The Waitresses’ Christopher Butler reveals surprise email from Olivia Rodrigo

Musician Christopher Butler has told of his shock after Olivia Rodrigo reached out to him to ask if he would like to listen to her new Christmas song.

Butler led the 1980s new wave band The Waitresses, who were best known for songs including I Know What Boys Like and Christmas Wrapping.

Rodrigo was a fan of the band and so reached out to Butler via email to ask if he would listen to her song, Take Me Home (4 Christmas).

Butler wrote on Facebook: “About two months ago, I received a weird email from someone claiming to be Olivia Rodrigo.

“It was filled (with) Waitresses gush, and just had to be fake. Said she’d written a Christmas song, and invited me to hear it.

“????? I didn’t know who OR was, so I did a deep dig. Wow… what a career.

“So, I wrote back: Um… Er… Well. If you really are you, thanks for contacting me. And your comments are really sweet, and very flattering.

“They’re really sweet and flattering… even if you AREN’T you.

“If you really are Olivia Rodrigo: I like you. I like your music.

“I like the arrangements especially. Soft-loud-soft, etc. And that your recordings sound like people are playing on them.

“I like that you’re insisting on/demanding that you be recognised as a songwriter.

“I like that you have women in your band. I like that your lyrics are intense, real, and poetic.

“I like that you ‘got’ my songwriting, and that you like our band. I like that you were smart enough to hold on to your masters when you signed your deal.

“I like that you are you, and will grow grow grow… and I would be honoured to hear your Christmas song. Really. Best/CB”.

Butler said Rodrigo invited him and his fiancee, Beth Becker, to see her at the Daisy Chain Festival in Los Angeles, which they could not attend, so a member of her team invited him to another show where he did meet her.

He added: “Her song was/is great. It’s going to be a smash, maybe even that elusive Christmas No 1 contest they have every year in the UK.

“Then she invited Beth and I to her Daisy Chain Festival in LA. Too short notice, but then I got texts from her minder at her label.

“OR’s 86 show/6 month tour was landing in Columbus, and Ms Minder repeatedly said, ‘She wants to meet you’.

“So, Beth & I did meet her after the show. After just killing it for two plus hours. A delight.”

Take Me Home (4 Christmas) was released on November5 and is Rodrigo’s first Christmas song.

The track was accompanied by a music video which features Sex And The City star Cynthia Nixon as well as US comedian and actor Ben Marshall.

Rodrigo, known for the songs Deja Vu, Vampire and Good 4 U, released her debut album, Sour, in 2021, which climbed to the top of the UK charts and won the best pop vocal album Grammy in 2022.

Two years later, she released her second chart-topping album, Guts, which included the songs So American, Obsessed and Bad Idea Right.