Two Kent musicians have launched a Christmas song - with one promising to get a tattoo of Santa Claus if it manages to raise £1,000 for charity.

Written and performed by Canterbury friends Stuart Weller and James O'Keeffe, Wake Up it's Christmas has already racked up thousands of views online.

It has been three years since the 34-year-olds, who perform under the name Kids of Yesterday, released their first festive tune which proved a huge seasonal success.

But after Canterbury's annual outdoor Christmas Eve carol concert - which each year raises vital money for the Lord Mayor of Canterbury's Christmas Gift Fund - was cancelled due to the pandemic, the pair decided to step up and lend a hand.

Together they have written and recorded Wake Up it's Christmas, in a bid to help support the charity.

The catchy song features Stuart, who grew up in Herne Bay and now lives in Canterbury, on guitar; with vocals provided James, a teacher and dad-of-two from Sturry.

It is available for 99p on major music platforms including iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

All money raised will go directly to the Lord Mayor of Canterbury's Christmas Gift Fund, which provides food parcels and toy vouchers to those in need across the district at Christmastime.

A JustGiving page has also been launched for those keen to donate more, and has already raised more than £600.

And Stuart has come up with an extra incentive to help encourage donations.

"If we get £1,000, I'll get a tattoo of Santa Claus," he said.

"Why not? I absolutely love Christmas."

The talented friends first met when playing in school bands, before forming a group named LostFoundBroken in 2004, and spending four years touring the UK and Europe together alongside their day jobs.

In 2017, years after the group disbanded, the pair released their first festive hit - Home Alone for Christmas.

"Each year everyone asks 'when are you going to do another Christmas song?' and it just felt right this year," explained Stuart.

"Everyone needs a bit of cheering up.

"As soon as we saw the carol service was cancelled, we thought right, let's try and spread some cheer and raise some money for this great charity at the same time."

The music video for their song launched just a week and a half ago, but has already been viewed about 10,500 times.

It features shots of landmarks including Canterbury Cathedral and Westgate Towers, along with cameos from James' children and his dog, Indie.

Wake Up it's Christmas carries a poignant message, in a year that has seen so many people tragically lose loved ones to Covid-19.

"It tells a little story," explained Stuart, who works at Biketart in Barham. "The first verse is about Christmas as a child.

"Then in the second verse he's got a wife and a kid and they're enjoying a different kind of Christmas, different things are happening; and in the third verse unfortunately his wife passes away, but his family are still there to support him."

The song was mixed and mastered free of charge by Oz Craggs at Hidden Track Studios in Folkestone, in a bid to support the duo's fundraising efforts.

"We've had Canterbury BID and My Canterbury really help us out by spreading the word," said Stuart. "Our song featured on the Canterbury Virtual Christmas Light switch-on.

"It's really starting to steam roll now which is nice, but we just want to get the word out there as much as possible and raise as much money as we can."

To donate to their fundraiser, click here.

For more information, visit Kids of Yesterday's Facebook page.

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