Headless Horseman’s Halloween Night

Every Halloween album needs its first real spook, and here it is. Headless Horseman’s Halloween Night is a galloping story song, and the twist I love is that this horseman is not scary in a nightmare way at all. He gallops down the street with his sword held high, and all he does is slice open candy bags and bring costumes to life. He is mischief on horseback, not a monster under the bed. That balance is the whole trick to writing Halloween for families. Thrilling, not traumatizing.

The song rides on a driving gallop rhythm, palm-muted guitar, thumping toms, hoofbeat percussion, and a big whoosh that swoops through the air every time his blade comes down. There is a hushed, whispered bridge in the middle where everything drops out and you can hear the hoofbeats coming to your town, and then the whole band charges back in. In the morning his magic disappears, your candy is safe, and he rides off until next year on the haunted hill.

I built this one for performing. The whoosh, the gallop, and the whispered bridge are all designed so a kid can act it out in the living room. If your little one grabs a paper sword and starts galloping around the couch, the song did exactly what I hoped.

And here is the fresh-music thread again. The Headless Horseman has been a Halloween icon since Washington Irving wrote him in 1820, but when did he last get a fun, singable kids’ song of his own? These old characters are public treasures. There is no reason to leave them sitting in a two-hundred-year-old story when they could be a singalong your kids beg for in the car. That is a lot of what this album is doing. Taking the great old Halloween figures and giving them brand new songs.

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Illustration depicting a circular scene with mythological and folkloric figures around a central view of a starry night sky. Characters include a man with a bundle of sticks, a horned creature with a basket, witches stirring a cauldron, elves, and animals like a goat and a horse, creating a festive yet eerie atmosphere.

Why Pre-Saving A Folklore Christmas Means the World (And How It Helps You!)

If you’ve ever wondered why artists are always asking you to pre-save their upcoming music on Spotify, here’s the secret: it’s the single best way to make sure you don’t miss a beat, while giving independent music a massive boost!

Whether you’re excited for the spooky ghost stories or the tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago, here is what pre-saving actually does for you, and for the album:

  • It drops right into your library on launch day: The moment A Folklore Christmas goes live, Spotify will automatically add it straight to your Liked Songs and library. You won’t have to search for it, set a reminder, or worry about missing release day.
  • It feeds the Spotify algorithm: Algorithms pay close attention to pre-save numbers. A high pre-save count signals to Spotify that listeners are eager for these songs, which helps push our holiday tracks onto official curated playlists, radio feeds, and recommendation charts for brand new listeners.
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