Echosmith Holiday Song Experiences Netflix Resurgence
Posted: by The Editor
Echosmith, one of the unsung bands of the mid-2010s who walked the line between alternative and pop music, ruled over the airwaves with the song “Cool Kids” in that time. Amid their radio success, they recorded and released a cover of a Christmas classic about six years ago that didn’t seem to gain too much traction – until now.
Six years ago, Echosmith released a cover of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s classic poem-turned-song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” to a Youtube audience. Recently, Netflix has given them the star treatment, using this cover for their newest Christmas feature, “Operation Christmas Drop.” The movie revolves around a romance between a political aide seeking to shut down an Air Force base and one of the pilots who lives in it.
The video for this song on Echosmith’s Youtube channel is flooded with comments saying that the Netflix original film is what brought them there. “Thanks to this movie, I’m listening to this beautiful song,” one person said.
It’s been a while since any alternative band released a cover of a Christmas song that has retained popularity. Echosmith’s position within the genre allows them extra leverage for radio playability, meaning Netflix just might have catapulted them into Christmas royalty.
“Christmas Bells” is one of the lesser-known carols written by Longfellow. He wrote it after the accidental death of his wife and finding out that his son had died while serving in the Union army. The poem was officially published in February 1865 in the publication “Our Young Folks,” a reader for young adults. The poem is said to have not been set to music until 1872. In 1956, Bing Crosby recorded the song, thus bringing interest to it and setting it up to become one of the Christmas canon staples.
However, Netflix picking the cover back up sets the standard to use alternative and indie Christmas songs in film.
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Konstantina Buhalis // @tinatlking
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