CHRISTMAS WITH ME has a retro, romantic innocence- an upbeat, light-hearted number that simply oozes with Christmas charm. It has a nostalgic familiarity to it, with a nod to 50's doo wop, mixed with modern AC pop sensibilities- a style that represents quite a departure from the sombre mood of her 2016 CD release DARK LOVE SONGS, showcasing
CHRISTMAS WITH ME has a retro, romantic innocence- an upbeat, light-hearted number that simply oozes with Christmas charm. It has a nostalgic familiarity to it, with a nod to 50's doo wop, mixed with modern AC pop sensibilities- a style that represents quite a departure from the sombre mood of her 2016 CD release DARK LOVE SONGS, showcasing Danielle’s versatility as a songwriter capable of writing in multiple genres. Danielle credits her growth as a songwriter to the time she has spent at the Holiday Music Motel co-writing with dozens of songwriters from across the United States.
In order to make ends meet as an artist, Danielle has performed various “Day Jobs” over the years, including spending several Christmas seasons as “Scarlett the Elf” at Santa’s Village in the mall, and delivering flowers and wreaths during the busy holiday season. It was during one of her flower deliveries, while listening to the radio in her car, that the inspiration for her own original Christmas song CHRISTMAS WITH ME was born.
In 2012 Danielle was invited by creative director Pat mAcdonald (Grammy-nominated songwriter, formerly of the band Timbuk3- he wrote “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades”) to participate in a series of songwriting intensives at the Holiday Music Motel in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Three times a year songwriters of varying genres are housed at the Motel for a week at a time to co-write, record and perform together. Songwriters are paired through a random “spin- the-bottle” process, and this is where the magic happens... Through participating in the intensives over the past seven years, Danielle has honed her songwriting skills and has begun exploring a variety of new musical facets of herself as an artist. CHRISTMAS WITH ME was recorded and co-produced in Calgary, Alberta with Steve Dodd of Dodd Music. Steve writes and records music for film and television full-time and also performs in several bands in the Calgary area. Steve helped with the arrangement of this track and played all the instruments supporting Danielle’s signature vocals. This track was mastered by Holiday Music Motel co-owner/engineer Steve Hamilton at Making Sausage Music in Milwaukee- one of Danielle’s many Wisconsin “song family” connections.