Christmas single pays tribute to RNLI volunteers
BBCTwo Devon songwriters are hoping their festive single can top the charts this Christmas.
Pull Away by folk band Police Dog Hogan recognises the sacrifice of RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers.
Songwriter Chris Hoban and Police Dog Hogan vocalist James Studholme, both from Devon, co-wrote the song.
They were inspired to write the song in the RNLI's 200th anniversary year - in tribute to those who have risked their lives to save others at sea for the past two centuries.
'Ready to drop everything'
Mr Hoban said: "I think people understand when they hear this song that it's about people.
"It's about the people in the RNLI, it's about the people on the shore, and it's about the people who are being rescued as well.
"So, it was really interesting writing it, and watching the point of view change, and it does that in the song, and the celebratory aspect I think is really appropriate for Christmas."
James Studholme said: "The band and I were so inspired by the fact that RNLI lifeboat volunteers are on-call, ready to drop everything to go to the aid of others at sea if the call comes in."
He said the song was meant to reflect what a Christmas Day rescue in the 19th Century, when lifeboat crews had to row out to sea, would have been like.
Mr Studholme said: "Every time a crew went out on a shout, there was not necessarily an expectation that they would come back.
"You know, down here we obviously all remember the Penlee Lifeboat disaster, and so there is that poignancy - and another of the things we discussed in the song was this idea of the people left behind waiting and thinking about what's going on out there, is just as much of the story as the lifeboat crew doing the rescue."
The Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne launched into hurricane force winds on 19 December 1981 after the cargo ship Union Star was in danger off the coast of Cornwall after it suffered engine failure.
Sixteen people died as both vessels and crews were lost.
Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].