A GROUP of talented musicians from Bucks are hoping to spread festive cheer with their new Christmas single.

Uncle Figgis and Friends are hoping to take the charts by storm with ‘Home for Christmas’.

The band was founded in 2000, when original member Billy Figgis, got together with a few talented friends to collaborate and create new music inspired by the ‘golden age’ of pop music, the 60s and 70s.

The band originally got together to write, record and perform their own music for their own pleasure, but soon realised the audience loved their songs.

Billy, from Great Kingshill, now hopes their new Christmas tune, Home for Christmas, will bring festive cheer to people of all ages.

He said: "It’s a great party tune, has everything a Christmas song should have. People like a Christmas song to be quite corny and it’s got a bit of that in there. I think it appeals to people of all ages.

"The song is a real beaty party number with all the right ingredients for a great Christmas. We wanted it to be a really fun experience but there are a lot of people who can’t make it home for Christmas, like soldiers, so we stuck a little verse in there for them too."

Home for Christmas features Billy Figgis on rhythm guitar, TC Turner on lead vocals, Mick Scatley on drums, Steve Wells on keyboard, Johnny Green on lead guitar and John Hammond on bass guitar.

All the musicians are based in Bucks and have been creating new music together for many years. Billy, who has been in the music industry for fifty years, said: "We’re a group of like-minded musicians and we get together every now and then. On and off we have worked together over the years, as we have all been in separate bands. We meet up every now and then to bring the band back together and record some new songs."

Billy admits this Christmas song has been a long time in the making and after going in and out of the studio three times during recording, is now happy with the finished result.

"I started writing the first verse 30 years ago but never finished it, until earlier this year I decided to sit down and get it written.

"We were all sitting together one time when we considered writing a Christmas song. I got out the lyrics I had from all those years ago and Steve Wells and I worked on them and we finally had a full song ready to record."

Billy thinks the band’s song is just what is needed to spread some festive joy at Christmastime.

He said: "There aren’t many decent Christmas songs and there haven’t been for quite a while. X Factor always seems to dominate the charts because in the music industry, it’s quite often about who you know, not how good you are at what you do. Real talent needs a chance to shine."

Home for Christmas was produced and recorded locally, at M.A.R.S, in Bellingdon, Chesham, a recording studio run by Martin Atkinson.

Billy said: "I’ve worked with Martin many times before and he’s really professional, so we were happy to work with him again."

Billy is hoping that after the display of community spirit in High Wycombe when residents came together to raise money for Danish nanny, Zascha Friis, to return to Denmark for a family Christmas, residents will join together to support the local band. He said: "If you look at us, we aren’t what you would call marketable in the current industry; it’s all about boy bands and girl bands, bur if we get a little bit of support, it would be really nice.

"It would be great if people in the local area get behind us, especially after the fantastic support Zascha Friis received recently.

"Home for Christmas applies perfectly to her situation. It would have been ideal to play it right after Zascha’s appearance on the radio!"

Home for Christmas is available to buy on iTunes, or order a hard copy from www.unclefiggis.co.uk.