After thirty years and twelve albums, Merseyside psych-pop stalwarts The Coral have finally ventured into festive territory. ‘She Died On Christmas Day,‘ their first Christmas song, arrives as a darkly whimsical counterpart to the season’s usual cheer – and their first new music since 2023’s Sea Of Mirrors.
Drawing inspiration from mid-century crooners who turned heartbreak into hit songs, and the era’s songwriters who wove eerie tales into pop structures, The Coral bring their signature subtle menace to the holiday canon. Fuzzed vocals reminiscent of fairground announcements intertwine with mournful ballroom organ lines, giving the track a cinematic, otherworldly quality. Far from a frosted pop confection, the single is more of a shadowed memento for the season.
Released as part of a limited edition 7″ package, Christmas On Coral Island, the single also features the final narration from Ian Murray, known as The Great Muriarty. Murray, who previously appeared on the band’s 2022 Coral Island album and 2023’s Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine Show, provides a dramatic framing for the A-side, lending the story a cinematic, ethereal presence.
“We love fifties and early sixties rock n’roll, especially the British stuff,” says keyboardist Nick Power. “To us, it’s the sound of where we grew up: New Brighton and the fair, the lost piers, the thrill and danger of towns at the end of existence. If there’s an opening where we get to explore that side of us, we’re always up for it.”
Although The Coral have not released new material over the first 11 months of 2025, they have remained active in other creative spheres. Highlights include their band-curated “A Late Summer Night’s Scream” at Liverpool’s 3,500-capacity Grand Central in August, and the acclaimed documentary Dreaming Of You, directed by James Slater, which charts the band’s formation and rise.
Earlier this year, bassist Paul Duffy also revisited the band’s debut album in a playful new format with The Coral Caves Of Illusion, released on AV8 Records. The 8-bit reinterpretation recasts tracks like Shadows Fall and Goodbye in retro video game tones, showcasing the band’s ever-playful ingenuity.
‘She Died On Christmas Day’ and ‘Christmas On Coral Island’ ft. The Great Muriarty are available digitally now HERE, alongside the limited edition 7″ Christmas On Coral Island which is available HERE.
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