Tag: behind the music

The Tradition You Didn’t Know You Needed

Yep, you read that right—Taco Night! This song celebrates those quirky, unforgettable family traditions that break the mold. Because who says Christmas Eve can’t include hot sauce and laughter?

Not every family does turkey or ham for their Christmas celebration. For us, Christmas Eve means tacos and a gift exchange game that gets competitive fast. And guess what? There’s no Christmas song about this. None. Zero. Because apparently, Christmas music stopped evolving decades ago, and we’re all supposed to pretend we celebrate exactly like people did in 1950.

Well, I’m done pretending. “Christmas Eve Taco Night” captures the chaos, laughter, and family bonding of our favorite holiday tradition, and it’s the most fun I’ve had writing any song on this album.

The “trade-a-gift” game (some people call it White Elephant or Dirty Santa) is simple in theory but brings out everyone’s competitive side. You draw numbers, you pick gifts, and then the stealing begins. One steal, two steals, three strikes and that gift is frozen—it’s yours to keep. The strategy, the drama, the moment when someone unwraps that perfect gift and everyone wants it—it’s competitive Christmas at its finest.

But as the bridge reminds us, it’s not really about the gifts. It’s about the cousins coming together, the laughter that fills the room, and the choice between chicken, beef, or pork at the taco bar (sorry vegetarians, we’re still working on that). This is REAL Christmas, messy and loud and perfect.

This song celebrates the unconventional traditions that make your family yours. Not every Christmas has to look like a magazine spread or sound like a Bing Crosby record. Sometimes it looks like a taco bar and a pile of $50 gifts and a room full of people you love. And that’s perfect. That deserves a song. So I wrote one.

This is exactly why we need new Christmas music—because families are creating new traditions every year, and the music should reflect that.

🎁 Tomorrow: we’re getting cozy with “Fuzzy Socks and Cocoa.”

Where the Heart Comes Home

“Christmas at Mom’s” is my comfort-song casserole—warm, familiar, and full of love. It’s about the smells, the sounds, and the people who make the season feel like home.

If there’s one song on this album that makes me tear up every time, it’s this one. “Christmas at Moms” is my most personal song—a tribute to the traditions my mom has created and maintained for our family, year after year. And you know what? I’m sick of generic Christmas songs that could be about anyone’s holiday. This song is specifically, unapologetically about MY Christmas, MY family, MY mom.

This is the Christmas song I’ve been trying to write since 2018. I had all these specific memories, all these details that made our Christmas special, but I couldn’t figure out how to structure it into something that flowed musically. The traditional Christmas songs out there don’t tell stories like this—they’re too general, too universal. But I didn’t want universal. I wanted REAL.

The song captures every detail of our Christmas morning: the smell of breakfast, the little smokies and bacon, the mimosas flowing freely, and most importantly, the ritual of opening presents one at a time. My mom insists on this—we don’t tear through everything in a frenzy. We take our time, we watch each person open their gifts, we say thank you, we smile. My kids searching for their names on packages, the joy in their faces—these are the moments I want to remember forever.

And then there’s the wrapping paper war. Once everything’s opened, someone balls up paper and throws it, and suddenly we’re all in a laughing, joyful battle. It’s chaos and it’s beautiful. Where’s the Christmas song about wrapping paper wars? It doesn’t exist. Until now.

The bridge gets me every time—walking under that afternoon California sun, taking photos, feeling complete. Then evening comes with mom’s roast beef and potatoes, everything made with love. She does it all, always has, giving us everything. And when I drive away with tears in my eyes, they’re bittersweet because I know how lucky I am, how precious these moments are.

Christmas at mom’s is where my heart belongs. It’s my family’s song. And creating this has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. This is why I needed to make new Christmas music—because our stories deserve to be songs too.

🎁 Tomorrow: grab your salsa and spirit—because “Christmas Eve Taco Night” is next!

More Than Just Decoration

We’ve all searched for the one—that perfect tree that somehow feels like Christmas itself. This song tells the story of finding beauty in the imperfect, because sometimes the crooked one holds the most memories.

Here’s something I’ve noticed: most Christmas tree songs are either novelty songs or they’re ancient. Where’s the modern, thoughtful reflection on what the Christmas tree actually means to a family? Where’s the song that treats this tradition with the depth it deserves?

We spend so much time trying to find the perfect Christmas tree—the right height, the fullness of the branches, how it looks in the corner of the living room. But “The Perfect Christmas Tree” reminds us that perfection isn’t about symmetry or size. It’s about what the tree represents. And no existing Christmas song really explores this.

This song explores how our Christmas tree becomes a living archive of our family’s story. Every ornament hung with care holds a memory. Each year we gather around it, adding new moments to its branches. The tree whispers to us about who we are and who we’ve been. This is poetry about a Christmas tree, and it’s the kind of fresh perspective Christmas music desperately needs.

I love the imagery in this one—the way the tree cradles our history, how it holds our dreams beneath the sky, how it becomes a beacon of light drawing the family together. It’s not just about the presents beneath it (though that’s part of the magic). It’s about how this tradition grounds us, year after year, giving us a place to gather and remember what matters.

The needles may fall, but the memories stay. That’s the real perfection of the Christmas tree—it’s a symbol of continuity, of love that returns every season, of a family that stands together. That’s the tree worth finding, worth keeping, worth celebrating year after year. And that’s the Christmas tree song we’ve been missing.

🎁 Tomorrow: we’ll head home for the holidays with “Christmas at Mom’s.”

Simple Traditions, Timeless Joy

This one’s pure celebration! “Oh Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” is for dancing in the kitchen, singing too loud, and toasting to the year ahead. It’s my reminder that joy doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be shared.

You know what’s missing from most modern Christmas songs? The simple stuff. The everyday traditions that make the season special. We don’t need another overwrought ballad or a song trying to be the next “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” We need songs about the real, tangible moments that make December magical.

“Oh Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” doesn’t try to be complicated—it’s just a celebration of all the little traditions that make the season special. And honestly? Sometimes simple is exactly what we need.

From mistletoe on every door jamb to crowding the mall for last-minute gifts, from ice skating to hanging stockings with care—this song is a checklist of holiday moments we all recognize. But at its heart, it’s really about one thing: sharing these moments with someone you love. This is the Christmas song I wish existed when I was falling in love during the holidays.

The repetition of “Oh Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” isn’t just a catchy hook—it’s the refrain we all use during the holidays, the greeting we share with strangers and loved ones alike. It’s the soundtrack to December, the phrase that brings us together. But try finding a modern song that captures this universal greeting in a fresh way. You can’t, because it doesn’t exist. Until now.

What I love most about this song is the bridge, where it shifts from listing traditions to revealing what it’s really about: having that special person by your side. All the decorations, parties, and ugly sweaters are wonderful, but they’re just the setting. The real gift is the person you’re experiencing it all with. They’re the Christmas dream come true.

This is the kind of Christmas song we need more of—unpretentious, heartfelt, and real.

🎁 Tomorrow: we’ll trade party hats for pine needles with “The Perfect Christmas Tree.”