News · 19 November 2025

The Audreys Share Cover of Dolly Parton’s ‘Hard Candy Christmas’ and Announce End of year Shows

The release of ‘Hard Candy Christmas’ comes less than a year since The Audrey’s dropped their first studio album since 2014, Ruin & Ruin.

Christmas is just around the corner, and local legends The Audreys are getting in on the spirit, releasing a cover of Dolly Parton’s ‘Hard Candy Christmas’.

Parton’s 1982 original, which was featured in the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, was a big hit for the country star, peaking at #8 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs

The Audreys’ take on ‘Hard Candy Christmas’ is similar to Parton’s, with Taasha Coates’ warm vocals pairing beautifully with the light instrumentation.

Taking to social media to announce the cover, The Audreys posted: “We thought we’d let you recover from all the Halloween shenanigans before giving you the lowdown on our upcoming single. Next Friday 14 November, we release a Christmas tune for y’all. Yep, you heard correctly... only 48 days ‘til Christmas! So, we thought we’d keep the tradition alive. We’re keeping it classy of course, with our version of Dolly Parton’s classic ‘Hard Candy Christmas’, a song first made famous in the 1982 movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”

To coincide with the single release, The Audreys have revealed a run of shows to close out the year, performing six dates across December in Victoria and South Australia.

The Audreys cross the border for shows at Beechworth’s Tanswells on Thursday 4 December, Bellarine’s Bellarine Estate on Friday 5 December, Castlemaine’s Shedshaker Taproom on Saturday 6 December and Archies’ Creek Hotel on Sunday 7 December.

They then return home for gigs at Adelaide’s Trinity Sessions on Friday 12 December and Goolwa’s Murray Delta Juke Joint on Saturday 20 December.

Tickets on sale now via theaudreys.com.au.

One of South Australia’s great bands, The Audreys have been a staple on the live scene for over two decades. They’ve released five studio albums, including this year’s Ruin & Repair, the group’s first without Tristan Goodall, who sadly passed away in 2022.

Catch The Audreys performing at Trinity Sessions in Adelaide on Friday 12 December and Murray Delta Juke Joint in Goolwa on Saturday 20 December. Tickets on sale via theaudreys.com.au.