Some of you might know by now, but i released a Christmas album “Very Merry Christmas” a week ago and i don’t know that i’ve ever been more excited about a record i’ve ever done. Or maybe it’s not that, it’s just a different kind of excited.
Excited in that i know how much Christmas music means to me. How much it takes me to a very specific place, a specific time and temperature. Certain songs house certain memories, certain choruses that I unknowingly sing along to as I wrap or open presents. Excited because i hope beyond all things that this record becomes these things for you.
I started writing for the project a year ago exactly, not really knowing when i would record the songs, but wanting to take the chance to write when it was actually cold outside. Nothing like writing about a winter wonderland when it’s a nice crisp 98 degrees outside in Nashville. INNNspiring. And writing Christmas songs isn’t exactly easy. But in the same way, it’s not exactly hard. It’s a pretty specific subject matter, which means you are much more focused, but how many ways can you say it’s cold/christmas is awesome/snow is falling/love is great in December? Apparently, a lot of ways. I tried to find the few things that maybe haven’t been said exactly like I did. Maybe it worked. Maybe it’s okay to say the same thing again if that thing needs to be said.
My hope is that these songs will not only make their ways into your holidays, but also into your rituals - the background music for the Christmas dinner, decorating of the tree, or playing gently behind conversations between family members. Or perhaps softly humming behind you as you lay on the couch and regret eating the other half of that pot roast. Mom said you shouldn’t. She did.
And here’s to you guys for breaking the tradition of only listening to Christmas music after Thanksgiving. You all are a bunch of risk takers. Crazies.
So - here’s hoping you guys enjoy it. I had a blast recording it.
