The spirit of Christmas will be captured at the launch of a Christmas EP by a Deal and Dover-based group.

The Old Country Crows have penned and recorded a collection of five songs and the EP called Another Christmas Song was released on Monday (November 20).

The launch show is at the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club in Dover on Friday, December 1.

It is in support of Dover smArt Project, an arts-based scheme to help some of Dover’s most vulnerable and marginalised groups, including young carers looking after parents.

Guitar/vocalist Gary Virtue said: “The five-track EP captures the spirit of Christmas alongside the realities of the world that we live in.”

He and band-mate Craig Wild (drums and percussion) live in Deal, while Dovorians Mark Griffiths (guitar, mandolin, ukulele and vocals) and Ian Bottle (bass and vocals) complete the band.

The group has been together since 2010 and plays its own compositions.

Mr Virtue said: “Our self-titled debut album, The Old Country Crows, was released in 2013, so this next recording has been a long time coming.”

He added that the nature of writing your own material meant tracks “disappeared” unless they were recorded.

Now the band is in a more secure position with new drummer Mr Wild, they hope to record more of their own music.

Their line-up is more settled and they played festivals this year including Somerley Beer and Music Festival in the New Forest, Brogdale Cider Festival in Faversham, for which they are booked next year, and Rochester Sweeps Festival.

Mr Virtue said of the new EP: “All five tracks are originals, three are Christmas-based and another is a winter folk song.

“The fifth was written a few months ago. It goes well with a Christmas selection, tieing in with the end of the year.

“The track sprung from the terrorism incidents in Manchester and London.

“It’s called the other side of evil because people do evil things, but, to me, what they did in Manchester and London was even worse than evil.”

Despite this, the EP is far from morbid. There are happy Christmas numbers with sleigh bells alongside that one reflective track.

The EP is available for purchase or download from the band’s website at theoldcountrycrows.co.uk

Show time for the launch show at the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club on Dover Seafront is 8pm, with support on the evening from the Jackson Bell Duo. Free entry.