Dustin Kensrue breaks down That Spirit of Christmas, his new holiday solo album

Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue has released That Spirit of Christmas, a new holiday-themed solo album. Speaking with Chorus.fm, Kensrue noted it is his second Christmas record, arriving roughly 19 years after the first, and said he is drawn to holiday music because it is the one major yearly musical cycle in the culture — a marker for how people move through time and connect with each other.

Kensrue was candid about the release landing before Halloween, saying he dislikes the timing but that it was the only way to ensure the album would be in stores for the holiday season. He added that he is looking forward to promoting the record once November arrives.

The singer handled nearly everything on the album except keys and drums. Phil Glenn played keyboards, while Scott Evans tracked the entire record's drums in a single day using just two microphones, an intentionally old-school setup. Lead single "Joy Lives Here" is an original, written after BMG floated the idea of submitting a theme song on spec for Hallmark. The pitch was turned down, but Kensrue kept the track, which he said captures the feeling and chaos of his own house at Christmas.

There are no holiday shows planned this year, though Kensrue said he is considering the idea for next year, potentially with a full band and material drawn from both Christmas albums. On the Thrice front, he discussed the band's first-ever Red Rocks performance, played in cold, gray and rainy conditions, and said he would like to return and headline the venue. He also explained that the falsetto on "Vesper Light," from Horizons/West, originated in a quiet demo take he intended to replace before his bandmates convinced him to keep it.