Christopher Butler, frontman of the 1980s new wave band The Waitresses, has shared his surprise after receiving an email from Olivia Rodrigo asking him to listen to her new Christmas song.
The Waitresses were best known for tracks including I Know What Boys Like and Christmas Wrapping. Rodrigo, a fan of the band, contacted Butler by email to ask if he would listen to her song Take Me Home (4 Christmas).
Surprise Email from a Pop Star
Writing on Facebook, Butler said: "About two months ago, I received a weird email from someone claiming to be Olivia Rodrigo. It was filled (with) Waitresses gush, and just had to be fake. Said she'd written a Christmas song, and invited me to hear it."
He continued: "????? I didn't know who OR was, so I did a deep dig. Wow… what a career."
Butler's reply praised Rodrigo's music and songwriting, noting: "I like that you 'got' my songwriting, and that you like our band. I like that you were smart enough to hold on to your masters when you signed your deal."
A Meeting After the Show
Rodrigo invited Butler and his fiancee, Beth Becker, to her Daisy Chain Festival in Los Angeles, but they could not attend. A member of her team later invited them to another show, where Butler met her.
Butler said: "Her song was/is great. It's going to be a smash, maybe even that elusive Christmas No 1 contest they have every year in the UK."
He added: "Then she invited Beth and I to her Daisy Chain Festival in LA. Too short notice, but then I got texts from her minder at her label. OR's 86 show/6 month tour was landing in Columbus, and Ms Minder repeatedly said, 'She wants to meet you'. So, Beth & I did meet her after the show. After just killing it for two plus hours. A delight."
Release and Background
Take Me Home (4 Christmas) was released on November 5 and is Rodrigo's first Christmas song. The track's music video features Sex And The City star Cynthia Nixon and US comedian and actor Ben Marshall.
Rodrigo, known for songs including Deja Vu, Vampire and Good 4 U, released her debut album, Sour, in 2021. It reached the top of the UK charts and won the best pop vocal album Grammy in 2022. Her second album, Guts, followed two years later and included the songs So American, Obsessed and Bad Idea Right.
