Atwood Magazine Presents Mistletones: 2024’s Best New Holiday Songs, Pt. 3!

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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I’ve been running all my life
I’ve been trying to get it right
Sentimentally, the thing I do well
But it’s Christmas time again
And I’m missing all my friends
Million miles away, a toast to their health
Now it’s a shot out in the dark
I’m just wishing on a star
And I wish I knew just what to do
Lord, I think I need your light
On this cold and silent night
I’m just hanging on, it’s all that I can do

And all the snow falling down the city
And the good souls below
It ain’t the same
When it comes down and turns into rain
‘Cause it’s Christmas time,
I can’t be alone again

– “Maybe This Christmas,” Michael Bublé & Carly Pearce

* * *

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 the lights are glowin’ and it’s been another year. There’s magic in the air, you can feel it everywhere,” Perrie Edwards sings in her new song, channeling the spirit of Christmas and all the excitement that comes with the holiday season. “So, Santa, baby, I know you’re busy, but my one wish is that you work your Christmas magic.”

Meanwhile, Michael Bublé and singer/songwriter Carly Pearce capture the heartache that so often accompanies this time of year in their beautiful new duet, “Maybe This Christmas”: “And all the snow falling down the city, and the good souls below… It ain’t the same when it comes down and turns into rain, ’cause it’s Christmas time, I can’t be alone again,” they sing together in a tender, impassioned chorus, their voices filled with raw emotion. Sparks of hope and light ultimately through in the soul-stirring song’s cathartic final moments: “Maybe this Christmas, don’t have to be alone again.”

Whether we’re basking in the nostalgic glow of Calum Scott and Christina Perri’s “Kid At Christmas,” taking a holiday ride with Stevie Bill’s “Winter is the best season for biking,” soaking up the sun with Fantastic Cat’s spirited covers of “Holiday Road” and “Feliz Navidad,” vibing out to the soul-stirring songs on Lyn Lapid’s winter wishes EP, or dreaming away the day with TA Thomas’ smoldering seduction “Under the Tree,” 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.

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 multiple features. Read Mistletones Part 1 here, and find Mistletones Part 2 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

* * *

I won’t ask for much this year
Just someone who won’t say
I love you just to disappear
I can’t deal with all the games
Just give me someone with a pulse
who texts back in day

I’m sick of situation-ships
who never say goodbye
So Santa won’t you
take me back in time?

– “old fashioned christmas,” Lyn Lapid

Featured here are Michael Bublé & Carly Pearce, Äyanna, Blessing Offor, Haley Joelle, Colony House, FIFTY FIFTY, Jay Putty, Isabela Merced, Jay Park, Grace Davies, Steven Taetz, Hachiku, David Kushner, Stella Cole, Eddie Wakes, CARR, Mayer Hawthorne, Owen Rivera, Sydney Sherrill, Dawes, Sofia Talvik, Chloe Carmichael, Jessica Rhaye, Frog, War, Maude Audet, The Ratchets, & Ava Della Pietra!

Dive into these songs and our holiday interviews!

:: Michael Bublé & Carly Pearce ::

“Maybe This Christmas” 

Carly Pearce: The holidays are such a special time of year. It’s my time to get to hang out with my mom, my dad, and my Shih Tzus (Johnny & June)! Some of my favorite holiday songs are “O’ Holy Night,” “Silver Bells,” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

Carly Pearce: Holiday music feels like the soundtrack to all of my childhood memories at Christmas time. Music goes hand in hand with the holiday season and brings me all the nostalgia!

Michael Bublé: This song isn’t about me, it’s about something that I had gone through with one of my best friends growing up, who I discovered was really struggling and needed help getting his life back on track. This song is about him. It’s about anyone that’s struggling or experiencing the pain and loneliness that often comes around the holidays.

Michael Bublé: I wrote “Maybe This Christmas” about a holiday that, for some people who are really lucky, is about presents and your kids and spending time with family, but for others, it is a scary and vulnerable time. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how tough and lonely this time of the year is for so many, and I wanted to share the light and goodness and love of the holiday season with all of them.

Michael Bublé: This song is for all the people that might not love Christmas, to give them hope and make them feel seen at a time when they’re feeling most alone. It honestly comes from such an earnest place so deep within me, and it speaks to a feeling that so many people can relate to.

:: Äyanna ::

Ä Suburban Christmas

Äyanna: My favourite holiday songs would be the really vintage ones like ‘Baby it’s cold outside’ ‘let it snow’ and ‘santa baby’, as well as the British classics like ‘Last Christmas’ all of these songs have a nostalgia element to them that makes me feel really warm inside. The british classics remind me of christmas time in primary school when we wore the christmas hats and ate crisps and chocolates. Everything just felt so wonderful then.

Äyanna: Music epitomises togetherness and cheer, in our household it feels really special. As a Jamaican, there is a reggae cover of almost every well known song, including Christmas ones. Music is always on in the background during Christmas, I can’t imagine Christmas without reggae, pop, or R’n’B.

Äyanna: The one thing that was really important to me when I made these songs was to make sure they were as personal as possible. I wanted there to be some element of truth in every song, and I think I succeeded in that. The most personal one though, by far, was December 24. I think everyone can relate to not having someone to share the romantic side of christmas with, so it was fun to explore that. I think a sad christmas ballad is quite unique too.

Äyanna: The tempo, the conversation, and the production all convey festivity to me. I love that the song starts with Christmas bells, and the overall theme feels so happy and joyful. It is romantic but still wholesome which makes it a fun listen for everyone. I love performing “Christmas All Year” because the energy is just so contagious, you can literally see people getting so uplifted by it. I pray that the song gets bigger and bigger every year.

Äyanna: All three of the songs bring something completely different which I love. “Jingle Belle Shop” has a Y2K feel, it is confident and playful. It’s just an undeniable banger. “Christmas All Year” is basically the polar opposite! It’s wholesome, cute, uplifting and just feels good to sing and listen to. “December 24” is a ballad that hits you in the heart. I like to think it makes you stop and think about how nice it is to have someone to love at Christmas time. What the songs all have in common is vocals. Anyone who can appreciate good music with vocals that they can sing along to, will love all of the songs on the project.

:: Blessing Offor ::

“Snow Globe”

Blessing Offor: I love the holidays! I’ve gotten to spend the holidays on two different countries, in very different parts of the world, and in very different parts of America. The commonality between them all is family, music, and food. I only really have control over one of those things so Christmas music is some of my favorite to listen to and some of my favorite to write. There’s a genius in all of those songs. They sound so simple, but if you know music at all, you know how brilliant and sophisticated they all are.

Blessing Offor: Music doesn’t just impact my holiday experience, it is my holiday experience. It makes Christmas Christmas. When you hear the melody to “The Christmas Song,” “Silent Night,” or “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas,” your entire mood changes. Your heart goes somewhere else, your mind starts walking down memory lane immediately. It’s the soundtrack of the most wonderful time of the year.

Blessing Offor: I love when people make something that has already existed into an original. I’m careful with covers because you don’t want to repeat what’s already there. At the same time, you don’t want to make something that’s so alien it has no relation to the original. So it’s a delicate balance. My goal was to make it recognizable, but give it some of my DNA. I think we did that well with “Wonderful Christmas Time.”

With “Snow Globe” the trick was to write a melody that sounded familiar, yet said something different. The best Christmas songs take one little detail about the winter, Christmas, or the season, and spin a story out of it. In this case, it’s a snow globe, which is such an innocent thing to play with and have in your hand and not really think twice about. If you picture the world that’s in that snow globe, that’s what I wanted the song to sound like.

Blessing Offor: “Snow Globe” feels to me like walking in the snow and feeling that little bit of slip under your feet. Yes, you’re about to fall, but also you smile a little bit because it’s the winter time. Hopefully if you’re lucky there’s someone next to you that you love and you grab their arm and they keep you from falling. It’s all of that wrapped up in about three minutes and 15 seconds.

Blessing Offor: “Snow Globe” brings fun, groove, and nostalgia to the table. I tried really hard to make it something any listener can find a reason to enjoy and hit repeat on. The bar is high and I love each and every one of those songs we all know by heart. All I ever wanted was to make a song that could stand next to those guys.

:: Haley Joelle ::

“Just For Christmas”

Haley Joelle: The holiday season is one of my, if not my #1, favorite times of the year. For me, it means traveling home to Oregon and spending a couple of weeks hanging with my family and friends, resting, and reflecting on the past year. A few of my all-time favorite Christmas songs include Last Christmas, Silent Night, and Fa La La (yes, by Justin Bieber and Boyz II Men), but as of recent years has also gone on to include Glittery by Kacey Musgraves and Troye Sivan, Cindy Lou Who by Sabrina Carpenter, and Santa Doesn’t Know You Like I Do by Sabrina as well.

Haley Joelle: Music always makes my holiday experience 10x more cozy and nostalgic of previous holiday seasons. Holiday music is one of my favorite genres because it has such a classic sound, and I love to make classic sounding music myself, that feels timeless.

Haley Joelle: The past three years of my life, I’ve released an insane amount of music, but year after year I always had big projects being released in November, so it hadn’t made sense to ever put out a true holiday song of my own. Until this year! I did release a big project still, but it came out in early September, so I wanted to make it a point to release a holiday song I really loved. Back in May of this year, I had a couple days working at the Coke x Spotify Studios in LA with my friends Michael and Lily, and one of those days we came up with the “Just For Christmas” concept, and wrote it then and there!

Haley Joelle: Sonically, I love this song, because it’s holiday-sounding enough, while also staying true to my sound, and the sound I’m transitioning into next – which is something we set out to do. I also wanted to use this opportunity to write a love song, instead of my usual heartbreak tales, because my fans have been asking for a love song for years. I personally think the holiday spirit is all about love, especially the love I have for my fans and the love I’ve received from them.

Haley Joelle: I think “Just For Christmas” is the perfect mix of playful and sensitive, sonically and lyrically. I also love the concept we came up with – during our writing session, my friend Lily mentioned an old British ad she’d seen growing up, about a kid wanting a dog for Christmas, and their parents saying to them that a dog is not ‘just for Christmas’ but rather a much longer commitment than that. I immediately knew we had to turn this concept into a love song, so that’s what we did. It’s a holiday concept I’d never heard before, so for that reason, I was so excited to put it out and let it live in the holiday music mix this year (and every year from here on out)!

:: Colony House ::

Every Christmas EP

Colony House: The Holidays have always been a highly anticipated and celebrated season in my family. I grew up in a Christian home so we were always going to and/or taking part in Christmas programs. We certainly never missed going to the mall to see Santa, and were constantly playing Christmas music around the house. Some of my favorite tunes would have to be: The entire Vince Guaraldi Trio (A Charlie Brown Christmas) Album.

“Christmas Is All in The Heart” by Steven Curtis Chapman (aka Pops)

Sufjan’s Christmas album is a favorite as well!

Colony House: It’s hard to imagine the holidays without it. We are traditionally a no Christmas music before Thanksgiving family. I think a big part of that is to preserve how special it is and to allow it to fill the space it was meant to inhabit, that stark season where the sun goes down too early and the skies feel gray and dreary. Music is like a winter fire. It lights up a room and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy no matter what’s happening outside.

Colony House: We’ve been kicking around the idea for the last 5 or 6 years. It has always been something we’ve wanted to do. We just always remembered that we wanted to record some music once Christmas rolled around… which meant we were always too late. This year specifically was more of an off year for the band so we buckled down and finally put three original songs together. The beautiful thing to us about Christmas music is, unlike every other song we are usually trying to write and record, we weren’t necessarily trying to break the mold with these, we just wanted to serve the season and have them feel like they could be listened too along side any other classic or familiar holiday favorite.

Colony House: For only being three songs we think the EP casts a wide net of holiday Spirit. We wanted the song “Merry Christmas” to feel like we were waving to you from the Colony House porch wishing you all the best to you and yours this holiday season. The song “Y.O.U.” is this bubbly love song that feels like it plays ball in The Beach Boys space. It’s fun and playful and calls out some classic Christmas tropes. And then “Every Christmas” captures the overall picture and feeling we wanted to share. While writing it, We imagined all our friends and family in a pub singing together. This season is such a beautiful time of year but can also be really difficult as we remember the ones that are no longer here with us to Celebrate it. I think it was important for us to honor that sentiment with “Every Christmas.”

Colony House: I think these songs feel like a smile and a warm hug on a cold, dark and dreary day! I also think they feel like they’ve been around for a long time which hopefully means that they just might actually stick around for a long time.

:: FIFTY FIFTY ::

Winter Glow EP

FIFTY FIFTY (Chanelle): The holidays are some of the best memories of my life. The time I spent with family, the bonding, the way during this time everyone gets into the Christmas spirit and countless deeds of kindness are shared. Its my favorite time of the year. My favorite holiday song is hard to choose, and changes everyday, but I will say Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

FIFTY FIFTY (Athena): People associate memories and things with music. During Christmas I always listened to Christmas music, that cheerful, festive or emotional heartwarming music. So i think it makes Christmas even more magical!

FIFTY FIFTY: We wanted to give our fans, Tweny, a Christmas gift that they can cherish to show how much we love and appreciate them. Christmas songs are not an easy thing to do but we focused on what we would love to hear on Christmas and how to fully express the Christmas spirit through our songs!

FIFTY FIFTY (Kenna): Winter Glow consists of two Christmas songs, ‘Naughty or Nice’ and ‘When You Say My Name’! Both songs capture the different sides of Christmas! ‘Naughty or Nice’ conveys the playful and exciting sort of fluttering feelings of Christmas. People can listen to when they want to dance through the holidays, through a little joyful cheer into their day. ‘When You Say My Name’ expresses the touching and heartwarming feelings that come with the Christmas spirit. The warmth you get when you spend time with family and friends during the Christmas holidays I think is perfectly captured in the song. It’s the warm cup of Hot Cocoa on a snowy day.

FIFTY FIFTY (Hana & Yewon): Our songs are a gift to our fans. Christmas is a time if joy, love, and happiness that you spend with the ones you love. Its our first time spending the Holidays as a group and with our lovely Tweny! So our songs are filled with that love, excitement, and sincere emotions. When you listen to the songs you can hear those emotions, so I think that accentuates the Christmas feeling even more.

:: Jay Putty ::

“Christmastime Again”

Jay Putty: I’m a “holidays from here on out” kind of person, once about mid-September hits and I start decorating for Halloween. So of course the moment it turns Nov 1st, I’ve defrosted Michael Bublé and decked the halls. I have a deep love for the holidays because my parents loved it so much.

A personal favorite is Bing Crosby’s Christmas record or Michael Bublé’s. No specific song because it’s just that timeless sense of holiday joy that seems to have permeated decades. It’s like a warm cup of cocoa. That and thanks to my producer and friend Kevin Gates for introducing me to the amazing “12 Days of Christmas” by Straight No Chaser. Just listen. It’s not what you think it is.

Jay Putty: I think just like certain smells during the holiday season, music can really transport you back in time. Michael W Smith’s “O Come O Come Emmanuel” reminds of being a small child getting ready to go to Christmas Eve mass with my family and my mom trying to wrangle 3 boys into a car, sitting with my grandparents & my parents…and just knowing afterwards we will go back to the house to eat my moms spicy bites. Simple times that are wrapped in the memory of the people I don’t get to spend those holidays with anymore.

Jay Putty: I would say it was right after Christmas last year. I was sitting in my studio with my friends Chase Bader and Conor Kelly and we had all just celebrated the holidays with our families. I was kind of riding that holiday high and said “why don’t we capture what it means to just love the holidays like this?” Honestly it came out so easily. I started producing the track and by the time I had something started, Chase & Conor were playing mad libs with the lyrics figuring out which was best. There’s about 4 or 5 different verses that didn’t make the song because we were just throwing out things we love about Christmas. I think what really made it my own, or really our own, because of how close I worked with Conor & Chase on it, was that it was our way of just capturing that Christmas nostalgia we all came to know from our families.

Jay Putty: What really makes it for me personally, is that it feels like going home for the holidays. I haven’t lived in my hometown for almost 10 years, and sometimes it’s hard, the older you get the longer you stay away, for it to feel like coming home. And when we finished making this song, it felt like coming home.

Jay Putty: If Mariah and Bublé are the gold standard, te turkey or roast ham to the dinner table… I hope to bring a fun, fresh take on a gold standard side. Like Garlic parm mashed potatoes or cajun mac and cheese.

I hope it brings that happy energy that you get from watching a cheesy Hallmark movie. You know the one that you know: the strong independent woman from the city is going to fall in love with the gruff, single dad with salt & pepper shadow and a daughter that is named after his dead wife.

A sort of familiarity that is welcomed that makes you feel warm and cozy.

:: Isabela Merced ::

“Cuffing Season”

Isabela Merced: I think the holidays are a funny time because you hear everyone talking about how fast the year flew by. I enjoy the holidays because it’s the one time of year where my schedule is a bit more manageable. But with slowing down comes boredom, and with boredom comes a bit of loneliness… Some of my favorite holiday songs are “Someday at Christmas” – Stevie Wonder, “This Christmas” – Donny Hathaway, and “Christmas Kids – Roar.

Isabela Merced: I just blast Christmas songs all day. It puts me in a good mood. Because there’s something so camp about Christmas. Everyone being happy or pretending to be happy.

Isabela Merced: I was noticing a pattern of myself getting into lil flings during the holidays and I decided to be self-aware about it. I was also inspired by Amy Winehouse’s lyricism in “Love is Blind” and how she managed to make something like cheating sound romantic.

Isabela Merced: The beat isn’t overtly Christmas-y but it is merry and the lyrics really bring it to that sweet spot with some R&B influences.

Isabela Merced: It’s not on the nose. Inclusion and modern love because cuffing season is a relatively new term and I think many people around my age could apply it.

:: Jay Park ::

;( Merry Christmas 🙂

Jay Park: Holidays, for me, are about surrounding yourself with the people who really matter. It’s a time to reflect on the wins, the lessons, and even the tough moments, while celebrating the journey you’ve been on. At the same time, it’s about resetting and looking ahead—getting excited for what’s to come.

My favorite holiday songs? I’m a sucker for the classics. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” – Mariah Carey and
“This Christmas” – Chris Brown.

Jay Park: Music is the holidays—it sets the vibe. Whether it’s those old-school carols playing in the background or something more recent and fresh, it makes the season feel like more than just another week. It’s the soundtrack to whatever energy you’re on — partying, spending time with family, or just recharging after a long year.

Jay Park: To be real, I wasn’t planning on dropping a holiday track. There are already so many classics, and I didn’t feel like the world needed another one. But then I thought, why not flip it and do something that feels like me? We kept it simple and fun — threw it together in less than a week with the team. I wanted it to feel personal, so I even sketched out the cover art myself. It’s like my version of a holiday card for the fans, something they can vibe with during the season.

Jay Park: The holidays aren’t just sparkles and celebration, you know? ;( Merry Christmas 🙂 captures both sides — the high-energy, feel-good vibes of being with people you love, and the quieter, sometimes lonelier moments that a lot of people go through during the season.

The ‘Merry Merry Christmas :)’ track is like, “Let’s celebrate, let’s have fun together,” and then ‘Lonely Christmas ;(’ is more introspective. It’s the duality of the holidays, because not everyone’s story is the same.

:: Grace Davies ::

“The 25th”

Grace Davies: I love Christmas. I love the warm fuzzy feeling it brings and the cold weather. I’m a big advocate of fairy lights all year round – so you can only imagine my excitement come December. My favourite Christmas song is “Last Christmas” by Wham! – a basic choice I’m sure many would suggest, but it’s genuine pop perfection. I’d play it all year round if I wasn’t superstitious, but I also love that there’s a whole load of songs we only wheel out once a year and then rinse for the entire month. Makes it all the more special.

Grace Davies: Before I fully became an artist, I used to be a singer at weddings and restaurants and bars – and some of my favourite gigs would be when I would do Christmas Eve or the run up to and get to sing Michael Buble’s entire Christmas album. I started out in jazz / swing when I was younger – so I love that style of music and so many classic Christmas songs are just that. Christmas feels like the perfect excuse as an artist to bring that side of my voice / that love I have for jazz out and not be considered “confusing genres”. Plus imagine how many Dyson vacuums you could buy if you have a Christmas hit… That’s the real dream here.

Grace Davies: “The 25th” represents so many long-distance relationships – people who only get to see each other once a year at Christmas – and though it’s hard for 364 days of the year, that one day of being together on 25th December can make it all worth it. It’s a proper Christmas love song, whereas “It Ain’t Christmas” represents the loss of a loved one and how it can impact your holiday season, missing the person you love & have spent so many Christmases with. The holidays just aren’t the same without them – it’s a reality for so many families.

Grace Davies: We’re always told that Christmas is a time full of joy and family – and that’s not the reality for so many people. I’d like to think “It Ain’t Christmas” makes those who fear the festive period due to the loss of loved ones feel seen & heard & represented – when so many Christmas songs purely focus on the “spreading joy and sharing love” aspect.

:: Steven Taetz ::

My Christmas Wish

Steven Taetz: Ever since I was a kid, Christmas has been my favourite time of year. I’ve always loved the magical, hypercolour world of the season. My early fascination with Christmas music grew out of family singalongs to the classics from Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Dolly Parton and more. The wonderful blend of early rock, jazz, Motown, and country-roots made for a beautiful mix of holiday music that we, as kids, would harmonize with from the back of our rundown station wagon. These early Christmas memories are channeled on the album’s title track, which calls back to the 1950s sound of “Mr. Sandman,” the classic by The Chordettes. “My Christmas Wish” captures all the bright optimism of the holiday season, celebrating the most important element of Christmas—and life—especially during this time: LOVE.

We included two new arrangements of my favourite Christmas songs, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Blue Christmas,” on this album. For the country-tinged classic “Blue Christmas” we aimed to evoke the sound of Roy Orbison and Linda Ronstadt, complemented by some Latin guitar. On “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” we tapped into Motown sounds with the honeyed voices of Jenn Grant, Kim Harris, and Lakita Wiggins doing their best version of The Supremes’ background vocals. We wanted this song to bring a smile to people’s faces, so we embraced the kitsch with sleigh bells and strings, while keeping it warm and inviting through the harmonies on this timeless tune.

Steven Taetz: I am one of those people who goes all-in on Christmas music, playing it as much as possible, and watching classic holiday movies (Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s A Wonderful Life, etc.). The music of the holidays instantly brings all of the warm, optimistic feelings of childhood, and we wanted this album to introduce some new sounds to the season, continuing to inspire and brighten the lives of listeners.

Steven Taetz: When I came up with the idea for the song “Magic for Me,” I wanted to tell the story of an adult who still understands the mysteries of Christmas lore—like Santa coming down the chimney or reindeer flying – but still wants to believe and have magic remain relevant and special at any age.

For the single “Snow Angels” – I was inspired by classic vintage rootsy rock vocals in the vein of Roy Orbison – golden era Nashville. The song speaks about the playful childhood game of making snow angels, and trying to freeze the moment in time with lyrics like “Snow angels – beneath a starry sky; I close my eyes and try, to freeze this moment… in my mind. Two dreamers; lost in this childhood game, that we as grown-ups play. I wish that we would always stay, as Snow Angels.”

Steven Taetz: The big Motown-inspired production is filled with energy and sparkle, exuding the optimism and wonder of Christmas. I love the layers of vocal harmonies we created, which sound like a large chorus of voices that really makes you want to sing along, like a group of carolers or a church choir. It brings back memories of my childhood, singing carols with family and friends. The lyrics sum it up best: “I don’t know how it’s still it mystery, but it will always be, Magic for Me.“

The energy and colours of the song “My Christmas Wish” are tied to my happy childhood memories of driving in a station wagon with family, looking at Christmas lights in the posh neighborhoods, and singing Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald standards together. The tune reflects that jazz-pop, 1950s Christmas vibe. There’s something about vintage jazz and early rock that captures the essence of classic Christmas music, and I truly feel we’ve created songs that would stand alongside any holiday favourites.

Steven Taetz: What sets “Snow Angels” apart from other carols is that this song, along with “Blue Christmas” and another original “I Miss the Mistletoe,” carries a bittersweet sentiment of holding on to what has passed, calling to mind what is ephemeral, frozen like a scene in a snow globe. I also lost my father during one Christmas holiday, so it brings to mind a longing to hold on to more innocent and happy times. “Snow Angels” can also be grouped with the original tune “Lovers in the Snow,” both of which paint a wintry tableau with a lover, capturing the feeling of Canadiana Christmas, and both tying into a rootsy 1950s rock vibe reminiscent of Roy Orbison or Patsy Cline.

“My Christmas Wish” is a more jazz-centric title track. Of course, we had to throw in some sleigh bells to give it a festive feel, but also added some nice chromatic chords to make the chord progression unique and interesting.

“Magic For Me” has a unique perspective of an adult wanting to hold on to that childhood feeling of magic and mystery, and continuing to hope and dream at any age. And being my first Christmas album, the song also brings my own take on this new material, and I hope it will be sung by listeners and other artists who record it, and live on beyond me for many Christmases to come.

:: Hachiku ::

“Merry Kissmas”

Anika Ostendorf: I’ve always loved Christmas as a child and I think I still carry that youthful enthusiasm into my adult years. Since moving to Australia I’ve only spent a handful of Christmases back in Germany so I always really cherish the family time and have many fond memories of German Christmas markets. As of the last 8 years I feel like my Christmas memories have been focussed around the annual Milk! Records XMAS shows at Northcote Social Club and they’ve taken on a world of their own.

Tushara Rose: Christmas is my favourite time of year. The holiday season can be pretty bleak weather-wise, and a camp celebration with lights, cheesy music, feasting and family is the best way to overcome the winter blues. The whole occasion is wonderfully queer, what’s not to love!

Anika: Christmas in Australia has never quite felt the same in 30 degree heat but it’s funny how the second you put on a Christmas song from your childhood the music turns into this nostalgic time machine that immediately makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside like a 10 year old. I think the music might have been my favourite aspect of it – I’d start playing Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas album on repeat from whenever was appropriate in the year, usually late November. And when I say on repeat, that’s five times a day from November throughout December. There was a time when maybe Christmas music was my favourite genre in the world. These days I sort of exclusively listen to an album my father would have introduced called “The Best Christmas Album in the world…ever!” from his 2006 256GB iPod that makes a funny wizzing noise when the hard drive turns on. Some of my favourites are Santa Baby, Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.

Anika: My friend Tushy and I first met 10 years ago as exchange students at Melbourne Uni. Since then, we’ve been writing fun little songs together mostly to enter songwriting competitions and try our luck at winning prize money (Harmony & Symphony successfully doing so in Sydney Road Brunswick’s 2020 Lockdown Song Comp). In 2015, I visited Tushara in Nottingham, and during one long evening in her student accomodation, we put verses and instruments to an XMAS jingle her mum, Shyama Perera, had created during Tushara’s childhood. The song, Merry Kissmas, became a recurring holiday favourite among our friends and family. Now, eight years later, we’ve finally decided to give it the official release it deserves—complete with a music video!

For the video we dressed up as gay Summer Santas and recreated iconic romantic movie scenes in a queer fashion. We spent the day filming at Northland and the Coburg Aquarium Shop bringing the song to life with a sparkle of humor and holiday.

Tushara: As Anika has said – honestly, it was my mother! She used to rave about the royalties Cliff Richard would reap annually and wanted to leverage the songwriting skills I exhibited as a child for profit. It may not make us millions, but turning her joyful tune into a full song brought us great merriment, which is the aim of the season, after alll.

Anika: It turns all my favourite parts of Christmas a little bit gay – makes it even better!!

Tushara: It’s flirty, fun and festive, with silly lyrics and a playful spirit. It’s a song for the whole family, speaking of love and celebration, with a reminder that the greatest gift one can have is good company.

Anika: Sexy-ness.

Tushara: It contributes to the long-standing tradition of songs about love at Christmas. At a time when it feels increasingly difficult to celebrate, we wanted to create something genuinely light and joyful.

:: David Kushner ::

“Empty Bench”

David Kushner: The holidays are bittersweet for me. They’re about warmth and connection, but they also come with a lot of grief and longing for those who aren’t here anymore. It’s a time to reflect, but that reflection can bring tears as much as smiles. As for songs, I love ones that balance that melancholy and joy, like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” This song captures the kind of complexity that feels real to me.

David Kushner: Music shapes everything about the holidays for me. It’s like a soundtrack to all the emotions that come up, whether that’s nostalgia, gratitude, or sadness. I’ve always turned to music as a way to process my feelings and tell stories that words alone can’t capture. During the holidays, music becomes even more powerful – it’s communal, but also deeply personal.

David Kushner: “Empty Bench” came from a deeply personal place. I wanted to write something that wasn’t just about the glossy side of the holidays but also the quieter, harder moments. It’s about missing someone and holding onto their memory in the spaces they used to fill. For me, this bench in the song represents a spot where memories meet hope—where you’re reminded of loss but also of love that endures. The recording process was intimate; I kept the arrangement simple to let the lyrics and emotion shine.

David Kushner: To me, the holiday spirit isn’t just joy and celebration; it’s also about vulnerability and reflection. “Empty Bench” is a song about presence and absence, love and loss—things that are heightened during the holidays. It’s not a typical holiday song, but I think it fits the season because the holidays are about human connection, and sometimes, the pain of missing that connection.

David Kushner: I think “Empty Bench” offers a perspective that’s often overlooked – the raw honesty of grief during a time that’s meant to be joyful. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to feel everything during the holidays, not just the good stuff. I wanted to create something for those who might feel out of place in all the festivity, something that says, “I see you.” It’s a song for reflection, for sitting in your feelings, and maybe even finding some peace in them.

:: Stella Cole ::

Snow!

Stella Cole: The holiday season is truly my favorite time of year! Especially with such a busy tour schedule this year, I’ve really been looking forward to some time to relax with my family and my dog in northern Michigan. It’s always so snowy and quiet! I can’t wait to listen to all my favorite holiday albums by Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Ella & Louis, Doris Day, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

Stella Cole: Music is such a huge part of my holiday experience! As soon as November hits, I’m already walking around with my AirPods blasting Sinatra Christmas. Even if it’s not even cold enough to wear a coat I’m already in the spirit by Thanksgiving. My family is also really into Christmas movies, we have SO many that are on our must watch every year. A lot of those movies are musicals like White Christmas, Meet Me in St Louis and Sound of Music.

Stella Cole: I’ve always dreamt of making a Christmas album, and this was the year where the timing was finally right! It was such a dream to record it the old fashioned way, live in the studio with a 15 piece string orchestra. No computerized strings, just didn’t feel right for a vintage holiday christmas album. I think we were really successful in achieving the old Hollywood sound, and I’m thrilled with the record.

Stella Cole: I think a big goal of putting out any music is to bring people joy and comfort, but that’s especially true of Christmas songs. I have heard from a lot of my listeners that this holiday season has been a difficult one, and I’m so happy my music has been a light for them through that. That’s what it’s all about for me.

Stella Cole: I think my songs sound like the Christmas music you grew up listening to, which is something different in the pop music landscape. Live instrumentation, beautiful old school arrangements by GRAMMY winning arranger Alan Broadbent. I think the nostalgia of it sets it apart.

:: Eddie Wakes ::

“It’s Christmas Time”

Eddie Wakes: For my family back in the Midwest, the holiday season was always alive with vivid colors of Autumn leaves, a cold wintry crisp in the air and those familiar family recipes, deliciously prepared and spread on a huge table for family and friends, from near and far, around Thanksgiving and Christmas time! One song captures that feeling for me, “Oh, There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays” (by Al Stillman and Robert Allen). And there will always be a special place in my heart for Nat Cole’s “The Christmas Song.”

Eddie Wakes: It’s so true that music is the soundtrack of our lives, and that’s really amplified around the holidays! At my Church, the song selections center around the Christmas story and theme, then while I’m cooking some of the old traditional recipes from Mom, I’ll always have the Christmas soundtrack playing to set the vibe and Christmas spirit!

Eddie Wakes: Ralph Carmichael, my dear friend and mentor in heaven, really motivated me to record and perform. We met during the filming of the Netflix/BBC documentary “Nat King Cole afraid of the dark” and shared many amazing and sometime funny stories about his friendship and work as musical arranger for Nat (“Nat Cole sings, George Shearing Plays”, “A Nat King Cole Christmas”, “Nat King Cole En Espanol” – Capital records). He even helped me coordinate the orchestra and arrangements for the Village studio sessions in LA. I think he would be smiling right now to see me finally release “it’s Christmas time”!

Eddie Wakes: That song may as well be an excerpt from my diary since it combines years of personal memories from family holiday traditions! I once heard Producer David Foster say in an interview that it’s just not possible to compose a song like the ones from the classical Standards era, 1940’s – 1060’s. I guess I wanted to prove him wrong lol Seriously, “It’s Christmas Time (That’s Why)” is my tribute to the American Holiday and Family traditions I was so blessed to experience growing up!

Eddie Wakes: Authenticity. Originality and ultimately what’s expressed in that tune is the signature of my soul. As the Flatiron team and I baptize it and send it forth, here’s hoping that it evokes the same holiday spirit for many others!

:: CARR ::

CARR’s White Christmas

CARR: I love the holiday season. Anyone that doesn’t is miserable. It’s fun and there’s a lot of friends and family and gifts and alcohol and food what’s not to like?! My favorite holiday song is probably Christmas wrapping by the waitresses. That song and video are both so good.

CARR: It definitely adds to the vibes, but usually I get sick of all the old Christmas music because they replay a lot of the same songs you hear, which is a vibe, but I do like to hear new originals every year – I think it’s very fun!

CARR: We were actually in New York over the summer to re-record a bunch of demos, and I was sick so we couldn’t do that – we were bored and were like, should we try and write a Christmas song? So we did, and we loved it so much and had the most fun, so we were like, f* it let’s make a whole EP! We did the whole thing in like 2 or 3 days.

CARR: I don’t really know, it just feels Christmassy to me with the production and lyrics… It was fun incorporating all the cute Christmas words that I never get to use in my normal songwriting. Plus the bells and jingle jangles really set the vibe for us – we were like, we need A LOT of Christmas bells!

CARR: Because they’re unique and cool and iconic and hot and fun, and something different to offer people for a perfect Christmas.

:: Mayer Hawthorne ::

“Merry Christmas Party!”

Mayer Hawthorne: I’m Jewish so I never really celebrated Christmas until I met my wife. Chanukah is really only for young children, and the music is terrible – but there are some really great Christmas songs. Anything by Vince Gueraldi and of course Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” I’m obsessed with Chuck Berry so “Run Run Rudolph” is in the mix too.

Mayer Hawthorne: I used to get kind of annoyed when the Christmas music would start up in November but ever since I started recording my own Christmas songs I feel differently about it. I’m always studying them.

Mayer Hawthorne: After I discovered that a lot of the Christmas classics were written by Jews, I felt like it was ok to go for it. I had this idea rattling around in my head for years and I finally called up my friend Nick Waterhouse and said let’s do this thing. I wanted to make something that could get played with “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and give you that same warm, nostalgic feeling. And let’s be real, we’re all hoping to make a little money to pay for these holiday gifts.

Mayer Hawthorne: I tried to really paint the picture with all the vivid detail of a classic holiday film. It definitely has that vintage nostalgic feel that you get from the 50s & 60s Christmas jams. I even reference Bing Crosby in the lyrics in a weird meta way. Who doesn’t like a good holiday party?

Mayer Hawthorne: Christmas is all about the anticipation of it, so I felt like getting ready for a holiday party with all of your friends felt like a fun new twist that I haven’t heard. I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. The whole point for me was trying to capture something timeless. Something that people will want to listen to again every year. Have a very Mayery Christmas everyone.

:: Owen Rivera ::

“I Fall In Love With Christmas”

Owen Rivera: Oh it’s a great relationship. I am in love with the holiday season! My family has always made the holidays a very special time of year for me since I was a little kid. You know all the cliche’s…family, friends, holiday decorations, traditions and holiday music all coming together to make incredible memories. Even my first pup ever Sumo was born on December 19th during the holidays. I’ll never forget how excited I was driving up the mountains in the snow with my family listening to holiday music to pickup the little guy. So yes the holidays are my jam. I am especially in love with holiday music. Each song hits me with a different wonderful memory. My top 3 go to songs for the holidays though are “Merry Christmas Baby” the live performance by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band…what an incredible live sound and stage performance by the whole band incredible energy, “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole…just wow this might be my favorite vocal performance ever literally, and finally “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano…this song brings such wonderful memories singing with my Puerto Rican family and I got to do a cover of it too!

Owen Rivera: Simply it’s everything. There are no holidays for me without music. Being a musician I know I am biased but it’s true! Every memory every feeling is connected to and expressed in a holiday song. It’s a big reason why I fall in love with Christmas. See what I did there… hahaha!

Owen Rivera: The song was a collaborative effort with my amazing team at Curb Records. I just fell in love and connected with the lyrics of the song because it’s truly how I feel about the holidays. My vocal and guitar performances are how I put my own personal stamp on every song.

Owen Rivera: Memories. For me the holiday season is simply all about cherishing and celebrating old memories and of course creating new ones. “I Fall in Love With Christmas” tells the story of how powerful and wonderful memories are this time of year.

Owen Rivera: Something new…something fresh…something me…not just another cover but a song that tells yet another way of how people all around the world feel this time of year and why we all fall in love with Christmas. I hope you all enjoy it! Happy Holidays! Feliz Navidad!

:: Sydney Sherrill ::

“Nothing More Than A Merry Little Christmas”

Sydney Sherrill: I’ve always loved the holidays growing up because it was the only time my whole family is together. I don’t know why, but I think the season brings out the best in people and it has been a beautiful homecoming for me since moving to New York. My favorite Christmas songs are “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Hard Candy Christmas,” and “River” by Joni Mitchell (if you count it)

Sydney Sherrill: I think music really brings people together during the holidays. I think it’s so special that our culture has 100 year old songs that are passed down that everyone knows and gets to make their own every year. I think holiday music gets to be both classic and refreshed which is a quality all to itself.

Sydney Sherrill: Christmas songs are so classic and have just a big sweet spot for me. I remember loving to sing Christmas songs at my holiday recitals growing up as a little girl, so I wanted to revisit that joy for myself and put my own spin on it!

Sydney Sherrill: I grew up with such a tight knit friend group growing up and I think there’s something really bittersweet about coming home to a place and people that doesn’t still feel like home, if that makes sense. I wanted to write about how your relationships change with your home friends when you have finished growing up together. There’s always love and nostalgia and maybe a hint of regret that is saved for the people and place you grew up with.

Sydney Sherrill: I think a lot of holiday songs are purely joyful or sorrowful and I think mine reflects both sides of what it means to come home for the holidays. I think it captures my generation’s experience of coming home to the people that used to know you best and now maybe don’t know you at all.

:: Dawes ::

“Christmas Tree in the Window”

Dawes (Taylor Goldsmith): My relationship is changing quick. It has felt like going through the motions for the last few decades but now that I’ve got kids of my own the magic is alive again and I’m all in. My favorite tunes are typically the ones I haven’t heard one million times. Also something that has roots in a genre beyond Christmas music – This Christmas by Donny Hathaway, Christmas With The Family by Robert Earl Keen, Last Christmas by Wham! I do love Christmas music these days, but stuff like that gets me leaning in a little closer.

Dawes: It’s always on and it always feels nice. Especially when we’re out and about at a coffee spot or a store or something. Once all the playlists go holidays I can feel my nervous system starting to power down for the year in a good way. I’ll be honest though, when the holidays are over so is my appetite for holiday music. Hearing a Christmas song on January 1st always makes me feel like I’m being offered a beer amidst a serious hangover.

Dawes: I guess I was inspired to write this for the same reasons I write any song – which are hard to pinpoint. I typically am just grateful for any idea to arrive. This one happened to be about Christmas. Recording-wise, it kind of felt like an extension from our last record. Like it could’ve fit on there sonically (if it weren’t for the subject matter). And that was without really trying, so it made me feel like we’re really in a zone at the moment.

Dawes: I love walking around my neighborhood and seeing Christmas trees in windows and letting my imagination run with it – where did they buy it? Who decorated it? How many people are in this family? What’s under the tree? That sort of thing…I swear I’m not aggressively spying on anyone. It’s just a passing thought. So I guess trying to convey that experience to some degree was what I was going for.

Dawes: The holidays come with their own context that is unique to each human being. So just mentioning certain staples of the holidays in the right way can supercharge a song. For that reason it’s an attractive subject for a song.

:: Sofia Talvik ::

“AT Christmas”

Sofia Talvik: I have kind of a dual relationship with Christmas. I personally don’t care much for the holiday per se, and many times I’ve just skipped celebrating altogether and gone on a trip instead. However if I do celebrate, I want to do it right and all the way, so I’ll go the extra mile and make the whole Swedish smorgasbord with home pickled herring, baked ham and everything, big Christmas tree and Christmas decorations. This year I’ll be celebrating in Barcelona.

When it comes to Christmas music, I listen to a wide mix of Christmas songs, but I like the more folky tunes the best, Green Grows the Holly, with Calexico is a favorite of mine.

Sofia Talvik: I enjoy immersing into the Christmas playlists in December. Since I often also do a Christmas tour, playing mostly my own Christmas songs, it can sometimes be a bit overload though. It’s a nice thing for once a year I think.

Sofia Talvik: I’ve been writing original Christmas songs for over 15 years, making it a tradition to release a feee song as a gift to my fans every year. My songs are mostly on the darker side of Christmas to be sort of a counteract to all the cheesy happy go lucky traditional songs. In the beginning it was a way to experiment and just write something for fun. One year for example I wrote a Wham-inspired song called “Santa” with a full on 80’s production, but after a while I settled in more into my own regular folky style. In 2017 I released an album with the songs I had written up till then. I hope to be able to make a new one next year.

Sofia Talvik: My Christmas songs are rarely written to capture the season. I think most people agree that freezing to death on the Appalachian Trail doesn’t evoke the spirit of Christmas haha. But for me it’s a tradition to write a song every year, and I think my fans have gotten used to them being contrary to most of the other Christmas music you hear.

Sofia Talvik: A lot of artists in the modern era record Christmas albums of familiar songs and classics. There aren’t so many new songs that seep into our consciousness. That’s what we hope will happen with “Nobody Wants To Be Alone At Christmas.” I wanted it to feel timeless even though it (fictionally) dates back to the early 2000s. I tried to emulate that sense of nostalgia that we all gravitate towards over the holiday season, but I also wanted to be mindful that Christmas can be a really challenging time for many. I’m really pleased we’ve been able to partner with Centrepoint on it and I hope that it will contribute to the festive season for years to come.

:: Chloe Carmichael ::

“Nobody Wants To Be Alone At Christmas”

Chloe Carmichael is a fictional artist taken from the British crime drama television series The Chelsea Detective, created by Peter Fincham. “Nobody Wants To Be Alone At Christmas” is a sweet, nostalgic offering. It arrives to depict the essence of Christmas along with a gentle reminder that not everyone will have somewhere to go. With proceeds going to youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, the release provides an opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced by thousands of young people this Christmas. In a survey of homeless young people carried out this July, 1 in 4 young people said they never felt cared for during Christmas before coming to Centrepoint. 1 in 5 said they had never felt safe at Christmas until they found support from Centrepoint.

Chloe Carmichael (Peter Fincham): I grew up in the U.K. in the 1970s which was a great era for Christmas hits – Slade, Wizard, Elton John, John Lennon – all the top artists of the time tried to get to number 1 at Christmas.

Chloe Carmichael (Peter Fincham): | start listening to Christmas songs at the beginning of December each year. I love the fact that you forget them for the other 11 months of the year. There are so many I love. If you’re a parent Chris Rea’s Driving Home For Christmas will always get to you. Last Christmas by Wham is timeless. Lots of others – Mariah Carey, the Phil Spector Christmas album from the early 60s, Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmas Time, the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York.

Chloe Carmichael (Peter Fincham): I wrote “Nobody Wants To Be Alone at Christmas” for the Christmas episode of The Chelsea Detective, which is launching on Acorn on December 16. If you haven’t seen it, The Chelsea Detective is a crime series set in London’s Chelsea. The Christmas episode, “Everyone Loves Chloe,” is the beginning of our third season and the show has been sold to over 40 countries, so a lot of people will get to hear this song. You’ll have to watch the episode to see how it fits into the plot!

Chloe Carmichael (Peter Fincham): It’s a love song about two people who meet at a Christmas party, but it’s also a song about homelessness. ’Nobody wants to be alone at Christmas’ is a message we can all relate to. It’s happy and sad at the same time and leaves some interpretation up to the listener. Proceeds from the single will be donated to youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, which is a great cause. They support thousands of young people everyday and we’re really pleased to partner with them for this.

Chloe Carmichael (Peter Fincham): A lot of artists in the modern era record Christmas albums of familiar songs and classics. There aren’t so many new songs that seep into our consciousness. That’s what we hope will happen with Nobody Wants To Be Alone At Christmas. I wanted it to feel timeless even though it (fictionally) dates back to the early 2000s. I tried to emulate that sense of nostalgia that we all gravitate towards over the holiday season, but I also wanted to be mindful that Christmas can be a really challenging time for many. I’m really pleased we’ve been able to partner with Centrepoint on it and I hope that it will contribute to the festive season for years to come.

:: Jessica Rhaye ::

“Oh Let’s Go”

Jessica Rhaye: Late November, early December, I get an overwhelming urge to start crafting and present making! My Mom started a Christmas Craft Day tradition with me and my two sisters when we were just little girls. We would spend a whole day together making crafts and decorations for our Christmas tree. We painted salt dough and cinnamon ornaments, strung orange slices and popcorn garlands, made dogwood wreaths and stitched together lace doily angels. I always look forward to spending a day crafting with my Mom and sisters before the holidays, and now our daughters join in on the Christmas Craft Day tradition! For me, the holidays are all about spending time with family and close friends and enjoying each other’s company.

Jessica Rhaye: Gordon Lightfoot’s “Song for a Winter’s Night”, and Joni Mitchell’s “River”, are two of my favourite holiday songs.

Jessica Rhaye: I LOVE decorating my house for the holidays, and listening to and singing along with Christmas and holiday music (cranked up) while I decorate is a MUST!! It just doesn’t feel the same or turn out as well without music to get me in the spirit.

Jessica Rhaye: “Oh Let’s Go” is the first holiday song I’ve written and recorded, a co-write with Bill Preeper, my friend and bandmate. The holidays can be a busy time of year and the thought of going out into the cold to another party or dinner can sometimes be overwhelming. I enjoy the hustle and bustle, parties and concerts, but after December 26th, I like to hibernate for the rest of the holidays and winter with my husband and two kids.

Jessica Rhaye: “Oh Let’s Go” is a fun, upbeat, toe tapping duet about a couple who have a dinner reservation but would rather stay home by their cozy fire and watch a movie instead, a dilemma I’m sure most people face during the holidays.

:: Frog ::

“DID SANTA COME”

Frog: My relationship to the holidays is about having fun with my family. It’s amazing to be a father. Every day my children completely blow my mind. They love Christmas and halloween and whenever we can build up mythos about a day they’re excited for. We try to get them involved in planning holidays and decorating the lawn/house so they can really get into the vibe, and also it’s important to come up with any possible way to divert their attention from destroying my house/life/health/finances.

My favorite holiday songs are Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” The Kinks’ “Father Christmas,” and The Drifters’ version of “White Christmas.” Also King Vince Guaraldi :)))

Frog: Music impacts my whole life! I’m a musician, I’ve been obsessed and addicted to music since I was 3 years old. Our fam puts on Christmas music all the time!

Frog: My son asked, ‘Did Santa Come?’ every single morning for a month after christmas when he was 3. I thought it was so cute and it made me think about it from his and his sister’s perspective, what it was like for them to learn about it and what it means to them.

Frog: I tried to really be honest about what it means to a kid, to capture something about the ecstatic, intense vibe when you have Christmas with young children. I just tried to have fun with it!

Frog: Frog is always frog. We sound like us! At least I hope so.

:: WAR ::

“(Yes It’s) Christmas”

WAR (Lonnie Jordan): The Holidays are always a time that remind me of my childhood. I remember being home from school, playing outside with all my friends, and getting to spend time with my family. And hearing the holiday music each year is what really takes me back. My favorite holiday songs are Charles Brown “Merry Christmas, Baby” and Nat King Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song.”

WAR: The music around the holidays is really for the most part cheerful and happy and it’s amazing to be able to share that with people all over the world who know the same songs like I do. Every time I hear Nat King Cole, I know it’s Christmas time. And the music really brings people together, which you really can’t beat.

WAR: Throughout my career, I have been asked many times if and when I would do a Christmas song. The thing was I never really knew how to approach it. Do we stay traditional or do a song in our own way? And I knew whatever we did, it should be meaningful. Finally Jerry Goldstein, our producer, had the idea of taking one of our own songs and adapting it for the holidays. His idea was to take “Summer” and put a Christmas twist on it. “Summer” ended up being the perfect song because it’s happy and the melody lends itself well to a song for the holidays.

WAR: If you listen to the lyrics, it really paints a picture of the season. The imagery in the lyrics are pretty vivid talking about children meeting Santa at the Mall, the holiday music on the radio, etc… All imagery that is special to this time of year.

WAR: This song is really a holiday song, but done in our own way. The WAR way. Our music was always really about what was going on around us. This one is no different from that, but happens to be centered around a joyous and cheerful time of year. I hope it brings our fans the same joy that the Christmas classics bring, but we did it in a way that allowed us to stay true to WAR.

:: Maude Audet ::

“C’est Noël quand tu es là”

Maude Audet: Leaving things on hold while enjoying the holidays, family and friends parties, nature and snow makes me very happy. It’s a time of year that I really like. Some of my favorite holiday songs are Elvis’ “Blue Christmas,” “Joyeux Noël” by Ginette Reno, “Les sentiers de neige” by Les Classels, and old classics like songs of Bing Crosby, Andy Williams etc…

Maude Audet: The music puts me in the mood and also brings back a lot of childhood and winter memories.

Maude Audet: The orchestration and traditional touch of Christmas music inspires me a lot. It may seem simple, but to make it personal, the lyrics have to be sincere and the melody must be unique and familiar at the same time.

Maude Audet: Like what I was saying in the previous answer 😉

Maude Audet: There are millions of songs on every subject. But everything is constantly evolving, and I think it is still possible to be creative, to share our stories and to succeed in reaching people.

:: The Ratchets ::

“Holy Mother of God”

The Ratchets (Jed Engine): I’m born and raised on the East Coast in New Jersey so weather and seasons have a cadence. When the days get shorter and the nights are longer the holiday music starts to creep in here and there so the holiday season feels organic. Maybe you’re waiting on line at the pharmacy or getting gas and you hear the bells start to jingle.

My favorite holiday songs are probably non-traditional ones like, “Birthday” by The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Xmas in February” by Lou Reed, “No Christmas In Kentucky” by Phil Ochs, and “Stop The Cavalry” by Jona Lewis.

The Ratchets: Well some of the classic holiday songs are such earworms — I’ve had “Little Drummer Boy” in my head since I was a kid. So every year I do like bringing holiday songs we’ve all heard a thousand times back out, but maybe that’s because you know they are going back into their box after new years. There are a few exceptions like 2000 Miles by The Pretenders, I could listen to that song any time of year.

The Ratchets: We started a digital only singles campaign this year via our label Pirates Press Records and have been releasing a new song every month or so. It’s not just changing up how we’re releasing music but also has impacted how we’re recording too. Everything feels more immediate which I love and we were looking at the last December song slot for 2024 and just thought let’s do a holiday song. We made sure “Holy Mother of God” hit the same themes we normally tackle so I think staying true to our previous output in The Ratchets makes it feel authentic to us.

The Ratchets: To me the holiday season is really a time when we’re all looking for connection and community and it’s also a time for reflection. And “Holy Mother of God” is exploring this connection and what it means to try and look past strong emotions like anger and fear to find common ground. The lyrics are somewhat ambiguous so the issue at hand could familial or it could be geo-political but that idea of finding commonality — to me it’s universal and something I think we strive for a bit more openly around the holidays. A kind of peace on earth and goodwill towards men moment in the bridge line, “It can’t just be the will of the world / to grind the kindness into dust.” I’m trying to find that seasonal hope but also leaning in towards the darkness of the world at the same time.

The Ratchets: Going off of my commentary above I think our song is a realist attempt at a holiday song. We’re not breaking out a hallmark tune because it’s December, and we don’t want people to lose themselves in holiday spirit, but we want change and progression where the holiday spirit and kindness could be a full-time thing that goes throughout the year. And I’ve mentioned goodwill and hope already but the other emotions that get a lot of play around the holidays are the ones that get name checked in “Holy Mother of God” like hurt, fear, anger, and deceit. So just because it’s the holidays let’s not forget that there’s a lot of anger and deceit in the world and our anger is a commodity with a real market value, it’s more valuable than world peace. We made this world and these relationships so how do we work through it? It should be reparation and restitution, but since we’re a rock & roll band we wrote it into a holiday song!

:: Ava Della Pietra ::

“Reindeer Rebellion”

Ava Della Pietra: I love the holiday season because my whole family always gets together and spends the entire day hanging out, playing games, and eating really good food. One of our traditions is making a bûche de Noël, which is this delicious chocolate log cake. It’s something I look forward to every year. As for holiday songs, I really enjoy all the Christmas classics, but “White Christmas” has always been a favorite.

Ava Della Pietra: Music is a huge part of my holiday experience! I always play holiday songs when I’m decorating the Christmas tree. The classics make me feel sentimental and nostalgic, but I also love how people continue to reimagine holiday songs in fresh, creative ways. The holidays mean something unique to everyone, but at their core, they’re all about love, joy, and togetherness, and music reflects that perfectly!

Ava Della Pietra: The first song I ever released was a Christmas song back in 2019, and it got such a positive response. It was also just really fun to record, so I thought, “Why not give it another shot?” This time, though, I wanted to create a holiday song that fits more into my current style. Instead of going for a classic sound, I wanted something modern with a bit of an alter-ego bad-girl vibe! I also didn’t want to write a love-themed Christmas song. Instead, I wanted to comment on Christmas as a whole and how important it is to keep the holiday spirit alive, even as we grow up.

Ava Della Pietra: “Reindeer Rebellion” is about nine baddie reindeer banding together to stand up against those who’ve lost their holiday spirit. The song weaves in fun references to classic Christmas characters like Scrooge, the Grinch, Santa, and, of course, the iconic reindeer!

Ava Della Pietra: I think the edgy twist is what sets it apart. The song starts with a kind of typical Christmas pop vibe, but the chorus—especially the rap/spoken section—has this modern, rebellious energy. The subject is also unique; instead of focusing on love or being with someone special, it’s about standing up against negativity and bringing back the holiday spirit in a bold and playful way!

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📸 © Annie Spratt [CC]
art © Markus Spiske [CC]

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