It’s been a banner year for Gifford, beginning with April’s A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine and capped by a cozy cover of The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride.” Ahead of an acoustic set perched atop the Vancouver Christmas Market’s towering centerpiece — framed by twinkling lights, an army of nutcrackers, and artificial bubble snow falling on cue — RANGE caught up with her, Baileys hot chocolate and hand warmers in hand, to talk Christmas rituals, nostalgia, and what comes next.

You’re performing here at the Vancouver Christmas Market today. How do you feel going into this set?

I am so excited! I love playing Christmas music and getting to do cover shows like this, it always forces me to be creative in a really fun way – getting to come up with different renditions of other peoples songs.

Are you a big Christmas person?

I’m not like… the biggest Christmas person, but I always say that, and then Christmas comes and I get really excited. I like everything about it, so honestly, I guess I am? I guess that I think I’m a Grinch but spiritually I’m not at all.

Do you have any fond memories of coming to the Christmas Market?

I love Vancouver at Christmas. It’s so beautiful here. Whenever I’m down here it makes me feel like I’m going to see The Nutcracker as a kid or something. Getting to perform here a couple years ago really awakened that excitement in me and reminded me of how much I love this city at Christmastime.

You just released a cover of “Sleigh Ride,” what was it about that song that made you want to put your own spin on it?

I LOVE The Ronettes so much. I think that they are so cool, the vocal approach that they have is so special. I feel like they just sound like people who sing so much that they don’t even have to think about it. So, I felt like it would be challenging to try and recreate their cover and it’s also a song that I love so much. It was kind of the first one that popped into my head, and I also think it has like eight key changes? I was like “let’s pick the most difficult song that I possibly can.”

How do you approach writing original Christmas music?

I think it just depends. I’ve released two original Christmas songs over the years now, and both times, they were songs that just kind of happened. The first one that I wrote is called “We Always Had Christmas,” and that one was more of a song that just happened the same way that all of my other songs do, in the sense that it stemmed from a personal experience I’d had. 

For my other original song, “Merry Christmas, Go Away,” I sat down on my couch and I was like… “I’m gonna write a Christmas song today,” and I did. And luckily, I really liked it, so it worked out well!

Do you have an all-time favourite Christmas song?

“Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses is up there for sure. I also love “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney. Even from a production standpoint, it’s just a really cool song.

What can we expect from you going into 2026?

I just put out a record in April called A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine, so I’m still in the promotional phase of that whole thing, which I don’t mind because it’s a record that I’m so proud of. Going into 2026, we’ve been writing, so probably some new releases coming, and lots of shows! I would love to put together a Canada tour. We’re working on some really fun stuff and I’m excited to do all of it.