UK singer/songwriter, WeatheredMan, joins forces with internationally renowned artist/industry mastermind and X Factor vocal coach, Emma Stakes, on their oh-so-tongue-in-cheek, alternative Christmas track ‘The Normalist Christmas’, released 1 December. Fusing Emma’s glittering vocal mastery and past projects (Sigala, Rudimental, the Voice, Nicole Scherzinger, Craig David, Alesha Dixon, James Arthur and The X Factor), alongside the lyrical craftmanship and candid-flecked vocals of WeatheredMan, creates a potential future classic; parallel to those welcomed duets of years gone by such as Mel & Kim and Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues. The honesty of ‘The Normalist Christmas’ defies you not to give an inner smile of utterly defeated self-agreement.

‘The Normalist Christmas’ is the melodic tale of you and me; the ‘real’ tale of Christmas, which arrives amidst a festive sack full of exhaustion and family angst. In Beautiful South-eque fashion, the gritty candid vocals of WeatheredMan create a welcomed juxtaposition alongside Emma’s delicious rich tones, as ‘The Normalist Christmas’ depicts the tale of every normal household worldwide on Christmas day – exhausted, mistaken and full of love. A gloriously funny, cheery festive song, ‘The Normalist Christmas’ delivers the perfect Xmas tick-list from horns and festive strings right through to the must-have Christmas bells; everything our Xmas track wish list desires!

An unusual pairing, brow-beaten WeatheredMan has teamed up with X-Factor’s A&R and vocal coach, Emma Stakes (stage name Miss Stakes). As Simon Cowell’s right-hand girl, Emma is normally responsible for filtering acts during the X-Factor audition process, as they head towards that battle to become the X Factor winner for Xmas. But this year, Emma’s decided to step into the limelight to pitch her own bid for that Christmas No1, with this alternative Christmas track duet with WeatheredMan.

WeatheredMan is Simon Bradshaw, a primary school teacher in Leeds by day, who catapulted into public attention when he became a finalist in BB2/BBC4 TV programme ‘UK’s Best Part Time Band’, where his band, Roja, were mentored by Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order). Cutting an impressive act on the live stage, Roja have performed at festivals including South by Southwest (Austin, Texas) with Franz Ferdinand, The Great Escape (UK) with Graham Coxon, Liverpool International Music Festival (UK), UK/European tours including supporting Half Man Half Biscuit at London Shepherds Bush Empire. Simon then went on to be nominated for Best UK Solo Act by Pure M Magazine 2018 alongside luminaries such as Zayn Malik, Kate Tempest and Adam Ant. Since then, Simon, the WeatheredMan, has written and duetted in collaborations with a star-studded sprinkling of Top 10 artists and rising vocalists, including Aaron Paul (front boy of Simon Cowell’s chart topping boyband, World’s Apart), Danii Roundtree, Trisha McTeague, LeeSun and Kim Jennett.

Now, as a special cracker full of Christmas joy, WeatheredMan joins forces with Miss Stakes for the alternative Xmas track to beat all others. It’ll fill you with sheer happiness (and spark an understanding inner-smile which screams ‘I know exactly where you’re coming from!’) Happy Normalist Christmas!