Sleaford Mods – Bad Santa

Sleaford Mods aren’t known for holiday cheer, and “Bad Santa” confirms they’re not starting now. The track comes from their 2025 album “The Demise of Planet X” on Rough Trade Records, following two earlier singles from the record.

Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn sample Enigma’s “Sadeness” as the musical backbone, an unexpected choice that undercuts the aggressive subject. Williamson aims alpha male culture, the rise of the right, and Donald Trump, who he calls “essentially Bad Santa”. Andrew Tate gets a brief mention too.

The song also responds to people who criticize Williamson for having a decent car or new kitchen while being in Sleaford Mods. His response: show up at their place and tell them how to live. It’s about blokes barking orders and acting like they run everything.

Sleaford Mods filmed a live version at JT Soar studios in Nottingham, capturing the raw energy of the track in their usual stripped-down style. The studio version keeps that tension between the sample’s smoothness and Williamson’s delivery.