Ford FairchildThe first track on Runaway June’s new holiday EP, When I Think About Christmas, is the exuberant original number, “Christmas on the Radio.”

While the country trio may not have written that song — Sam Hollander and Martin Johnson did the honors — band mate Naomi Cooke says that as soon as the three singers heard “Christmas on the Radio,” they knew they wanted to record it.

“It just felt like ‘All I Want for Christmas is You.’ It felt like an insta-classic,” Naomi tells ABC Audio. “And I’d never quite heard a Christmas song like this either. First of all, to have that come across our desk was really special. So we just immediately put it on hold.”

They felt especially lucky to be able to record the song, Naomi continues, because of the pop idols who were initially considering cutting it.

“It’s funny, because that song was originally for Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine,” the singer reveals.

But when they got into the studio, Runaway June dialed down some of the pop elements of “Christmas on the Radio” and dialed up the pure, unadulterated holiday cheer.

“It was a lot more poppy, but now it’s got this, like, ‘Turn on the tunes! Turn on the Christmas stuff’,” Naomi continues. “We want to hear it. We want to get in the mood. It’s just really fun.”

The six-song When I Think About Christmas EP, released in October, includes a handful of classics, as well as an original title track co-penned by the band’s Jennifer Wayne.

By Carena Liptak and Stephen Hubbard
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