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Tangled lights, chaotic family gatherings, unexpected reunions and a little Christmas mischief: Minneapolis singer, songwriter, guitarist and novelist Mary Strand embraces the whole holiday experience on I WANNA BELIEVE, arriving November 27, 2026, via Hygh Tension Records/Virgin Music Group. Featuring 10 entirely original Christmas songs, the album pairs her punk energy, garage-rock guitars and sharp pop hooks with humor, nostalgia and character-driven storytelling.
The first single, “Beyond the Madness,” is out today, followed by “Happy Holidays” on November 13 and “Crazy Hazy Daze” on November 20.
On “Beyond the Madness,” Strand finds the heart beneath the seasonal commotion. Amid tinsel, rum balls, tangled lights, inflatable penguins and holiday movie debates—she firmly counts Die Hard as a Christmas movie—the song celebrates the connections that make the season matter: friends reaching out after years apart and late-night conversations that bring people closer.
The album’s beginnings stretch back to a January when Strand wasn’t quite ready to put Christmas away.
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Mary Strand
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" I wrote my first Christmas song, ‘I Wanna Believe,’ in January 2024 on a lark, when my own holiday decorations (indoors and outdoors) were still up,” Strand explains. “And my band and I loved it so much that we recorded and released it late that year.”
While promoting the song, she assembled a playlist of holiday favorites by rock bands and fellow Minnesota musicians. It sparked an idea for a bigger project.
“I loved songs by the Kinks, U2, Bruce Springsteen, and more, but I realized that there was a gaping hole as big as the North Pole in the existence of Christmas songs that rocked,” she says. “I decided to fill that gap, so that became my goal for the first part of 2025. I love Christmas songs! But I particularly love ones that bring a rocker’s sensibility into play.”
Strand’s path from lawyer to novelist to rock artist informs an album full of vivid scenes and personalities. Her storytelling instincts leave room for both the ridiculous and the heartfelt, capturing a season when affection, expectations and everyday absurdity often share the same crowded room.
To bring the project to life, Strand wrote five tracks herself and co-wrote the other five with Minnesota songwriters Ted Hajnasiewicz, Sarah Morris, Amanda B. Perry, Katy Tessman and Doyle Turner. Their Americana sensibilities meet her garage-rock instincts in a mix Strand describes as “controlled chaos.”
The collaborations take Christmas in several directions. “Red Velvet Suit,” co-written with Morris, offers a playful, romantic look at what Mrs. Claus wants for Christmas, while “Truth North,” written with Turner, imagines Santa and the future Mrs. Claus meeting in high school. “Cheer Up (It’s Christmas),” co-written with Hajnasiewicz, brings a reggae-driven bounce to a chaotic family gathering. Tessman and Strand lean into fireside warmth on “Lights May Be Twinkling,” while Perry and Strand reflect on the annual gathering of family and friends in “One More Christmas Song,” featuring piano by Tommy Barbarella of Prince and The New Power Generation.
Across the album, Strand’s influences—including Joan Jett, The Pretenders, The Clash, The Dollyrots and hometown favorites The Replacements and The Melismatics—sit alongside nods to familiar Christmas melodies tucked into intros, solos and unexpected corners.
I WANNA BELIEVE was recorded by Mary Strand & The Garage, featuring Strand on electric guitar and lead vocals; Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum, UltraBomb, The Melismatics) on electric guitar, additional instruments and vocals; Mark Wade (The Melismatics, The Mood Swings) on bass and vocals; and Peter Anderson (The Ocean Blue, Maygen & The Birdwatcher) on drums. Strand’s son, Jack Strand (Loondale), plays drums on the opening title track.
Following the album’s release, Mary Strand & The Garage will celebrate on Friday, December 4, at The Hook & Ladder’s Zen Arcade in Minneapolis. Four of the five co-writers are scheduled to participate, bringing the album’s Minnesota songwriting community together for an evening that also features The Hell And The Quiet and The Silverteens.
RELEASE SCHEDULE
- November 6: “Beyond the Madness”
- November 13: “Happy Holidays”
- November 20: “Crazy Hazy Daze”
- November 27: I WANNA BELIEVE
Stream "Beyond The Madness" Here:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3cBn9enCZgtKtGZsxulj4g?si=TjT...
ABOUT MARY STRAND
Mary Strand is a Minneapolis singer, songwriter, guitarist and novelist whose music combines punk energy, garage-rock grit, pop hooks and sharply observed storytelling. As a former partner in a large law firm, she brings an unconventional creative background to her work with Mary Strand & The Garage. Her 2025 album, I Don’t Need Your Permission, was released through Hygh Tension Records/Virgin Music Group.
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