Biography

GUESS WHO ‘SANTA’S GOT A CRUSH ON?’
SO CAL’S LEADING ROCKABILLY LADY,
KARLING!

Charismatic British Born Songstress and Hollywood
Music In Media Award (HMMA) Winner Invites
Her Fans to Spend ‘Christmas With Karling’—Enjoying
A Mix of Colorful Originals and “Karlingized”
Versions of Holiday Classics


It takes a bold soul to emphatically declare, “Santa’s Got A Crush On Me”—but coming from Karling, it’s not that far-fetched a notion. Not even the bearded guy in the red suit can resist the charms of the charismatic singer-songwriter whose electrifying weekly performances at Big’s Bar & Grill in Fullerton are making Southern California a hotbed of Rockabilly and Americana music.
Sure it’s taboo to peek into Santa’s goody bag, but no doubt he’s going to have one special item as he makes his rounds this year: Christmas With Karling, a fun-filled celebration of the season featuring six fresh original tracks (including, of course, “Santa’s Got A Crush On Me”) and cleverly arranged, new “Karlingized” renditions of five timeless carols and holiday classics: “Jingle Bells,” “First Noel,” “Deck The Halls,” “Silent Night” and “Auld Lang Syne.”
Recorded live (with just a few percussion overdubs) in her home studio over the course of three warm SoCal days in July, Christmas With Karling is the follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2010 full length album Bound For Nowhere, which at one point captured the #1 spot on CDBaby.com. Her track “Miss Fortune” earned a 2010 Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA) in the Americana/Roots category.
The British-born performer and her powerhouse band create a powerful mix of styles, ranging from straightforward rockabilly to R&B/soul, Western Swing and even calypso. “I’d give them the music and chord changes to each song,” Karling says, “and we’d stand around throwing ideas back and forth. We were open to trying different ideas and some rhythms and a blend of other retro styles and sonic textures our fans might not expect. The challenge with the familiar songs was to not just play them straight but see what we could do to breathe new life into them. I like the originals as well because they’re different and I got to showcase my unique musical style on them.”
While the classic country flavored ballad “Angel Tears” adds a touch of melancholy to Christmas With Karling, most of the other five originals find the singer in a more festive spirit. “What’s In The Box” is a playful and humorous, spooky/mysterious romp that might even inspire the Grinch to crack a smile. “Christmas Party” is a raucous high energy rockabilly jam, while “Tra La La La La” offers a whimsical, childlike view of the season’s magical sights and sounds. The similarly buoyant “Honey’s Coming Home For Christmas” includes jangling jingle bells over a distinctly tropical vibe. And the infectious, bluesy “Santa’s Got A Crush On Me” combines the sassiness of “Santa Baby” with the faux-innocence of a child awaiting the big guy’s arrival—until something unexpected happens.
Though Karling always loved holiday music and has long wanted to record a Christmas project, the impetus for Christmas With Karling was a request for seasonal songs by Opus 1 Music Library, which bills itself “the fastest growing music library in the world” representing over 2,000 CDs and 100,000 cues spanning music of all styles and genres. Karling recently inked a deal with them for film and TV licensing opportunities.
“When they signed us,” she says, “they asked if we had any Christmas songs because they usually need those a few months before the season officially begins. I was already in a creative mode, but this deadline gave me focus and an extra push that inspired me to get on a roll and write the songs that we eventually compiled for the album. It wasn’t easy writing for Christmas in the middle of summer, but once I had the originals down, I called in the band, we put up some Christmas decorations and lights in the studio and got to work.”