Atwood Magazine Presents Mistletones: 2024’s Best New Holiday Songs, Pt. 2!

To celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year,” Atwood Magazine’s Mistletones features fresh holiday/wintertime tracks and exciting covers of beloved classics. December has a knack for bringing out some of the most poignant, tender, and celebratory music, and we want to highlight that excitement by showcasing new and alternative holiday greats! Spice up your holiday season with songs you can listen to now and cherish in the years to come.

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❄️ discover more Mistletones here ❄️

* * *

All the lights are glowin’
And it’s been another year
There’s magic in the air
You can feel it everywhere
Holidays are coming
I’m just wishin’ you were here
I’ve hung the mistletoe
For when you make it home
I’ve been countin’ down the days
Without you here, it’s not the same

So, Santa, baby
I know you’re busy
But my one wish is
That you work your Christmas magic

– “Christmas Magic,” Perrie

* * *

The most wonderful time of year has come around once again, and we’re ready to ring in the festivities with a fresh batch of holiday songs and winter wonders!

This year’s holiday season is marked by a resounding sense of appreciation, hope, excitement, and longing: Many of our 2024 Mistletones picks capture what we might deem that “classic” holiday cheer – evoking feelings of togetherness, connection, and love – whilst just as many take on a more nostalgic or wistful tone, aching with those pangs of sorrow, grief, and loneliness that often accompany the holidays.

All of this year’s Mistletones manage to embrace the spirit of this special season – lighting a fire deep inside us with captivating soundtracks and heartwarming reflections on life, happiness, and the people who matter most to us.

Wrap me up in tinsel and hold me by the tree
Last Christmas was lonely, now I’m in good company
Just a little holly and some stockings by the fire
Just one kiss from my baby and everything is bright

A winter storm has come and it’s snowing, let it fall
It’s okay if Santa can’t get here, I’ve already got it all

– “Got It All,” Chloe Stroll

We hope these songs help inspire a sense of community and connection, love and togetherness for all who listen. This year’s Mistletones submissions are so great in number, and these songs are so special, that we’ve chosen to split them up into three features: Find Mistletones Part 1 here!

See below as artists from around the world share what the holiday season (and holiday music) means to them, and listen to our Mistletones Holiday Songs playlist on Spotify.

From our family to yours, happy holidays and happy new year!

With Love,

Mitch Mosk, Editor-in-Chief

* * *

It’s that time of year, another rotation
I just love it here in our simulation
Frozen in time before it melts away
We only get like eighty Christmas Days

A nose on the glass, white powder falling
Gifts getting wrapped, grandparents calling
It’s coming down hard, blocking the stars
I fall asleep wondering where we are

One day I was born and one day I’m gonna die
Oh, what a miracle it is to be alive
Lucky to live here just floating on a speck
In a snow globe on an alien’s desk

– “snow globe on an alien’s desk,” Juliet Ivy

Featured here are Girl Named Tom, Reggie Watts, Juliet Ivy, UPSAHL, Sydney Sprague, After Elmer, Søren Hansen, Chloe Stroll, Tom A. Smith, Madison Olds, Luke Beling, Maya Malkin, Johnny 99, A Certain Ratio, The Cords, & Kramies!

Dive into these songs and our holiday interviews!

:: Girl Named Tom ::

“Tonight Is Christmas Eve” 

Girl Named Tom: Growing up, we all took piano lessons, we were in the kids choir, we sang hymns each Sunday in church, and the holidays were the best because FINALLY we could break out the Christmas music! We would practice and practice to make sure we were ready when the call from the church came asking us to play for the advent service, or when Grandma would ask us to play a song at her annual living room Christmas program. A couple of our favorite classics are “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Oh Holy Night,” .. and we’ve written some of our new favorites, “Tonight is Christmas Eve” and “One More Christmas.”

Girl Named Tom: Christmas music is ever present during the Holidays in our household. Whether we’re singing and playing, cooking or baking, our favorite tunes are always with us. Something about holiday music just feels different than “rest-of-the-year” music, and we feel the pressure to absorb as much of it as possible in the small window of time! From hymns to world music, pop to classical, Christmas music excites and inspires.

Girl Named Tom: One of our favorite Christmas albums is Vince Guaraldi’s “Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Tonight is Christmas Eve” captures some of the jazzier essence (as jazzy as Girl Named Tom can get) alongside a bit of holiday rock and roll. We were honored to have such talented players buy into the vision and display their skills to create a song that we think sounds like an instant classic! With this silly song, we arranged our vocals to highlight each of our voices to tell the hilarious stories and then, of course, we had to bring them together for moments of beautiful harmony as well!

Girl Named Tom: “Tonight is Christmas Eve” captures the chaotic craziness of holiday celebrations. If your family is anything like ours, not every moment is peaceful and picturesque!

Girl Named Tom: Though there are so many amazing holiday songs already out there, “Tonight is Christmas Eve” brings a relatable energy to the mix. This is one where you can laugh along with your friends, embrace the outbursts of your kids (or maybe your out of town relatives), and just enjoy being together.

:: Reggie Watts ::

Reggie Sings: Your Favorite Christmas Classics, Volume 1

Reggie Watts: The holidays for me are a mix of nostalgia, connection, and sometimes a little chaos. It’s that time of year when everything slows down but also feels heightened — family, love, warmth, and memories. I like the idea of creating space for reflection and joy while also acknowledging how complex it can be for a lot of people. It’s an emotional season, and I try to transmute the whole spectrum.

I’m drawn to the classics — songs like Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” or Vince Guaraldi’s tracks from A Charlie Brown Christmas. There’s something timeless and comforting about them. On the other side, I also love quirky, unexpected songs like “Christmas in Hollis” by Run-D.M.C. They remind me that the holidays are rife for recontextualization.

Reggie Watts: Music is the texture of the holidays. It’s what instantly sets the mood, whether you’re wrapping presents, cooking, or just sitting by the fire. It’s a communal thing — bringing people together and triggering memories of past holidays. I think it’s one of the strongest tools we have to create or shift the vibe of the season.

Reggie Watts: I’ve been wanting to make a traditional Christmas recording with ridiculous, abstract lyrics for many, many years. There’s something about the contrast of classic arrangements and completely absurd vocals that I’ve always found fascinating. This year, I finally got the push I needed—thanks in part to my partner Katherine, who really motivated me to bring the idea to life. And with the incredible talents of Tim Young, Larry Goldings and Scott Seiver it all came together and manifested in the physical world. The process was about staying true to the warm, familiar jazz sound but adding that element of randomized vocalist. It was a long time coming, and I’m so glad it’s finally coming out.

Reggie Watts: It captures the holiday spirit by walking this beautiful, strange line between tradition and absurdity. The instrumentation — piano, electric bass, drums — grounds it in that warm, classic jazz vibe that feels sincere and timeless, almost like stepping into a smoky jazz club on Christmas Eve. But then my vocals throw that familiarity out the window with nonsense lyrics that are playful, abstract, and completely unexpected. To me, it reflects the duality of the holidays: they’re deeply emotional and nostalgic, but they’re also messy, weird, and sometimes ridiculous. That mix makes it feel alive and uniquely personal.

Reggie Watts: A sense of unstable familiarity.

:: Juliet Ivy ::

“snow globe on an alien’s desk”

Juliet Ivy: The holidays are my favorite time of year! I feel like a little kid, it’s so magical. My favorite holiday song is “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” because it sounds like a warm Christmas party in a big, beautiful house on a snowy night. My favorite holiday project is “Christmas & Chill” by Ariana Grande because it’s so iconic and no one has ever made an EP like that since. Literally shifted my world when I was 15.

Juliet Ivy: Music is one of the biggest parts of my holiday experience! My family and I always have holiday music playing in the house, my friends and I make an annual Christmas album together, and I constantly have Christmas songs playing in my headphones when I’m walking around the city. Old Christmas music gives me one of the most nostalgic feelings, it carries a magic that reminds me of childhood, home, and my family and I think it always will 🙂

Juliet Ivy: The holidays always make me extra existential – I think a lot about time, growing up, childhood, the world, the universe, etc. and I didn’t know of a song that touched on that feeling so I made one myself! The holidays also always remind me to stay grateful and present and I wanted to create that reminder for myself and others in song-form. I wrote it in August actually, I had been thinking about winter a lot and I had this concept for a while so I just decided to try writing it alone in my room on guitar. And I actually kept the original guitar and vocal that I recorded that day in the final version!

Juliet Ivy: “snow globe on an alien’s desk” captures the holiday spirit for me because it is about gratitude for the present moment. For a lot of us, the holidays are when we get to see people we don’t see often, reconnect with family and friends, and return to places that feel like home. Those moments become more and more rare as we get older so it’s so important to step back and feel the beauty of the present moment.

Juliet Ivy: I think my song brings a new perspective to the holidays. I don’t know of any existential holiday songs and I think it’s quite a relatable feeling so I hope people find comfort in this song. I also think it’s special because it doesn’t necessarily have to be interpreted as a holiday song – the sentiment of not knowing where we are but just being grateful to be here is relevant any time of the year, the holidays are just the lens that I wrote it through.

:: UPSAHL ::

“Snowglobe”

UPSAHL: To me, the holidays are the time of year where I get to fully recenter myself. I make it a point to go back to Phoenix and spend time doing absolutely nothing with my family, and I always am so grateful for that time. The entire Elf soundtrack is so nostalgic for me, but I think my favorite holiday song of all time is “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

UPSAHL: Holiday songs are special because they immediately can take you back to a memory or just a certain feeling that we all get around the holidays. These types of songs have such a distinct sound that gives you a sort of visceral reaction when you hear them, and I love that music like that is the background to all my favorite holiday memories. My family has always listened to a bunch of holiday vinyl around the house throughout most of December, it’s so wholesome.

UPSAHL: I’ve always wanted to have a holiday song but have honestly been scared to do it because I wanted it to feel right and not forced. It was the middle of summer in LA, amidst a crazy busy schedule, and I was craving that holiday vibe when everyone just winds down and is just fully present with the people that mean the most to them. My cowriter Mike Wise and I loved the idea of writing a holiday song in the middle of the summer, and that’s how we got “Snowglobe.”

UPSAHL: I wanted to find a word that represented the feeling of just being completely in your own world with the people you love during the holidays. Life gets so chaotic throughout the year, so sometimes it’s nice to be able to just completely shut the rest of the world out and be fully present with your people – it’s very grounding and rejuvenating. “Snowglobe” just felt like the perfect image of what that feeling means to me.

UPSAHL: I think “Snowglobe” represents more than just the holiday season… To me, it represents going back to your roots and sort of grounding yourself, which I think especially in today’s age of social media and hustle culture, we sometimes forget to do. Also, it’s just a banger of a song that makes you want to turn off your phone and have drinks by the fire with your longtime friends, and who doesn’t want to do that? 😉

:: Sydney Sprague ::

“Reason for Season”

Sydney Sprague: I have a real fondness for the holidays. It’s not really so much about the holiday itself but the intentional time spent just being with & caring for friends & family. Gift giving is a big love language for me and I have a lot of fun putting thought into my loved ones’ wants and needs and how I can make them happy. I also love baking little treats. It’s just a a fun time. There can be some sadness in it too, a lot of reflecting. But that’s important too.

A couple of holiday songs I always go back to are ‘All That I Want’ by the Weepies and ‘That Was The Worst Christmas Ever’ by Sufjan Stevens.

Sydney Sprague: Music is a big part of it. I have strong associations with some songs that aren’t Christmas/Holiday songs at all, but that I listened to a lot around the holidays in the past. The band The Velvet Teen is one that I formed that mental connection with for some reason, and I listen to their record ‘Out Of The Fierce Parade’ a lot around Christmas. It just gives me the warm fuzzy nostalgic feelings.

Sydney Sprague: Honestly, my friend Matt, who plays drums in my band and releases his own music under the name Fantasy Unit, was the inspiration for the EP (A Very Christmas Thing) we just put out. He wrote his contribution to it, “Christmas Cigar” last year after we got home from a tour, and I was like, this is the best Christmas song of all time. He had the idea for us to do a split EP, so I wrote something mainly as an excuse to be a part of it.

Sydney Sprague: I wrote “Reason for Season” about my first headline tour that I did last winter. My very close friend’s band (Wheelwright) opened the tour and we all shared a van together and I had the best time of my life. I think the memory that stands out the most to me is that we had a day off in Chicago on Thanksgiving, which could have been a really sad and weird time. Being away from my family for a holiday I love in a city where I don’t really know anyone or have any ties, not playing a show, just kind of existing there. But we all went to a Polish buffet (The Red Apple) and celebrated together and it was so special. I will cherish that Thanksgiving forever and I wanted to write something that captured that feeling and immortalized it.

Sydney Sprague: I know the holidays can be hard for a lot of people, and this song is about choosing your family and finding comfort and happiness on your own terms wherever you find yourself, even if it’s not exactly where you expected. I think it’s important for me, and probably for other people too, to remember that happiness can be made out of anything.

:: After Elmer ::

“Christmas Came Early (But Not in a Good Way)”

After Elmer (Pieter Smit): For me the holidays are closely linked to family and coziness. In dutch we have the word ‘gezellig’ which embodies the atmosphere of having a good time and feeling cozy. Just being together with lots of great food and all the nostalgia that comes with it is something I always really look forward to. Since I always have had jobs in which I had to work with christmas, the song ‘driving home for christmas’ always resonates with me. Driving home in the cold towards a nice family diner with people you love while that song is playing is a great feeling. I also quite like Fay Lovsky’s ‘Christmas was a friend of mine’. Its not a typical christmassy song like the others, but it does capture the Christmas feeling. I like that.

After Elmer (Pieter): Christmas music is quite a big part of Christmas. It just adds to the overall Christmas feeling. We (Pieter, Jaap, Thomas (drums)) grew up in a christian household, where we would have to get up quite early on Christmas day to go to church. At breakfast we would have Christmas carols from Kings College Cambridge on, then later in church we would sing carols ourselves and later, when we got back from church, we’d switch to WHAM and Mariah Carey, so different kinds of Christmas songs would be playing all of Christmas day. Without these songs it just wouldn’t be Christmas. Also, whenever you hear these songs it takes you back to earlier Christmasses and the memories you made, so it really adds to the nostalgia on Christmas as well.

After Elmer (Jaap Smit): I think we have been playing around with the idea of writing a Christmas song for a couple of years. The Dutch alternative scene has produced a massive amount of Christmas music in the last couple of years and we really wanted to see what it would sound like if we would give it our best shot. I started to write some verses last Christmas and with the rest of the band we really formed it into a Christmas song over the last year, with relatable subjects and just a right amount of cheesy X-mas details!

After Elmer (Jaap): I think this song is a playful way to burst that magical ‘christmas-bubble’, where everything is shiny and happy. A year goes by really fast and every Christmas we’re in a way forced to look back on that year, which is supposed to be a fulfilling experience, but sometimes it’s not, so you can get lost in the feeling to have wasted another year. In that sense it doesn’t really capture a “happy” Holiday Spirit, but I hope it resonates with a feeling a lot of people experience during this time.

After Elmer (Pieter): In this song Christmas isn’t something you look forward too or you want to arrive, because it is a reminder of all the things you didn’t do since last Christmas. It is not that it is an anti-christmas song, but the emphasis is not on the fun side of christmas and that is what is the case with most Christmas songs. Jaap: Some not happy-Christmas songs are more leaning on melancholy or not being with loved ones and stuff like that. I think our song makes it more personal in an introspective kind of way; the feeling that you could’ve done more this year isn’t something you might share with a lot of people around you. I can’t think of another Christmas song that really puts that feeling forward, so hopefully the song will resonate with a lot of people!

:: Søren Hansen ::

“Christmas Time”

Søren Hansen: It’s hard to imagine snow falling or seeing a lit-up Christmas tree without hearing the sound of jingle bells. I didn’t grow up in a home where we celebrated Christmas to the same extent as many other families, but coming to America and being properly introduced to the Holidays, I get it now. I love the Christmas spirit and the togetherness that comes along with it. It is a time when people share and when the weight of our daily lives disappear for a little while. Some of my favorite Christmas songs are Wham! “Last Christmas”, Frank Sinatra’s “Let it Snow”, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”, Lennon/Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”, Queen’s “Thank God It’s Christmas” and many, many more.

Søren Hansen: Music to me is synonymous with Christmas. One of my favorite things about the Holidays is watching people being happy. The music is playing, and people are talking and while the two blend, you get to give the people you love little presents. You know all the words to every song, and it just feels familiar. I associate Christmas with that feeling, and music is a significant storyteller that brings it all together!

Søren Hansen: I think most musicians wants to write a Christmas song. Maybe not when we start out because we’re so occupied with our original style, but before you know it, you are dying to write one yourself. There’s also a certain amount of freedom about it because you don’t have to try too hard, and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel – you get write something you like and something that sounds like Christmas to you. I’ve actually written quite a few and I can only imagine they won’t be the last ones either.

Søren Hansen: It reminds me of something good! Of family and friendship and a bit of calm in the middle of all the chaos. A time-out of some sort. When David and I wrote the song we were just having fun and that’s the best part of making music. I also love the message. It’s just a cute love song where a guy is willing to do anything for someone he loves.

Søren Hansen: I hope it brings joy and happiness to the table. I like to think that somewhere, right now, someone is sitting by the fire in their finest Christmas sweaters and woolen socks, laughing and holding the hand of someone they love. I know the world can be incredibly unfair at times, but I also believe all the beauty and compassion come out when we are around people we love and the ones who love us. And I am grateful to be able to tell that story in a song. Hopefully, you can all feel that spirit when you listen to Christmas Time!

:: Chloe Stroll ::

“Got It All”

Chloe Stroll: The holidays have always been such a magical time for me. I absolutely love going all out to decorate and create a festive atmosphere for my family and friends. Now, with my baby celebrating his very first holiday season, it feels even more special—like the magic has doubled. It’s about creating those cozy, joy-filled moments and making great memories. Some of my favorite holiday songs are The Christmas Song, All I Want for Christmas Is You, Winter Wonderland, the classics. They instantly transport me to that warm, festive feeling.

Chloe Stroll: Music sets the tone for everything during the holidays. It’s playing in the background while we drink our morning coffee, during our family dinners, and even when I’m rocking the baby to sleep. It brings people together and creates such a warm, comforting vibe. For me, music is the heart of the holidays—it holds magic, it’s uplifting, and it reminds us of what this season is all about: love, connection, and gratitude.

Chloe Stroll: I’ve always dreamed of recording a holiday song because it’s such a personal way to connect with people during a season that’s all about togetherness. I wanted to write something fun and upbeat because the holidays make me happy and giddy. Making it my own was about reflecting on my favorite things to do on the holidays, like baking cookies with Scotty, and now Leo too, or sitting on the couch drinking Hot Chocolate or having a glass of wine, basically just having quality time with those I love, and turning it into a song.

Chloe Stroll: It captures what the holidays are truly about—celebrating the people in your life. This year, with a new baby and our growing little family, I feel like I really do “have it all,” and that’s such a beautiful sentiment to share during this season. The song is warm, heartfelt, and celebratory—it’s about being grateful for what really counts.

Chloe Stroll: I think ‘Got It All’ brings a fresh yet timeless vibe. It’s not just a holiday song—it’s a love song wrapped in the warmth of the season. It’s personal, heartfelt, and relatable for anyone who feels blessed to be surrounded by the people they care about. Whether you’re decorating the tree or just sitting by the fire with loved ones, I hope it adds a touch of joy and intimacy to someone’s holiday playlist. For me, it’s all about sharing love and connection through music, and I think this song does exactly that.

:: Tom A. Smith ::

“This Christmas Time”

Tom A. Smith: I proper love Xmas, I love families getting together where possible and I love Xmas songs. My favourite is probably “Fairytale of New York,” but I have a soft spot for Elton John “Step Into Christmas” as well.

Tom A. Smith: It’s at the forefront normally, my whole life is soundtracked really, especially Christmas though. Even Christmas movies are all about the tunes in it.

Tom A. Smith: I just wanted to makes something that would stand the test of time and sound timeless. I hate the modern production on some of the newer Christmas songs and just wanted it to sound like it came out in 1974. I think I have a sound so didn’t want to be too far removed from that.

Tom A. Smith: It’s a classic bittersweet tail that serves sadness, paired with a happy ending that is finding love at Christmas. Classic Xmas vibes

Tom A. Smith: I think it’s as good as anything that’s been made for a long time. Truthfully you can never tell until it’s out there but I’ve played it for 5 years and always get requests for it. We’ll see, but I hope it’s a classic!

:: Madison Olds ::

“Christmas Everyday”

Madison Olds: This is a super cheesy thing to say, but I love almost every Christmas song. But I’m a sucker for the classics and love anything from White Christmas or Burl Ives and start listening on November 1st. It will be on repeat morning to night!

Madison Olds: From the day after Halloween, Christmas music is played in my home. I think the holidays don’t feel as magical if we didn’t have music to constantly score our dinner parties, or our baking days or sitting by the fireplace with our family and friends sharing our most beloved childhood Christmas memories. Music is the glue between everything we do during the Christmas season and is what makes us feel so connected every year. For me, all I need is to hear that iconic bell chime at the beginning of Michael Bublé’s album… and I know the holidays have started and snow is on the horizon.

Madison Olds: I have done it a few years in a row now and love how much fun we get to have with lyrics and instruments. I think music is taken so seriously and we often forget to have fun with it and the holidays are usually a good time to get cheesy and just enjoy the whole process. My friend and I really wanted to write something that would make people feel good with playing on the concept of Christmas in July is such a tease because we should be having it everyday! Well, at least the sentiment of the holidays and how giving and kind we all are around them. Without getting too far from my acoustic routes, My producer Lucas is great at blending guitar along with other jazzy instruments like the piano and bass and a few jingle bells in the distance.

Madison Olds: ‘Christmas Everyday’ captures the holiday spirit by focusing on the warmth, generosity, and love that define the season. It’s about the feeling of togetherness and the way we treat one another with extra kindness and compassion during the holidays. The song reminds us that this spirit doesn’t have to be confined to one time of year—it’s something we can carry with us every day. For me, it encapsulates the magic of Christmas by celebrating its deeper, and more timeless essence, connection and joy while still being fun and cheeky, just like me during the holidays!

Madison Olds: I feel ‘Christmas Everyday’ stands out by blending playfulness with a heartfelt message about the true spirit of Christmas. It’s not just about sleigh bells or snow—it’s about the kindness, generosity, and love we share during the holidays. I’m hoping my song encourages listeners to carry that magic into every day, making it more than a seasonal tune.

:: Luke Beling ::

“Home for the Holidays”

Luke Beling: Having four young daughters, I find myself caught up in the joy of the holiday season, influenced by their excitement and expectations. “The Little Drummer Boy” – Bing Crosby, “Little Saint Nick” – The Beach Boys, “Silent Night” – Franz Xaver/Joseph Mohr

Luke Beling: One of the powerful things about music is that one can listen to a song and be transported to a different place/time. This is what holiday music does for me. It evokes nostalgia and fond memories and puts me in a certain mood, ready to receive the gift of the season.

Luke Beling: I wanted to write a holiday song that was light-hearted, party-like, and celebratory. I tried to make it my own by adding a few fresh images as well as by infusing a lot of energy into the production. I was fortunate to have world renowned saxophone player, Idit Shner, play on the track, giving it that Springsteen/E-Street feel.

Luke Beling: So much of the holiday season magic is tied up into going home or being with the people you experience as “home.” “Home for the Holidays” is a reminder that the holidays are about coming or being at home with those you love and cherish.

Luke Beling: I love the energy and sentiment of this song. While many holiday songs have a party-like feeling, I think “Home for the Holidays” uniquely evokes the celebration of going home or being at home with those you love. I think “home” is one of the most important messages of the holiday season.

:: Maya Malkin ::

“Chill Christmas (With You)”

Maya Malkin: Christmas has always been my absolute favourite holiday. Most years my family gets together and we make a big meal, drink delicious wine, watch the original animated Grinch movie, decorate the Christmas tree, and do a big sleepover. I associate Christmas with being curled up on a cozy couch in my pajamas or a sweatsuit, under a big warm blanket, and feeling happy with people I love. I have always felt the warmth, excitement, and magic of the holidays around this time of year. For that reason, I’m a big fan of Christmas music! I associate these feelings of joy with the festive sonic universe of Christmas songs. I think it’s so cool that those emotions are reflected in holiday music, and can immediately lift my mood. Honestly, I love most Christmas music. I’m a fan of all the classics, but I did have the Hanson album growing up, so Hanson’s version of “What Christmas Means to Me” became one of my all-time favourites, because of how upbeat and jolly it is. I even released a cover of their version on Spotify last year!

Maya Malkin: I’m the person who gets excited when Christmas music starts being played in public spaces in November. In my eyes, it’s never too early to start getting into the holiday spirit. As a Canadian, it starts to get dark, cold, and snowy around this time of year – Christmas truly feels like our only saving grace! It’s the only thing that gets me excited about the temperature drop and the thought of the first snowfall. A huge part of that is the music. As soon as Christmas music starts being in rotation, that’s when the magic and excitement of the holidays start to really set in. We always have Christmas playlists in rotation at my house while we celebrate and spend time together too, so I definitely associate holiday songs with happy memories.

Maya Malkin: Well, as I mentioned – I’m already a big fan of Christmas, so it wasn’t a hard sell for me! The first Christmas song I ever released is called, “I Hope You Have a Horrible Christmas,” which is a tongue-in-cheek Christmas break-up anthem. I was inspired to write this song because I realized there wasn’t one like it out there. Songs like “Last Christmas” and “Blue Christmas”, which are also about heartache around Christmas time, were told from the lens of longing and reflection, but there wasn’t a Christmas breakup song that was sassy, silly, and spiteful (that I knew of). Thus, “I Hope You Have a Horrible Christmas” was born. At first, I just thought that it was funny and I released it mostly as a joke. However, it ended up being placed in a Disney and Paramount Pictures short about an ugly Christmas sweater party gone wrong called, “The Ugliest of Them All”. After getting some traction with the placement, I decided to release a holiday cover of my favourite Christmas song, “What Christmas Means to Me” (Hanson’s version) the following year. This cover got added to a very popular playlist on Spotify, “Modern Christmas Songs,” and received almost 300,000 streams last Christmas. This kept me inspired to release more holiday music, so, this year, I’ve written and released another original song called, “Chill Christmas (With You)”, which is a song about how much I love spending the holidays with my family and loved ones, with a chill atmosphere to match its title, as well as the emotion of the song.

Maya Malkin: I wanted to write an earnest Christmas song about how special it is to spend this time with my loved ones over the holidays. I feel really lucky to have an amazing family that I enjoy spending time with, and the older I get, the even more I’ve come to appreciate these moments together. The goal with “Chill Christmas (With You)” was to capture that warmth of the holiday season, as well as play on the word “chill” and incorporate that into the beat itself, as well as the lyrics, resulting in a laid-back, easy-listening, joyful song about spending the holidays with the people you love. To me, the song encapsulates the holiday spirit and season perfectly, even though my family and I actually only do about a quarter of the things listed in the song, haha (we are not singing Christmas carols on our front steps, unfortunately).

Maya Malkin: I think the energy of the song is really unique. It’s a mid-tempo groovy beat with R&B-inspired backup vocals but with a pop lead vocal delivery and melody. I wanted to blend my love for upbeat Holiday-classics, with something a little more modern like Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me”, but then slow it down to match our title “Chill Christmas”. I think it’s a really great representation of how it feels to be in my family home with loved ones during the holidays, with lyrics like “The Grinch playing on repeat,” which, as I mentioned earlier, is a real tradition specific to us. I know that my family would play this song while chilling on the couch drinking hot chocolate or a nice glass of wine, so I hope other people feel the same way when they hear it! It’s kind of giving “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” but with a more modern edge, which will hopefully speak to an overall broader audience of holiday music lovers.

:: Johnny 99 ::

“It Can’t Be Christmas”

Johnny 99: I have an unconventional family dynamic. My parents are divorced, but still great friends, and my family is full of love and very connected. The holidays are about making time to be together, as we all live in different parts of the country now.

I’m a big lover of Christmas music and have a lot of favourites. Some of them are: “Pretty Paper” by Willie Nelson, “Christmas in Prison” by John Prine, and  “Old Toy Trains” by Roger Miller. I just created a Spotify playlist featuring my favourite country Christmas songs and you can find it here!

Johnny 99: I will forever have a desire to chase the youthful whimsy of the holiday season. As you get older, life gets in the way and sometimes we forget to stop, slow down, and allow ourselves to sink into the feeling. For me, music is always the entry point to that feeling. When I’m trying to get into the holiday spirit, I always start by putting on my favourite holiday albums.

Johnny 99: Truthfully, I wasn’t inspired to write a holiday song. It was approaching the holiday season and I’d had a difficult conversation with a close friend about the recent loss of his mother. He lamented the fact that where he would normally feel joy at seeing the usual holiday signifiers, he was only feeling the pain of knowing that his mother would not be there to share in it with him. We spoke about how his holiday experience was forever changed. The next morning when I woke up, thoughts of the conversation still ruminated in my head.  I picked up my guitar, and the song started writing itself.

Johnny 99: Despite having a heavy message, the mood of the song is contemplative with an almost cheerful melody. This was intentional, as through the course of our conversation, my friend shared with me that he still wanted to feel the joy he once felt and experience holidays the way he always had.  I felt it was important to still try to make the song feel like a traditional Christmas song.  I think because of this, the song still gives the listener a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Johnny 99: “It Can’t Be Christmas” helps to give a voice to those whose experiences of the holidays are more complicated or complex. The holidays can be very hard for people. This song seeks to shed light on a narrative that is commonly experienced but rarely captured in “feel-good” Christmas movies and songs.

:: A Certain Ratio ::

“Now and Laughter”

Martin Moscrop: “Wonderful Christmastime” – Paul McCartney. The only Christmas song I’ll never get sick of.

Donald Johnson: “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” – Andy Williams

Jez Kerr: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues

Donald: I just love the singalong aspect it has about it where everybody can join in.

Jez: Christmas songs bring the family together which is a great time of the year.

Martin: To be honest, I get sick of all the holiday songs and it’s great when it’s all over and we get back to normality. Bah Humbug!

A Certain Ratio: Martin and Donald wanted to record a song in 6/8 for our last album, All Comes Down to This. When Jez came out of his stint in hospital, he wrote the lyrics and the original version had a working title of ‘I Love You 3000’ which is possibly why it didn’t make the album, because it wasn’t tough enough for Dan Carey our producer. Mute, our label, asked us if we would do a Christmas EP so we thought ‘I Love you 3000’ would be ideal and Jez re-wrote the chorus lyrics with a festive slant. We asked our old friend, ex Yargo (fellow Manchester band) drummer, Phil Kirby to mix it and hey presto, ACR does Christmas.

A Certain Ratio: The song is all about under-appreciated heroes and not forgetting them. It’s uplifting and full of optimism, which is needed in these crazy times we are living in.

A Certain Ratio: We only mention the word ‘Christmas’ once in the song and it doesn’t have the elements that Christmas songs usually have in them, like choirs, strings and other obvious components. The drums and guitar were recorded in one take and it’s got a real live feel to it rather than a big studio production.

:: The Cords ::

“Favourite Time”

The Cords: We love the holidays it’s our favourite Time! Our favourite Christmas songs are christmas lullaby by The Bug Club and The Blizzard by Camera Obscura.

The Cords: Music impacts our holiday experience because we love listening to all our favourite albums while putting up the tree and decorating.

The Cords: We were inspired to write our own Christmas song because it really is our favourite time of year! We actually wrote it last Christmas and have worked at making it sound exactly how we wanted it! We tried to make it our own Cords Christmas sound with jangly guitars.

The Cords: “Favourite Time” captures our holiday spirit with the sleigh bells and the keys and the melody of the song. It’s happy and uplifting just like Christmas time!!

The Cords: Hopefully our song brings smiles to faces and Holiday cheer!

:: Kramies ::

“That’s a Midwest Christmas”

Kramies: I’ve been happily haunted by the Christmas season my entire life.

When I was young child, maybe four years old, my grandmother took me to see The Nutcracker ballet. It’s my first ever memory as a kid. I can’t remember anything before that. When “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” started I was hooked.

Also when I was young my family had some old European Christmas records that I became enchanted by. I would put on the big 1970s headphones, lay on the floor and listen to the choirs and holiday vinyls in the middle of the summer.

One of the vinyl records was warped and made it kind of creepy, which probably helped mold my sound all these years later.

Kramies: It’s probably the second most important part. Not a lot of the new holiday music today, But the old classics that really create the magic and nostalgia. Specially all the soundtracks from the Rankin/Bass stop-motion classics.

On a side note – I must add that Santa Claus has always been my childhood idol. I use to want to grow up and be the next Santa Claus.

In fact when people forget how to pronounce my name they usually just call me “Christmas” do to my loud laughing

Kramies: I’ve always wanted to write a Christmas song, and I knew I would someday, but it’s not easy. I thought maybe it would be the last thing I do in my career, like a last memory since it was my first memory as a child.

“That’s a Midwest Christmas” came to me in 10 minutes out of nowhere – words and all Which is pretty rare for me.

So late in October, while I was in the studio, I told the Chris Keffer (Owner of Magnetic North Studio) that I wanted to quickly demo this Christmas song idea before we got into other things, just so I wouldn’t forget about it later for 2025

This acoustic take of “That’s a Midwest Christmas” was recorded in about 30 minutes in two or three tries.

Everyone loved it, and to my surprise a handful of folks I trust – said it captured something and should be set it free into the holiday season this year even thought it was originally a demo take. Once in a while when I’m able to quiet my mind, be still and with a little luck these songs come to me quickly.”

Plus my Dad really liked it, so I agreed!

Kramies: It definitely contains bits of my memory as a child, but I think mostly it captures the nostalgia of growing up as a teenager in the Midwest living through the Holiday season in ’80s and ’90s.

Kramies: You know, it’s the best Midwest Christmas lyrics ever written 😉

Well, I felt good after I recorded it. But it’s for others to enjoy. Everything I do is for other people’s tables.

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art © Markus Spiske [CC]

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