For Alicia Witt, the holidays are more than just a season—they’re a heartfelt celebration of joy, nostalgia, and connection. As she kicks off her holiday album release tour in Nashville at City Winery on Dec. 5, Alicia shares how her music captures the spirit of Christmas, blending her love for the holiday’s magic with reflections on its complexities.

What do the holidays mean to you, and how does that come through in your music?

The Christmas holiday is, without question, my favorite time of the year. It feels like a time when we just go back to the magic of being children. It is a time of believing in magic and wondering about the world. There’s just something about the lights and the good vibes all around that makes for a time when we connect back to what we’re here for. That’s in the best of it. The franticness of it has always amused me because I think Christmas is about all of those qualities, and of course, it is about the miracle of Jesus, the love he preached, and the healing that he was capable of. Then there is also the hustle and bustle of it, and it’s now a holiday when we feel the pressure to buy everybody gifts and get everything just right. I’ve written a few songs about its funny aspects as well. So, I guess my music reflects all of the reasons why I love Christmas.

Were there any unique traditions you had growing up that influenced your holiday album?

My parents went out of their way to make it unique. One thing I looked forward to was the fruit that was on display throughout the house. My brother and I were raised without eating sugar, so candy was never an option, but exotic fruits were the thing. In addition to presents on Christmas morning, I could look forward to an array of fruit and all of the fancy fruit. Growing up in Worcester, Massachusetts, those were the most expensive fruits in the grocery store. The most lavish display of the finest fruits would always be on Christmas morning.

What do you think made Nashville the perfect place to start your tour?

The Nashville kickoff is a last-minute addition because my City Winery album release show is on December 5th. I will have already played three of my tour dates by that point. I start in Boston with my band, and then we make our way to Portland, Main, and then New York City at 54 Below, my first time playing there. So Nashville, we will be warmed up, and it will be extra special because all three of my incredible guest singers will be joining me for this show. John Paul White, Matthew Perryman Jones, and Mandy Barnett will all be singing with me that night, and I will also have some additional band members, so it will be the most packed band show because it’s our hometown.

What do you love most about Nashville during the Christmas season?

The same things I love about Nashville at every time of the year. Nashville is home to me. I weirdly felt that the first time I arrived in Nashville for 24 hours in 2009, I was opening for a friend at 12 & Porter. I was in and out in 24 hours and felt this pull down to the ground as the plane took off. I just didn’t wanna leave. I felt a connection to the city that I just couldn’t describe. Then, in 2012, I played a show at the Bluebird, and I started this 4 years or so of spending more time in Nashville. The more time I spent, the more connections, friends, and creative collaborators I made. Finally, in 2016, when I was on the show Nashville, that sealed the deal for me. I feel I have a sense of community in Nashville that I haven’t found anywhere else. Even with all the change and all the crowdedness, to me, the heart of Nashville remains. I feel loved and supported and like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.

How do you hope that your album and performances will connect with people emotionally?

That was an intention and a wish for this record (referencing that the holidays can be difficult for people) because I know that Christmas, with all the magic of it, can be a harrowing time of year. The song that Mandy and I did together and Matthew, and I did together, in particular, are about some of the more complicated feelings we might have about Christmas. Hopefully, they both help listeners to know that they aren’t alone and that this is a time of year when you can reconnect to that hope and make new memories and not get caught up in the loss, but get caught up in new memories and connect to the real meaning of the day.