Toronto Singer ALEX BIRD Shares Ballad to Canadian Thanksgiving
While American Thanksgiving gets a ton of attention and fanfare, Canadian Thanksgiving is arguably the superior holiday.
Alex Bird, the Toronto-based singer, thinks Thanksgiving is so special, in 2022 he wrote Canada’s first official Thanksgiving tune called “The Sweetest Moments”.
The heartwarming, nostalgic tune captures the unique essence of Canadian Thanksgiving – including the smell of cool, crisp autumn air and turkey roasting in the oven, two elements that Canadians associate most with the season. The song remains Alex’s most-played song, with over 272K listens and counting on Spotify, and is gaining momentum right in time for the fall!
Care to introduce yourself?
First off, thank you again to Canadian Beats for the support of our music! For those newcomers out there in Internetland, my name is Alex Bird; I’m a JUNO-nominated jazz singer/songwriter. Over the last few years, alongside my songwriting/piano partner Ewen Farncombe, and our band “The Jazz Mavericks”, we have managed to release three original albums in three years; with our sophomore album, “You Are the Light and the Way” being nominated for “Best Vocal Jazz” at the 2022 JUNO Awards. We have built up some very sweet momentum not only in Canada but also in the United States and Europe. We’re on a mission to open up a new chapter of, “The Great American Songbook” (“Canadian Songbook”). Lucky to be coming off an incredible run of gigs too; a recent highlight would be headlining this September at The Sudbury Jazz Festival, where we also closed the festival with a workshop for emerging artists.
While most people go to musical school to learn their craft, I went to the jazz clubs. I was adopted from Romania and came to Canada at six weeks old, and then started being taken to jazz clubs in downtown Toronto at the age of two. I grew up getting to see musicians like Oscar Peterson, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Mel Tormé and countless others. I am a self-taught musician, but sitting at smokey jazz clubs into the wee small hours of the morning, watching world-class artists up close, I guess that’s where I learned how to do what I do now. Some people went to the University of Toronto, or Humber, or (insert your music school), and I went to the jazz clubs.
2022 also brought, “Canada’s Thanksgiving Anthem”, and “The Sweetest Moments”, which was broadcast across the country with a national ad campaign, and interviews on CBC, CityTV, and many other news outlets. The song is now in its second year, and we are so thrilled to see it continuing to catch on around Canada, and also the around the world. “The Sweetest Moments” is about to cross 300,00 streams online. The gift that keeps on giving!
Tell us about the process of writing and recording “The Sweetest Moments.”
The first thing you have to do when writing a holiday tune is find the one holiday that Michael Bublé doesn’t have. This all came together when ThinkTurkey approached us to write a Thanksgiving song. We were just collectively coming out of the pandemic, with the first semblance of a real Thanksgiving possible. When writing “The Sweetest Moments”, I knew it had to be legit. It had to be both timeless & timely. Lyrics in the song spoke to what we had just been through, but not overtly. “What’s lost can now be found within a smile”, we were starting to take off our masks again and see people’s faces. What makes Canadian Thanksgiving different from American Thanksgiving? We wanted to capture that too. It is a Canadian Thanksgiving tune. We celebrate in October. It’s not too close to Christmas. Fall has just begun. It’s a celebration of that time of year. In Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in many different ways, with many different cultures. There is no one way to celebrate; you just have to show up, maybe bring some food, and then share in company with friends and family. “The Sweetest Moments” is a song for everyone. The sights, the smells, the turkey, the journey home and into the arms of those you care about…we certainly missed that during the pandemic, but it’s also something that I think we’ll always be able to relate to.
When I took the melody and lyrics to Ewen Farncombe, he wrote the most magical & perfect arrangement. We wanted to showcase our band “The Jazz Mavericks”, but also expand upon our sound, which is why we brought in a string quartet to tie it all together. We recorded at the same studio where we recorded all our other albums; Canterbury Music Company. The studio is run by the masterful Jeremy Darby and his assistant engineer, Julian Decorte. Julian took point on “The Sweetest Moments” and it was special to be able to continue our journey with them, as they are a big part of our sound.
A major thank you also goes out to ThinkTurkey for backing us in making this song! They trusted us completely, and let us have full creative control in crafting “The Sweetest Moments”.
What’s it like being a musician in Toronto?
Being able to start my career in Toronto, and make a name for myself in the city I grew up in, going to hear live music, has been a full-circle thing for me. Toronto is such a unique and special music city, and it’s been an absolute pleasure meeting and hearing many of the musicians who make it world-class.
BUT! I have actually just moved out of the city! This year has been a lot for me personally, behind the scenes. A lot of it has been good, but some of it has been tough. I’m always reminded though that I’m just about the luckiest duck in the pond having my partner, Lola Angus. Lola is opening up a tea room in her hometown of Cobalt, Ontario called “The Lavender Fox”.
While I enjoy parts of Toronto, I really long for some peace and quiet. I’ve never felt more alive, creatively too, than when we lived up in Lola’s hometown of Cobalt with her folks during the pandemic. While I don’t live in Toronto anymore, I’m in the city once a week, every month; grooving with my band and performing in town. Toronto is still a base of musical operations in a sense, but when I come back to the city I can work on my own terms. I think it will be a much healthier balance for me personally. I feel it will feed my creativity.
As I mentioned, Toronto is a world-class music city, and I’m excited to come back often and not only see what other musicians are up to but also continue to share our music with all sorts of people.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
The first Canadian artist to blow me away was probably Oscar Peterson, who I got to see many times growing up as a kid. I learned more about swing and timing from him than anyone else. It was jazz musicians I first learned from, not singers. And currently, I’m constantly blown away by the talent and songwriting of Caity Gyorgy. With multiple JUNO wins and successes all around the world, she is a true inspiration to so many. She is an incredible beacon of light on the Canadian jazz scene and beyond!
You’ve been making music for a while now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
Don’t stop! I think there are two ways to go about making music…do you want to make a living at music, or a life of music? I think in any art form, especially these days…making a living at your art isn’t what it used to be. Try to remember that this is a journey, and it can’t be defined by one moment, but by the whole picture. Make music first and foremost for yourself. You can’t connect with an audience if you aren’t connected with yourself. If you believe with every fiber of your being in what you’re doing, the rest will slowly fall into place. I can’t guarantee you’ll make a living at music, but you will surely make a life of it. Surround yourself with people you can learn from, listen to your gut, and don’t stop.