This holiday season, my esteemed friend and colleague, Hunter Hanson, and I wanted to share with everyone a gift of connectivity during this time of isolation and uncertainty. I wrote this piece back in 2019, well before the loneliness of the pandemic, but it is almost impossible to ignore how the lyrics seem to relate better now than ever before. Our song, Next Year, is a melancholic tribute to how holidays are both formed and reshaped by circumstances surrounding our loved ones, and how the challenges presented by life’s complexities are capable of–regrettably–keeping us apart.
Honestly, though a novel could be written about the composition of Next Year and why I felt compelled to capture these particular emotions, I believe this piece does enough talking for itself in regards to what is transpiring in the world. Certainly, none of us are exactly where we thought we would be during this holiday season, but let us love one another from afar so that we can be together next year.
Happy Holidays, everyone. I love you all very much, and even if we have not been connected for a while, please know you are welcome to reach out if you feel so inclined as we dive headfirst into the year 2022. I hope that this newsletter can bring some people back into each other’s lives once more.
Here’s to better times and togetherness.