At Christmas in 2017, I was completely broke. So was my friend Dana Schiemann, who happened to be an extremely talented singer and comedian. She suggested that we record a Christmas album of duets, and then we could each give it to our families rather than buying gifts. We called it "Roses Are Red, I Have No Money, This Is Your Present, Happy Christmas."

We recorded the whole thing in the bedroom of my Toronto apartment. After our sessions, we'd go for a beer at a pub across the street, or watch a Christmas movie on the couch. It was a wonderful December.