Kate Miller-Heidke has teamed up with South Australia’s most hirsute band The Beards for a very hairy Christmas charity single.

From the track’s first notes it boasts all the essentials of a holiday season smash: twinkling piano chords, chiming bells and a hyper-catchy Christmas-referencing chorus, it’s all here. But still, there’s just something about it that’s quite unlike anything released by Mariah Carey or Wham.

You’ll know when you hear it:

With proceeds going to Bowel Cancer Australia as part of their Decembeard fundraising drive, I’m Growing A Beard Downstairs For Christmas is the latest chapter in an ongoing musical love affair between the two acts outpaced only by their shared love of bodily hair.

“The Beards opened for me on tour a couple of years ago, and some of their fans heckled me for not having a beard,” Miller-Heidke explains of the collaboration. “This song is my revenge on them. Also, it taps into my sick love of Christmas songs. It’s one of the poppiest, most upbeat songs I’ve ever written and it’s my dream that it gets played at Westfield during extended Christmas shopping hours. Also, it’s for charity.”

Miller-Heidke and Beards’ frontman Johann Beardraven cutting the track

Miller-Heidke has also announced a string of shows for the new year, including her return to South Australia following the canning of Gorgeous Festival earlier this month. With Miller-Heidke as main headliner along with the likes of Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Stonefield and Montaigne, this year’s festival was due to hit Penny Hill’s Winery in McLaren Vale on Saturday until slow ticket sales made the 2015 event unviable. And she was so looking forward to all the cheese!

But Miller-Heidke has bounced back with an 11 date run that will see her play the Garden of Unearthly Delights during Adelaide Fringe season.

Tickets are available via Garden of Unearthly Delights, with I’m Growing A Beard Downstairs For Christmas available via iTunes from November 27.

Kate Miller-Heidke tour dates

Thursday, February 11 – The Byron Theatre, Byron Bay
Friday, February 12 – Ipswich Civic Centre, Ipswich
Sunday, February 14 – The Triffid, Brisbane
Thursday, February 18 – The Factory Theatre, Sydney
Friday, February 19 – Laycock Street Theatre, Gosford
Saturday, February 20 – Estonian House, Melbourne
Wednesday, March 2 – The Spiegeltent, Adelaide
Friday, March 4 – Bathers Beach, Fremantle
Wednesday, March 9 – Montrose Town Centre, Montrose
Friday, March 11 – Burrinja Cultural Centre, Upwey
Saturday, March 12 – Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy

More you might like:

Kate Miller-Heidke: ‘I’m looking forward to eating too much cheese’
The Beards’ guide to cheap, facial hair friendly servo meals
Gorgeous Festival 2015 cancelled