Mabilene Hikes Holiday Spirit with the Premiere of Her Single “Merry, Once Again”

If you need a hand getting into the festive spirit, Mabilene is here to lend one with the premiere of her new single “Merry, Once Again.” This is the singer-songwriter’s official Christmas single for 2024, an impressive vocal display with lyrics and melodies that will leave you with all sorts of good feelings.

Christmas singles require a delicate touch; they have to feel joyous and upbeat without sounding sappy or clichéd. Mabilene has conjured up the right balance with a song that stays true to her essence as a singer-songwriter. She wrote the song with her friend and producer, Johnny Hanson. Hanson helped contribute to Mabilene’s new record, so they took that songwriting chemistry that had developed between them and turned it into something a little more seasonal and lighthearted.

Discussing the song’s inspiration and origins, Mabilene tells us:

“Someone close to me had recently said they hated Christmas, and I immediately wanted to do anything in my power to change that stance. So I decided to write a song about Christmas becoming Merry, Once Again because of a new love, as though love could act like Christmas goggles that make everything glowing and warm.

“It’s a story of connection reopening one’s eyes to the beauty and wonder that’s available during the holiday season… Not the things we may receive, but the gift of being in community with those we love. Whether we’re sharing a meal, singing songs, or sipping champagne, this time of year, while stressful for many, has the potential to be a time of remembrance and joy if we focus on the good. As for the production, I wanted it to be as drenched in holiday cheer as the set of a Hallmark Christmas movie. And I got my wish.”

The release of “Merry, Once Again” also acts as a nice little carryover to Mabilene’s forthcoming new record. Titled Storm Born, the album is currently being finalized for a spring release. With Hanson’s assistance, she has been patiently writing the record in her Nashville home. Mabilene’s debut record, The Other Side, was written and tracked fairly quickly with minimal overdubs. In contrast, she has taken her time with Storm Born, recording it over a two-year span. She went into the recording of the album wanting it to be a different process that would be free of preconceived conceptions of genre or style. This enabled the recording process to have a free flow, which encouraged Mabilene to try new things.

That approach to recording is fairly similar to the thematic foundation of Storm Born. It’s a set of songs focused on growth achieved via circumstances that are not always comfortable. With time to reflect, she has thought a lot about the societal and local forces that isolate and divide people and communities. Mabilene hopes that this album can help bring a little joy to your soul and act as some inspiration towards the worthy cause of bringing us all closer together. While Storm Born is not a Christmas album, the sentiments within “Merry, Once Again” are ones that Mabilene is happy to carry over into the theme and the structure of the new record.

Tour Dates:

02/16 – Bluebird Café, Nashville, TN

Mabilene ‘Storm Born’ album artwork