If you like Merle Haggard’s classic holiday tune “If We Make It Through December,” then you need to hear this track from Chamomile & Whiskey. Based out of the Charlottesville, VA area, the five piece “Blue Ridge Mountain rock and roll” outfit has an eclectic sound that falls somewhere between bluegrass and alt-country rock and roll. And while this single they are about to release finds them slowing things down a bit from a sonic perspective, it marks yet another example of the top-tier songwriting that has defined their lengthy catalog of original music over the past decade. Titled “This Time of Year,” Chamomile & Whiskey’s next single is slated for release tomorrow, but you’re in luck, because we are giving you an exclusive first listen here at Whiskey Riff a day early. And trust me, it’s not a track you are going to want to miss. Serving as a somber reminder that despite how happy the holidays tend to be for most, it can be the most difficult time of year for many, “This Time of Year,” is sure to tug at your heartstrings. Written by the band’s co-founder and frontman Koda Kerl, the song juxtaposes the often consumer-fueled joy of the holidays with the plight of the less fortunate and lonely. In an exclusive quote shared with Whiskey Riff, Kerl deals perspective and gives some insightful context surrounding their latest song and how it came to be. “I’m glad to finally be putting ‘This Time of  Year’ out… It feels funny cutting a holiday song in the middle of the year… But that’s how it goes. I wrote it very quickly… I had most of the lyrics in my head in the car after dropping off a deaf friend of ours off at the church he stays at after a Christmas shows. It was very cold and everything had kind of a late shimmer… A blend of ice and neon and Christmas lights. I’ve always had complicated feelings about the holidays… As wonderful as it can be, it’s also a painful time of year for many of us. The older I get, the more I realize how many people feels the same way… So I guess this is my attempt at an honest holiday song. Multiple things can be true at once… You can be so happy to be with ones you love and heartbroken by the absence of the ones you’ve lost… As the smell of grandma’s apple pie wafts against the backdrop of overwhelming consumerism. Happy Holidays y’all.” So, without further ado, give “This Time of Year” by Chamomile & Whiskey a listen for yourself. “This Time of year’s for fighting back tears Gratitude and grief and slow creeping fears Regret and greed, compassion deeds Are the things that we want the things that we need?” What a track. Chamomile & Whiskey is ending the year on a bit of a heater, having just released another single less than a month ago. While we’re on the topic give “Friends are Falling Out” a listen as well. The post Chamomile & Whiskey Keep Things Honest With Somber Holiday Tune “This Time Of Year” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.