‘Christmas is great and everything but where are the indie bangers?’ complains Girl Ray’s frontwoman Sophie Moss. She’s got a point - and the perfect antidote to the onslaught of Michael Buble is Girl Ray’s new festive 7” single: ‘(I Wish I Were Giving You A Gift) This Christmas’. It’s got all your Christmas essentials: a children’s choir, festive bells and a woozy, three-glasses-of-mulled-wine-in feel, but all with that alternative Girl Ray edge we’ve come to know and love. To go with the track, Girl Ray have announced a headline UK tour for April next year, with dates across Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester and London. If you’re enjoying what you’re hearing, be sure to check out their debut album Earl Grey, which came out earlier this year via Moshi Moshi. -HM