Photography by Eric Chan of Limit One Productions

Where did the inspiration come from to write Let's Get Cozy?
I knew I wanted to write some original Christmas music this year. I wrote about 4-5 original Christmas songs in early November but none of them felt quite right. Then one day, later in the month, as the air started to get colder, the mental image of my ideal Christmas came to me. It was just me, and a few loved ones, snuggled up with a blanket, by a fire and I was sipping something hot and delicious. The phrase that came to mind, almost as a call to action was: “Let’s Get Cozy.” Once I had that phrase in my mind, the song just arrived in my spirit. I was standing in my kitchen around 2pm and I sang the first few lines. I recorded my ideas as a voice note on my phone and went right to my keyboard to work out the harmony. I wrote the whole song in less than half an hour because it just felt so right. It went through a few editing phases in the days that followed, but “Let’s Get Cozy” was born in my kitchen on that afternoon in November.

Where did you record “Let’s Get Cozy?”
I recorded the vocals at my little apartment here in Mississauga. The coziest place I know! I rented some recording equipment from Long and McQuade, did some very basic and MacGyver-esque sound-proofing in my narrow den, and got to work! My co-producer Thomas Francis and I created a bedtrack with just my voice, his piano playing and a drum track created through Logic. We then sent the track to the wonderful bassist Roger Williams, who recorded himself at his home in Etobicoke. Once we added his bass playing, we sent the track to Jon Foster in LA who added the drums, and then sent that to Alan Kulka Etobicoke (he’s from Mississauga, too!) to add guitar. Once the instrumental track had all its parts, I added in my background vocals, here at home. When we had all of those pieces, we produced the song at home before it was sent off to GMP recording studios for mixing and mastering.

Why did you record it in Mississauga?
I've lived in other cities but for me, home is and always has been Mississauga. This pandemic has made home the safest and easiest place to be. Even though this record wasn’t made in a traditional recording studio setting, we all used our creative abilities to make the song from the comfort of our own homes, despite the fact that we were in different places at different times. This song is all about being home and warm and cozy. And in the words of Dorothy, when it comes to getting cozy, “there’s no place like home.”

How did the Mississauga Arts Council help with this project?
The Mississauga Arts Council awarded me a MicroGrant to support this project. Without this funding, I wouldn’t have been able to bring this single to life in the way that I did, let alone make an EP. I was also fortunate to have been awarded with a Musicians as Videomakers grant, which has helped me put together my very first music video, and it’s for “Let’s Get Cozy”! I’m really excited to share the video, and I’ll be releasing it in the days leading up to Christmas. I’m extremely grateful for the support from the Mississauga Arts Council, and the Mississauga community (including other artists) in general, who have been listening to and sharing this song.

Where can people listen to and download your new song?
You can listen to “Let’s Get Cozy” on all streaming platforms including Spotify, iTunes, Amazon music, Deezer and Tidal (and many more!). If you click here, lnk.to/LetsGetCozy, it’ll take you to a page that directs you to the streaming or download platform of your choice. The rest of my Let’s Get Cozy EP drops next week, with two more songs. One is an original composition called ‘Wishes in Wintertime’ and one is my gentle acoustic arrangement of a beloved Christmas classic. Stay tuned on my social media pages for the release of the rest of the EP! 

In a year unlike any other, what Christmas message do you have for our community?
My message to everyone in this vibrant community is to focus on healing, connect safely with those you love, and make home your oasis. I know there are so many in our community who have lost employment, who have lost loved ones, and who have lost hope. Christmas will be different this year, that’s inevitable. But, what can stay the same is the love we give to others. We mustn’t forget: call your family, call your friends, send out Christmas cards, send out little ‘I’m thinking of you’ texts. We don’t need huge dinners and parties to remind others that we care, we just need to feel connected. So connect. And heal. While things are in ‘slow mode’ take time to relax and regenerate at home. Enjoy the simple pleasures, ‘cozily’ at home as much as possible. Before we know it, we’ll all be back outside, gathering, and mingling. So enjoy this time for what it is, heal your heart through self-care and help other hearts heal by telling them that you care. Merry Christmas.