Off the back of their triumphant headline show at Scala in London last night, Home Counties today release new Christmas single 'Better Last Year (Home Counties For Christmas)'. The song was debuted at yesterday evening’s show and was produced by the band’s own Conor Kearney.
Alongside the single, Home Counties have been announced as main support to Franz Ferdinand across the band’s UK tour dates next spring. They have also confirmed a special Christmas show at The George Tavern on 17 December, raising funds for Palestine.
Speaking on the release of their new Christmas single, the band shared:
"As a band we’ve always gone hard on the Christmas songs, so I think it was only a matter of time before we wrote one ourselves. Since secondary school, when Lois first joined our teenage band to play ‘Fairytale of New York’ at the Christmas concert, we have performed covers every year at our local village pub on Christmas Eve. It was here (The Red Lion, Longwick) where we played an early iteration of the song a few days after writing it last Christmas. I think some people (our parents) were a bit offended by it at first, with it slagging off our hometown, but it went down pretty well otherwise.
"Inspired by the dual voices and anti-Christmas sentiments of ‘Fairytale’, the song is split between two narratives voiced by Will and Lois. Lois sings about bumping into people you went to school with who have since done terrible things (a common theme from our school). Will sings specifically about Christmas Eve itself, with a feeling that with every year it gets a bit shitter, and everyone a bit less joyous. Together, they shape a story of growing older and how you feel it at this time of year. It’s also a plea for everyone to try and regain some of their lost ‘Christmas spirit’, in a slightly problematic boozy call to arms ("come on everybody just have one more beer!”). We’re looking forward to taking our ramshackle half-cut Christmas set out of Buckinghamshire to the George Tavern on 17th December!"
With Humdrum, their 2025 album, Home Counties explore the unease of saying too much or not enough, the quiet resentment of being out-charmed, and the spiral of overthinking. Told through the dual voices of Will Harrison and Lois Kelly, the record trades in wiry grooves, synths that lurch between menace and euphoria, and razor-sharp pop instincts that wrap knotty ideas into songs that feel both meticulously constructed and joyfully unhinged.
Produced by Al Doyle (LCD Soundsystem / Hot Chip), 'Humdrum' marks a natural progression for a band who have become one of the UK’s most exhilarating live acts, carrying forward LCD’s lineage of groove-driven intensity and sardonic wit through a distinctly British lens.
Receiving widespread acclaim upon its release from key UK press including DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Wonderland, Far Out Magazine, Dork and more - 'Humdrum' marked a swift follow-up to their 2024 debut album 'Exactly As It Seems' which itself earned rave reviews from CLASH, The Skinny, Dork, DIY, The Line of Best Fit amongst others; plus a sync on the EA Sports FC 25 soundtrack, and sold-out headline shows across the UK.
Home Counties’ new Christmas single 'Better Last Year (Home Counties For Christmas)' is out now via Submarine Cat Records. The band play The George Tavern in London on 17th December (tickets on sale here) before joining Franz Ferdinand as main support on their UK headline tour in spring 2026.
LIVE DATES
= supporting Franz Ferdinand
2025
DECEMBER
17 - The George Tavern, London (Home Counties X-Mas Show) - Fundraiser For Palestine
2026
JANUARY
03 - Bognor Regis, Rockaway Beach Festival
FEBRUARY
21 - Belfast, Telegraph Building
24 - Dundee, Livehouse ﹡
25 - Leeds, O2 Academy ﹡
27 - Manchester, Manchester Academy ﹡
28 - Newcastle, O2 City Hall ﹡
MARCH
02 - Nottingham, Rock City ﹡
03 - Norwich, UEA ﹡
04 - Brighton, Brighton Dome ﹡
07 - Bristol, Bristol Beacon ﹡
08 - Cardiff, The Great Hall ﹡
10 - Portsmouth, Portsmouth Guildhall ﹡
11 - London, O2 Academy Brixton ﹡