Malcolm Middleton takes on X-Factor

SF: Since the nostalgia-tinged era of Noddy Holder's lambchops and George Michael's alpine snowball japes, the institution of the Christmas single has succumbed to lobotomised X-Factor muppets or, worse, the death-cheating comebacks of Sir Cliff. But this Yuletide, Scottish singer-songwriter Malcolm Middleton has launched a daunting ascent on the Christmas chart with the darkly-titled We're All Going To Die. He tells The Skinny why...

"I remember in the 80s I was always really excited about the songs that were gonna get released at this time of year, but the last couple of years it's just become an X-Factor thing, and now Top of the Pops is dead too.

"We're All Going To Die is my favourite song off A Brighter Beat. I wanted it to be the first single but it didn't happen. It got tied up with the people at the label saying it should be a Christmas song. To me it was confusing at first but then I thought 'Why the hell not?' It's as good a time as any to think about mortality. The message is to forget the small stuff and remember what's important.

"It was 1000/1 [the longest ever odds for a Christmas single] and then someone called today and said it's 500/1, as if that makes any difference. I've never been to a betting office so I wouldn't know what to do but I might place a bet anyway. I don't see it making the chart at all, but it's all about having an option there for people and making a bit of an effort."