- t h e  b i r t h  o f  e l e p h a n t  h u g -

In November 2005, we came across a mention of Christmas EPs by Sufjan Stevens.  A google search found the files posted on someone's blog, but no hard copies for sale.  A mystery!   Update:  Sufjan's Christmas EPs have finally been released this year, 2006.

Finally, google let us in on the secret:

Do you do those (Christmas EPs) every year now?

Sufjan:  Well it has been three years now so I feel like I’m going to start it. But next year I want to have a manufactured record. I’m going to take the best songs from the three EP’s and then the other half will be Christmas songs about Vermont, so it will be “Happy Christmas From Vermont.”

What is the motivation behind the Christmas EPs?

Sufjan:  Well the first one I did was for my grandparents and my relatives, so I wanted it to be very listenable, very accessible, but it turned out being very silly as well so it kind of failed in that sense. I just got tired of trying to find gifts for my family. It is hard to shop for my nieces who are teenagers and my grandmother who doesn’t really want anything. Also part of the motivation is to write and record an EP as quick as possible, to involve people, to have as much fun as possible, and I also want it to sound really good. Usually I spend a lot of time on my records, maybe I over-edit. But with these I have a deadline…Christmas. I usually only start two or three weeks before Christmas.

We figured it was a pretty good idea.  So we made our own Christmas EP.  Except so many great people contributed, we've ended up with a full-length album, and in time for Christmas!

Thanks to all who contributed, from the artists to friends who served as sounding boards.  We hope you all enjoy this project.  Here's to many more collaborations to come.

Please contact us at admin@elephanthug.com if you'd like to get involved.

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