceling their tour in Australia. The band chose to take a hiatus following 15 years of “nonstop recording and touring,” and their tour with Primus and Wolfmother was planned to be the band’s first since their 2018 hiatus.
Photo credit: Raymond Flotat
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