Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the holidays

Guys, I’m going bananas. I even tried to order six bananas the other week off Instacart and wasn’t paying close enough attention to the units, so kindly observe the six kilograms I received instead. On the bright side, I put out a “free bananas” call on Instagram and had five or six people meet me in a nearby parking lot like the banana dealer I was always meant to be. Remember getting together with people indoors and just sitting at a table, sharing a meal? These days the closest I get is lobbing bananas at my friends from a two-meter distance in the  freezing cold. I’ll take it!

But look, it’s not all bananas and nostalgia… I do continue to do things – don’t ask me how – in fact, I just released that Christmas song I was telling you all about two months ago. I’ve done an abyssmal job of promoting it because the Toronto lockdown made my brain melt, but I’m nonetheless proud of how it turned out. It’s called “The Greatest Gift”, a co-write with the unbelivably talented, Danielle Knibbe, and just like with “Hello From My Basement” before it, it was recorded and produced from home at my rather dilapidated desk. It was then edited and mixed over in Nashville by my good friend, Marc Rogers, who also contributed his sweet sweet bass tones along with Will Fisher on drums, Joel Visentin on keys, and Tom Fleming on guitars and banjo.

What else can I say about this song? We were trying to write a song that isn’t romantic, because honestly, romance has never been a big part of the holiday equation for me. Christmas is about spending time with family and eating cabbage rolls. It’s about old friends and Secret Santas and taking time off to appreciate the little things. I know that this year the majority of my festivities will be virtual and my Secret Santas will require expensive visits to the post office, but this year more than ever, I’m grateful for every second I get with loved ones in whatever format. If you’re curious enough now to have a listen, check out “The Greatest Gift” HERE. You can also watch my little home-made preview below featuring ghosts of Christmases past:

Speaking of Christmas, I just got the great news that my weird-ass arrangement of “O’ Christmas Tree” got placed in a holiday romcom entitled, “A Christmas Exchange” based on Molly Cooper’s Dream Date by Barbara Hannay. Yes, my friends, that’s a Harlequin novel, and it looks like all the Harlequins I borrowed without permission and read in secret are finally paying off! More likely, it’s the work of my tireless publisher Vince Degiorgio at CYMBA Music Publishing so haha..thanks, Vincenzo!  So yes, if you’re not busy, please watch the Canadian premiere with me on CityTV this coming Saturday December 12th (December 19th on Lifetime in the US) and if you are busy…well…cool. Can I come?

Alas, I wish I had more news for you – everything is very very up in the air as you might imagine – but before I go, I wanted to direct you to my Spotify Christmas playlist where I’ve assembled some of my favourite new acoustic finds of the season -> CLICK .  Lemme know what you think! I’m still adding songs up until Christmas if you have suggestions, and if you like any of the artists on there, don’t forget to look them up on Bandcamp and buy some music from them directly. Every little bit helps these days!

Keep warm, keep safe and take it easy on yourselves, everyone. We’re almost at the finish line!! I’ll write you again in 2021. I hear that it’s going to be much better than 2020.

Xoxo

B