Wrapping Another Studio Session Like a Present

Do you know what I love?

Presents!

Do you know what one of the best gifts is?

A studio day at the Vault!

Is Christmas in September a thing?

Yeah, because I said so!

I had so much fun at my ten-hour session today. As always, Bob and I recorded everything I had planned, which means we did more than should have been possible. We’re always surprising ourselves. Grab a pumpkin spice latte or some hot chocolate and read all about my session.

“Don’t Let It Snow”

I started my session by recording one of my new Christmas songs, “Don’t Let It Snow.”

A few weeks ago, I sent a demo to my guitarist, Luke, so he could record electric guitar and bass from Nashville. Usually, I send Luke reference tracks and tell him to do whatever he wants. This time, though, I heard a super clear guitar pattern in my head, so I played the exact notes on piano and asked him if it would be possible to replicate what I did on guitar. He told me he would give it a shot, and when he sent me the song back, I flipped out because he did a perfect job.

In my session, I started by recording strings and percussion. Bob suggested for us to add piano, and I’m so glad he did because the piano totally changed the feel of the song. I’m obsessed.

I loved singing this song because it’s a vulnerable one that means a lot to me. Layering background vocals was also fun. I went to my session with some harmonies planned, but when I was in the booth, Bob and I came up with more ideas.

Finally, I added sleigh bells. I didn’t want them throughout, but having them at the end fits so well. There’s a long pause where they start, then they continue for the rest of the song. The sleigh bells definitely add a dash of festive magic.

“Don’t Let It Snow” came together perfectly, and I can’t wait to share it this holiday season. I filmed myself while I was recording the vocals, so I’m excited to share a video in a couple months.

I like to think of this song as “I Hope You Know You’re Lucky’s” country-pop Christmas cousin. “I Hope You Know You’re Lucky” is one of my favorite songs I’ve written, so “Don’t Let It Snow” is definitely high on the list.

“Sugar and Spice”

At my session before this one, I almost finished recording “Sugar and Spice,” a super fun Christmas pop song. Bob and I felt like the production needed more elements, so we spent some time layering other instruments. Now, it’s finally finished.

“Sugar and Spice” has such a festive and fun vibe. I’m looking forward to releasing this one later this year, too.

“Ember in the Dark”

After Bob and I wrapped recording for my Christmas songs, we spent the rest of the session working on “Ember in the Dark.” This is a brand new song I wrote recently. I haven’t even started releasing singles for my fairy-tale chapter yet, but I already know “Ember in the Dark” will be on my next project, maybe even the lead single.

This song is about burning bright in the darkness. The lyrics are full of metaphors and vivid imagery that I feel really capture the message.

Here’s the first verse for a sneak peek.

Twilight,

I catch the last drops of sunshine,

‘Cause when night falls and it’s so cold,

I’ll cast my own aura like a candle.

Writing “Ember in the Dark” was a therapeutic experience for me, and it instantly became one of my favorite pop songs. So, I counted down the days until my session.

Since I had a clear vision for this song, I produced a demo at home and showed Bob. Having my demo and a reference track, he knew exactly what I wanted to do, and we brought this one to life.

Recording the vocals was my favorite part. I love the lyrics and melody, and I had a total blast with the background vocals.

Is this song completely done? Maybe. I’m going to keep listening to the rough recording from the studio. When I go back, we might add a little more.

So, that’s a wrap on my fabulous session. It was fun and productive as always.

I’m not sure when my next session will be. Maybe I’ll book one at the end of the year. If not, definitely early next year.

Soon, I’ll start releasing music for my fairy-tale chapter. I already have multiple songs written for my next pop project, so whenever I go back to the Vault, I’ll have more new music to record.

If you would like to read about my other sessions, head over to my studio stories and enjoy!