NEW YORK - When Elizabeth Chan sits down to compose music, she never knows where the notes will take her. But she knows it will be a Christmas song, because Chan only writes Christmas songs. All year long.


What You Need To Know

  • Elizabeth Chan new up loving Christmas so much she dreamed of being a full time Christmas singer/songwriter

  • Nearly a decade ago, she left her job in marketing to write and sing Christmas songs full-time, despite no formal musical training

  • She has had nine albums and is consistently on the holiday music charts alongside big names like Mariah Carey, Coldplay and Meghan Trainor

At age 7, Chan was so enamored with Christmas she decided she wanted to grow up to be a Christmas singer.

"I remember laughing, singing and food and just the warmth of everyone you love in one place," said Chan at the piano while working on new material.

Nine years ago she shocked friends and family when she quit her job in marketing and without knowing how to read or write music began writing holiday songs.

"Every day I would write a Christmas song and some of them were terrible the worst Christmas songs ever, but it helped me to figure out what were the good ones," she said laughing.

Perhaps the only full-time Christmas singer songwriter, Chan's had nine albums and is the only Asian-American artist on the holiday charts.

Of course, this year was more challenging. She's just had a baby and is home with baby Eva, daughter Noel, and husband Andy who is also working from home.

Chan goes back and forth between her apartment and the studio two floors below. In addition to the challenges of recording with musicians who are working virtually, Chan lost her dog Toby in May. She wondered if this would be the year her Christmas spirit faded.

"He was also a coworker of mine that was by my side writing every Christmas song ever I ever did and and when he passed away I thought I would lose an important aspect of my craft and my creation process," she said holding back her tears.

Instead she wrote Toby's Song for her new album Celebrate me Home. She got a new puppy Milo and she and daughter Noel also wrote a song together. Perhaps not surprisingly, the refrain is "happy holidays!"

"We get a little break in January, it's a little bit less Christmasy," said Chan's husband, Andy Fraley.

But her studio is is always Christmas central.

"When I'm in the space I remember very clearly how much I wanted to be a Christmas songwriter. How much I wanted to leave behind a Christmas standard," she explained.

Chan celebrates Christmas year-round and for anyone who's a Scrooge about it, she has no apologies.

"It's the kind of year where we really need Christmas to start sooner," Chan enthused.

And Chan has plenty of holiday spirit and songs to share.