TISDALE 鈥� Tisdale-born comedian Brent Butt has released his first musical single ahead of his show, Corner Gas Animated鈥檚, Christmas special "Tinsel-itis".
The single, 鈥淓veryone Can Sing at Christmas鈥�, is performed by Butt and co-written by Craig Northey 鈥� who also co-wrote the original corner gas theme song.
鈥淚t all started with the idea I had of a Christmas song,鈥� Butt said in an interview with the East Central Recorder.
鈥淚 had a few lyrics written down, I told Craig Northey about them... He thought it was kind of funny. He put some music behind it, I put some more lyrics, he brought some of his band in. Next thing I know we were in studio recording the song鈥�
Butt said the point of the song is it doesn鈥檛 matter how well you can sing, just 鈥渂elt it out鈥�.
This is something that Butt said pertains to him personally.
鈥淚鈥檓 not really a singer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 ever going to be something I鈥檓 going to make a living at. That鈥檚 for sure.鈥�
The holiday special is the first animated Christmas special in Butt鈥檚 series, with the previous one taking place in the live-action version of the show.
鈥淲e just kicked around ideas in the writing room until we came up with some storylines we liked and started flushing them out. It came together really well,鈥� he said.
鈥淕enerally when you鈥檙e putting together a Christmas episode for a show you want it to have a certain warmth, certain feelings. You want to instill a certain emotion from the viewer 鈥� that鈥檚 what Christmas episodes are all about.鈥�
Butt added that this can be tricky when his fictional town of Dog River is a place where everybody is not always so nice to each other.
鈥淪o that poses some challenges in itself, but when you find storylines that work that way it鈥檚 very satisfying.鈥�
Butt said that while there is no message to the Christmas special, it鈥檚 more about people coming together.
Personally, Butt said his own Christmas traditions have morphed over the years.
For his Christmases in Tisdale, Butt said the holidays were a big family event for him.
鈥淚鈥檓 from a big family. When I was living in Tisdale, one of seven kids, and then there were cousins. There was always a big houseful of people and it was always about family. Then as I moved away from home and became a standup comic touring across the country I wasn鈥檛 always able to get home for Christmas.鈥�
As a result, Butt found the time of the year became spending time with fellow 鈥渇riends and misfits鈥� who were in the same line of work.
鈥淚t was always about orphaned comedians who couldn鈥檛 get back to their families getting together. So it took on a different meaning,鈥� he said.
鈥淛ust people who are in the same boat that you鈥檙e in and slogging through the same water that you鈥檙e slogging through the rest of the year 鈥� just people who can鈥檛 get home to their families. So you kind of create your own core group.鈥�
After he married his wife and moved to Vancouver, Butt said he started spending Christmas with her family, which became his new tradition.
鈥淭his year is going to be different, of course, we鈥檙e not getting together physically.鈥�
Through his many different kinds of Christmases, Butt said his favourite tradition is overeating.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about overeating for me. I鈥檓 a natural born glutton, and so this is kind of like the Olympics. It鈥檚 my time to shine.鈥�
Fans can catch Corner Gas Animated鈥檚 holiday episode "Tinsel-itis," on Monday, Dec. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy Channel.
