Brad Paisley opens up about capturing the spirit of the season with his new holiday album, Snow Globe Town.
By Website Content Manager
The record features eight original songs alongside eight refreshed holiday classics, unfolding like a festive story that begins with the season’s first snowfall and ends on Christmas morning.
For Brad Paisley, the holidays are all about slowing down, spending time with loved ones, and creating lasting memories — feelings he aimed to capture in his new Christmas album, Snow Globe Town.
The project, Paisley’s second holiday record, features 16 tracks in total — eight brand-new originals and eight reimagined renditions of beloved Christmas classics. Together, they unfold like a cozy holiday story that starts with the first snowfall and ends on Christmas morning.
Interestingly, Snow Globe Town wasn’t even in Paisley’s original plans for the year. The idea came to life unexpectedly after Hallmark approached him about contributing songs to its upcoming film A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.
“If you had asked me in July what I was working on, I’d have said, ‘I’m writing songs, and maybe I’ll put an album out next year,’” Paisley told Country Now and other outlets. “Then Hallmark reached out about being part of this Opry movie. First, they wanted one song, then three, and then asked if I had more. They said if I wanted to do a Christmas album, now would be the perfect time, since they could help promote it.”
The collaboration resulted in three songs for the Hallmark project — “Leave the Christmas Lights On,” “Falling Just Like the Snow,” and “Counting Down the Days,” which became the official anthem for Hallmark Channel’s 16th annual Countdown to Christmas event.
Once Paisley got started, inspiration flowed freely. Before long, he had a full album’s worth of material — 16 songs in all — inspired by the picturesque beauty of Franklin, Tennessee, during the holidays.
“The idea for the title track came from my co-writer Clint Lagerberg,” Paisley explained. “He said, ‘Franklin is this snow globe town.’ If you look at it this time of year, it really does look like one — lights everywhere, a big tree in the middle of town, it’s just magical.”
Paisley also drew from his own family traditions for the record. The playful track “That Crazy Elf (On the Shelf)” was inspired by his household’s yearly elf antics, while the sentimental “Last Year” reflects on the bittersweet side of the season — remembering loved ones who are no longer there.
“Last year we had 21 people here on the farm, which was really special,” he shared. “Over time, we’ve lost some family members, and you realize each gathering is like a little time capsule. There’s a song on this album that represents that feeling — that’s the bittersweet part of Christmas.”
“Last Year” was originally recorded by Kelleigh Bannen for Hallmark’s Sister Swap: Christmas in the City, a movie starring Paisley’s wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and her sister, Ashley Williams. This time, Brad recorded a new version featuring both his and Bannen’s vocals.
He revealed that the song was inspired by a personal story about Kimberly’s cousin, Steven. “He and his wife and son used to come here every Christmas,” Paisley said. “Steven passed away in December — he was only 40 — and that year was really hard. His wife and son still came, and we got through it together. That’s what the song is about — sometimes Christmas is about the memories you’ve already made, not just the ones you’re making now.”
For the album’s classic covers, Paisley chose songs that hold personal meaning — tunes that filled his own home growing up and still get him in the holiday spirit. Fans can expect his renditions of “The Christmas Song,” “My Favorite Things,” “The First Noel,” “O Holy Night,” “A Marshmallow World,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”
Paisley carefully oversaw every detail of Snow Globe Town — from production to sequencing to the nostalgic artwork — to ensure the album captured the heart of the season. Several of the new tracks will also appear in A Grand Ole Opry Christmas, premiering Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday, November 29, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel and streaming the next day on Hallmark+.
The Grand Ole Opry member stars in the film alongside Nikki DeLoach, Kristoffer Polaha, and other familiar faces from the country music world.
Once the holiday season winds down, Paisley will shift focus back to his Truck Still Works World Tour, which has been extended into 2026 with new European summer dates. The tour, which launched in May and is currently making its way across Canada, will feature special guests to be announced soon.