SUNFLOWER THIEVES Discuss New Track ‘IT’S NOT LIKE THE CHRISTMAS FILMS’

Babystep Q&A - It’s Not Like The Christmas Films

Sunflower Thieves gift listeners with ‘It’s Not Like The Christmas Films,’ an emotive exploration of the holiday season's complexities. Released via Come Play With Me Records, this Leeds-via-Derbyshire duo's latest single precedes their curated event, 'Sunflower Thieves & Friends,' on December 1st, marking the culmination of their 2023 performances.

Spawned from a recent collaborative writing session with friends Lexie Carroll and Jack Hardman, and drawing inspiration from artists like The Staves and Phoebe Bridgers, 'It’s Not Like The Christmas Films' dives into the less portrayed facets of Christmas. Amidst gentle piano melodies, Sunflower Thieves' poignant vocals and signature harmonies navigate the emotional challenges of December, promising to "warm the kid inside" despite the season's loneliness and social fatigue. The track unfolds into an anthemic full-band arrangement, the chorus expressing a poignant truth, "It's not like the Christmas films, I never believed them."

With more music slated for 2024, the song not only delivers a taste of what's to come but also bridges the gap between their earlier work and upcoming releases. Built on authenticity, childhood friends Amy and Lily have cultivated the Sunflower Thieves project organically over the years, transitioning from open-mic nights to BBC Introducing Sessions and sharing stages with artists like Flyte, Haley Blaise, and Lewis Watson. The duo's 2022 EP, 'Someone To Be There For,' garnered praise from luminaries like 6 Music's Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson, Radio 1’s Sian Eleri, and BBC Introducing’s Emily Pilbeam. We spoke to them just after their latest track came out:

1. Your latest single, 'It’s Not Like The Christmas Films,' delves into the melancholy side of the festive season, offering a perspective often overlooked in the typically joyful portrayal of Christmas. Can you share the inspiration behind the song and how it reflects your personal experiences with the holiday season?"

We have a tendency to lean towards the melancholy, and before we even started writing, Jack, one of our co-writers on the song, sent an idea: ‘It’s Christmas Day and everyone I love is dying’, and that really set the tone. We’ve both lost family members in recent years, and their absence is noticed all the more when family is brought together for the festivities. Alongside being right in the middle of the cold, dark winter months and the worries many people face at this time of year, the romanticised idea of Christmas can be super hard to navigate. We both love heading home to family and friends for Christmas, and a lot of what comes with that, but you have to let yourself feel what you feel - any sadness you carry doesn’t just go away for the holidays. 

2. The track transitions from a soft piano-driven beginning to an anthemic full band arrangement, creating a powerful dynamic. How did you approach the production and arrangement of the song to convey the emotional journey you wanted to express?

We’ve been listening to a lot of Julia Jacklin and Boygenius this year and all of our new tunes definitely reflect that! But the references we used for this track in particular were: Home Alone Too by The Staves and Phoebe Bridgers’, If We Make It Through December. We love the wonderful fullness of The Staves’ track and the delicate piano in the latter, so we decided to mix the two, hopefully you’ll agree we found the sweet spot!

The piano was recorded in Lily’s living room, and then we pretty much just layered as many vocal harmonies as we felt it needed. 

3. "The lyrics of 'It’s Not Like The Christmas Films' touch on the loneliness and social exhaustion that can accompany the holiday season, acknowledging a reality different from the idyllic scenes often depicted. How important is it for you to bring authenticity and vulnerability into your songwriting, especially on topics like this?"

It’s definitely one of the most important parts of what we’re doing - iIf no tears have gone into the song, it’s probably not going to stick! We don’t know any other way of doing it really, and we immediately know if a song is going to be a keeper, based on how strong our investment is in the subject matter and lyrics. This is something we admire in so so many of the songwriters we look up to and love - Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Phoebe Bridgers, Flyte, Julia Jacklin. 

4. With 'It’s Not Like The Christmas Films,' you collaborate with friends Lexie Carroll and Jack Hardman. How did this collaboration come about, and what did each collaborator bring to the creative process that enhanced the song?

We met Jack in August last year for a writing session, and really loved the dynamic we had - he’s so great at really hearing what direction we want something to go in, and making the writing and recording process fun, open and creative. He’d already worked with Lexie a couple of times, and we knew Lexie as we’d previously been managed by the same person - we can’t believe it took us so long to write together! The actual lyric and melody writing felt very balanced between us all, and Jack steered the arrangement and textures of the demo on the day. We wrote the song in a few hours in a tiny tiny Pirate studio, and spent the following day demo-ing from Jack’s house, with Amy, Lily and Lexie all laying down some vocal ideas. 

The finished version was recorded in Lily’s bedroom studio, and has Amy playing flute, Amy’s brother Laurie playing Lily’s upright piano, and if you listen closely, you can hear Lexie’s vocals in there somewhere too, which we felt had to stay in there. 

5. "Having built Sunflower Thieves organically over the years with a strong DIY work ethic, how do you think your journey from early open-mic nights to collaborations and tours with established artists has shaped your musical identity and approach to your craft?

It’s interesting because it’s likely that we’d have quite a different approach without the experience we’ve had. We were so supported when we first started singing and writing, and definitely still feel the presence of that hometown community, when releasing new music and sharing exciting news. And so many of the things that are important to us as a project, such as collaborating and working with other women as much as possible, and celebrating independent, sustainable and ethical brands and projects, are significant due to the people we’ve met along the way - other artists and songwriters, producers, brand owners, engineers, reps, journalists, etc. We’ve learned so much and are so grateful for that. Our journey has given us an awareness of how privileged we are for every small step forwards, and to have each other along the way. 

We’ve learned what does and doesn’t make us feel good, what our priorities and boundaries are, and how to support and get the best out of each other. We still have a lot to navigate, but we’re very fortunate to have this knowledge when it’s needed - it has meant we can take care of ourselves on tour and keep our friendship as a priority throughout.

6. As childhood friends, you've been at the heart of the Sunflower Thieves project for several years. Looking back at your journey so far, what have been some of the most rewarding moments, and how do you see the evolution of Sunflower Thieves as you continue to explore new sounds and themes in your upcoming 2024 release?"

A lot of our highlights have been live shows we’ve played, especially touring with Lewis Watson, and playing shows with Flyte, Nell Mescal, Jemima Coulter and Haley Blais. And of course, releasing our EP, ‘Someone To Be There For’. That felt like years of work coming together and was a really pivotal moment for us, especially being able to release on vinyl.

It’s Not Like The Christmas Films bridges the gap between Someone To Be There For and what is to come, both in songwriting and production. With the upcoming releases, we’ll be stepping in a fiercer, bolder direction musically, but the focus on storytelling and vocal harmonies are very much still with us. We’ll be performing live more with the band next year and bringing this fuller sound with us. We will still be touching on friendships, loss, self-growth amongst other things, but with a new energy and confidence which feels really good.