Twenty years ago, the Squirrel Nut Zippers released their only holiday album, Christmas Caravan. It eventually reached the top 20 of Billboard’s Holiday Albums chart and sold 250,000 copies. Two decades later and the band is back in the holiday spirit, penning two new songs inspired by Christmas.

“Mardi Gras for Christmas” and its b-side “Alone at Christmas” will both be available for streaming and download beginning tomorrow (November 2). Naturally, Louisiana music fans should take a particular interest in the former.

“I’ve been wanting to write that song for a while, Zippers member Dr. Sick commented.  “It seems to me that today, holidays seemingly run into each other, and even overlap. You’ll see Thanksgiving decor and Christmas schwag in department stores as early as August, so why not Mardi Gras decorations? Besides, if you haven’t experienced Fat Tuesday down in New Orleans, truth be told, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

Below, check out an early glimpse into “Mardi Gras for Christmas.”

The Squirrel Nut Zippers were featured in the April 2018 issue of OffBeat. Check out that story here. For more information on the band, including their upcoming ten-show run (which does not include a New Orleans date), click here to visit their official website.