Once, when I got some of the songs back from him, it was around Christmas time, and it was the best Christmas present I could have wished for -- really, really exciting.

I left Belle and Sebastian because I just wanted to explore different kinds of music -- to mill around and do my own thing. I like to have a band around me, but I started to feel that the name [Gentle Waves] really didn't apply anymore, and I couldn't think of another good one.

I thought, 'you're on tour leading a crazy life right now, but you've just asked me to make an album and I'm going to hold you to that'. He was really encouraging, which is nice because I doubt myself often.

It's kind of sun-bleached and psychedelic, with a little bit of folk or country.

'It's a Hi-5 Christmas' continues the Hi-5 tradition by offering great, festive songs -- traditional and new classics -- that children and their families will treasure.

I intend to keep writing Christmas songs. There's still a lot more about Christmas that can be captured and feel like old-time Christmas. A lot of the traditions haven't been explained in song.