New Christmas single pays tribute to sacrifice of lifeboat volunteers

The band were inspired to write the song in the RNLI’s 200^th anniversary year as a tribute to the lifeboat volunteers who have risked their own lives to save others at sea for the past two centuries, even on Christmas Day.

The rousing folk song recounts a fictional Christmas Day rescue. The opening verse sets the scene of lifeboat crew members being woken in the middle of the night, to launch the lifeboat and go to the aid of a ship in distress in violent seas:

It was long before the dawn, on that fateful Christmas morn,

When the warning drum had turned us from our beds.

We ran towards the shore, where the towering waters roar,

And the sinking ship adrift up ahead…

The accompanying music video was filmed at Selsey RNLI lifeboat station and features the band playing inside the boathouse, interspersed with RNLI archive footage.

James Studholme, lead singer of Police Dog Hogan, says:

‘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.

‘I wrote the song, with renowned fellow Devon-based songwriter Chris Hoban, from the jumping off point that the RNLI operates 365 days of the year. Christmas is just another day, even back to the nineteenth century, where this song is set. Pull Away tells of a Christmas Day rescue, when the brave lifeboat volunteers launch the lifeboat to go to the rescue of a stricken ship.

‘It is a very great honour to create a Christmas song to celebrate this extraordinary institution’s 200^th anniversary. The work they do, entirely funded by the generosity of the public, is astonishing. Meeting the volunteers at RNLI Selsey was wonderful and we were able to feel how deeply felt and personal the service they provide is and how much it’s a family affair. The closing line of the song, “There’ll be 12 more at the table for lunch on Christmas Day”, reflects that. Without them, we’d quite literally be sunk.’

Anjie Rook, RNLI Associate Director, who is overseeing the charity’s 200^th anniversary activity, says:

‘Christmas is a time for family, but RNLI volunteer crews are ready to drop everything to help others in danger at sea, no matter what the weather, or the time of day or night. The RNLI is marking 200 years of saving lives at sea this year – that’s 200 years of depending on the bravery and sacrifice of volunteers giving their time to save others.

‘Pull Away is a powerful song which really captures how life can be for our volunteers – being woken in the middle of the night, facing terrible weather and rough seas, heading into the unknown to try and save others in distress, even at Christmas. The song also conveys the wait and worry of family members who are left at home waiting for their loved ones to return safely from a rescue.’

RNLI lifeboats were launched, on average, over 100 times each year during the festive period* for the past five years.

Founded on 4 March 1824, the RNLI has been saving lives at sea for 200 years. Since the charity was founded, the charity’s lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

While much has changed in 200 years, two things have remained the same – the charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public which have funded the service for the past two centuries.

Formed in 2009, Police Dog Hogan are a regular fixture on the UK festival circuit, having played Glastonbury, Cornbury, Cropredy, Latitude, Beautiful Days and the Sidmouth Folk Festival in recent years. In 2018, their song Devon Brigade was nominated for best original song at the AMA-UK Awards. Their 2022 album Overground, produced by George Murphy at Eastcote Studios, yielded cult favourites Westward Ho! and Hold On. They continue to delight audiences with a mixture of humour, fine song-smithery and pathos and fill numerous venues around the UK. In London they have sold out the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Scala, Union Chapel and the Clapham Grand in the last few years. In October 2024, they released a new album, LIGHTNING STRIKE. They are currently on tour with shows coming up around the country.

Pull Away is available through all streaming platforms and to download through Apple Music. The song aims to help drive awareness of the RNLI to help raise funds across the Christmas period.

* Festive period is from 24 December to 1 January inclusive.

Notes to Editors

· The Pull Away music video is available here.

Media contacts

For more information, contact Laura Haslam, RNLI National Media Manager, on [email protected] or the RNLI press office on 01202 336789 / [email protected].

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.