A DIFFERENT SHADE OF CHRISTMAS TUNES
Story by Navi Lamba
Photo by Jake Chirico
When you experience the delightfulness of Kristian Noel Pederson, the discovery that he also writes and records incredibly charming Christmas music makes complete sense. However, it should be noted that Kristian’s songs don’t add up to your average holiday fare of whimsical, lighthearted tunes. These Christmas anthems explore the darker undercurrents of the holiday, touching on gloomy themes such as alcoholism, being penniless, and just the overall cruelty of wintry weather.
When did you start writing Christmas albums?
I started in the winter of 2009, so this is my third season doing them. I went to school for recording and have always been a musician, but in 2009 I had a change of scenery and lost my faithful upright piano during a move. Without a main instrument I felt pretty lost and stopped making music. The Christmas album was more a way for me to get out of my artistic slump than anything; that and I had always loved Christmas music. I figured that I was so skilled with procrastination, the only way I’d finish a project was if there was a definite deadline. Christmas seemed ideal for that.
Why are your Christmas songs so sad?
I’ve always been fascinated by Christian hymns. A lot of the classic ones have sad tones even if the lyrics are celebratory. It almost seems like because they know the ending, even the happy parts aren’t that happy.
Although I’ll never have the ability to write amazing choir pieces like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”, I do like trying to bring the solemn nature of Catholicism to more modern Christmas carols. Instead of them being about the eventual future death of Jesus, they are about car accidents on Christmas, having no money for gifts and alcoholism.
Are there any Holiday albums you like to listen to during this time of the year?
Strangely enough, I did a lot more before I started writing my own Christmas music. Nowadays once December starts, I start writing and recording music and hardly have time to listen to other people’s Yuletide offerings.
I’ve always preferred the contractually obligated Christmas albums. One of my favourites is Hanson’s Snowed In. They added a few truly underrated Christmas songs to the Yuletide cannon. Also, a few folk artists have released some amazing Christmas songs. Sufjan Stevens has done a bunch (way too many to mention really) and Low’s ‘Just Like Christmas’ is as classic as anything WHAM has offered up…In my opinion of course.
Where are you on this “Holiday” vs. “Christmas” debate?
I’m all for the holiday season being as non-religious as possible, given that almost every religion has another holiday during the Winter Solstice. This year I wrote a song about Saturnalia, a classic Greek holiday that took place before Christmas existed. They also used trees, go figure!
That said, as silly as it is coming from a non-religious person, I do get up in arms when people write Xmas. The Christmas I was personally raised on was very religious. We lit the Advent candles and all that, so I’ve always made sure to keep the Christ somewhere in there, more for sentimentality’s sake than anything else.
That said, if the XX released a Christmas album, I’d have no problem with it being called ‘XXmas’.
Any other musical projects we can look out for?
For now the main focus is this Christmas album, which is turning out great. Thursday we are doing a show to celebrate it, as well as raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis. It’s featuring members of GAY, Shawn Clarke, and BEAMS. It’s amazing that some really great musicians are willing to help out, as none of us are making anything from this show. All of the door will be PWYC [pay what you can], and everything will go to M.S research.
After new years I have a couple of tentative projects. I plan on doing more downer electronic songs, much like that Saturnalia track. I’m also going to start writing songs inspired by old Bollywood with a close friend of mine.
Kristian Noel Pederson plays Toronto’s Magpie (831 Dundas Street West, Toronto) tonight, Thursday December 22nd.
