Lady A Embraces The Holiday Season With ‘On This Winter’s Night (Volume 2)’ [Interview]

/by

Lady A.

Lady A is welcoming the holiday season with On This Winter’s Night (Volume 2), their first full-length Christmas album in more than a decade, released this fall via Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment.

The acclaimed trio composed of Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood has amassed 11 No. 1 hits and over 9 billion digital streams. Known for hits such as their 12x Platinum “Need You Now,” which is the highest certified song by a country group, they have earned ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year trophies, seven Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards and a Tony Award nod, among other honors.

The album arrives alongside the group’s first-ever Christmas tour, making this season a particularly special one for Lady A. The project serves as both a continuation and a reflection of the group’s 2012 original release of On This Winter’s Night.

“Every time that Christmas comes around and we hear from fans about how much that first project is a part of their holiday and Christmas traditions, we think it’d be fun to lean into that,” Haywood tells MusicRow. Volume 2 became an opportunity not only to revisit those traditions but also to take them on the road and share them live.

The idea for On This Winter’s Night (Volume 2) grew naturally out of conversations surrounding a potential holiday tour. “When [the idea of a Christmas tour] started to really come together as a possibility, we felt like it was a really great time to add to our already existing album,” says Scott. With so many holiday songs they love, the group felt they had more to say than they were able to capture the first time around. “Because there’s such a long list of holiday and Christmas songs that we love, and we couldn’t get all of them in the first go round, we just started putting a list together.”

When it came to selecting which songs to cut, balance was key. The band wanted to include tracks that feel instantly recognizable while also introducing listeners to songs that are less commonly covered. “It’s always trying to balance out songs that feel familiar while also picking some that maybe not many people have done versions of,” Kelley explains. One standout example is their take on Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” which they approached with both excitement and caution.

“I was 50/50… we’re either gonna fail this miserably, or it’s gonna work,” Kelley says. Ultimately, the band felt they were able to make it their own while keeping it distinct from the original.

While the first On This Winter’s Night album leaned heavily into lush production, horns, and sweeping arrangements, Volume 2 takes on a slightly different feel. “The first Christmas album was highly produced, a ton of horns,” Haywood says, adding that while those elements still appear, the new album is “a much more organic Christmas record for us.” That organic approach allows the trio’s harmonies to remain front and center, giving the songs warmth and intimacy.

In addition to the classic covers, the album also features original material, something Lady A felt was essential to the project. One original that stands out deeply for the band is “Why We Sing Noel.”

“We wrote that with our producer Nathan Chapman and his wife, Stephanie,” Scott shares. The song was written in Haywood’s home studio and centered on the story of the birth of Jesus. For Scott, the song carries an especially personal meaning. “I was pregnant with my daughter, who is now three months old,” she says. “There was definitely a different layer of just realness from that for me … just connecting to Mary and getting to tell that miracle story.” Ricky Skaggs joined the band to play mandolin and sing harmony on the track.

Another notable collaboration comes on “Silent Night,” which features Chris Tomlin. Lady A’s first Christmas album included a version of “Silent Night” with special additions to the lyrics that Kelley wrote more than a decade ago. For Volume 2, they revisited the song in a stripped-down form and invited Tomlin to sing those answers. “He was at the top of our list to try to pull in for a collaboration,” Haywood said. “What an amazing Christian artist… this was a big honor for us.”

YouTube video

While the live show leans heavily into the Christmas spirit, it still carries the heart of what fans expect from a Lady A performance. The trio have emphasized that the goal is to fully embrace the season while still delivering the warmth, connection and familiarity that define their live shows.

Throughout the night, the band is intentionally creating  a variety of moments that shift in tone and energy. Some sections invite fans to sing along, leaning into the joy and nostalgia of classic Christmas carols, while other moments are intentionally more intimate. Those quieter portions of the show are designed to feel like “sitting around a campfire, singing Christmas carols,” allowing the music and harmonies to take center stage. Songs like “Wouldn’t Be Christmas,” one of the album’s original tracks, are especially exciting for the band to perform live.

As the tour enters its final stretch, Lady A is preparing to bring the experience home. The “This Winter’s Night Tour” is set to conclude with three special shows at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, a venue that holds deep significance for the group. Ending the run close to home adds another layer of meaning, particularly during the holiday season, when family is at the forefront.

The final performance, a matinee show on Dec. 23, is intended to feel celebratory and personal. With a total of nine kids among the band members, they have even envisioned bringing everyone on stage together for what they describe as a “perfectly chaotic moment.”

Beyond the songs, the band hopes the album as a whole provides listeners with a sense of comfort. “I hope that this album just brings the warmth of the season into their cars, into their homes,” Scott shares.

As with any Christmas project that includes original music, the band admits there’s always a hopeful thought in the back of their minds. “What if we have just written something that might become another Christmas classic?” Kelley says. While they joke about not reaching Mariah Carey levels, the dream remains that these songs will live on and become part of listeners’ holiday traditions for years to come.

Tickets for the remaining dates of the “This Winter’s Night Tour” are available here.

Lauryn Sink
Latest posts by Lauryn Sink (see all)