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 almost forgot
It’s December twenty-third, on the dot
Didn’t even know the cocoa was hot
And there’s gifts to be bought
But my tree’s in the box
And who would’ve thought?
I’d be happy with a bag full of rocks
Doesn’t matter if I’m naughty or not
Santa don’t gotta stop ’cause I got all I want

Tell those elves to take a break
‘Cause I don’t need nothing, anyway
I think I’m the only girl this Christmas
Without a thing on her wish list
Now I got you
Don’t need mistletoe, we’re already kissing
‘Cause last year, Santa was listening
Now I got you

– “wishlist,” Natalie Jane

* * *

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 2025 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.

“Sittin’ by the fire, snow is gettin’ higher, lights a little brighter, everybody’s home,” Tiera Kennedy sings in “Christmas Feeling,” channeling the spirit of the holiday season and all the excitement that comes with it. “And I can hear the choir, streetlights all aglow. There’s some kind of magic in the air.”

Whether we’re basking in the nostalgic glow of Delacey and Maren Morris’ seductive “Christmas Angel,” soaking up the sweet harmonies of Teenage Dad’s “Alone Again for Christmas,” dreaming the day away with flowerovlove’s “wishlist,” basking in Lauren Spencer Smith’s young-adult love story “Last First Christmas,” or rocking out to BERENICE’s cheeky and charged “SANTA BROKE MY HEART IN 2,” 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.

I won’t waste another second
Waiting by the tree
Don’t want your falala presents
Heard that you’ve been sliding down
Every chimney in this town
Go on find another lover
I won’t spend the night crying under covers
You can wrap your lies up real tight
Santa broke my heart in two

– “SANTA BROKE MY HEART IN 2,” BERENICE

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. 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 Natalie Jane, Train, Natalie Grant, Cory Henry, Where’s Beth, Ava Della Pietra, Old Crow Medicine Show, Magnus Ferrell, Jacquie Roar, Sofia Talvik, Sydney Quiseng, Bizz Bigsby, Silk Daisys, Karen King, Nourallah Brothers, Kaia Fincher, Bronte Fall, Teri Tobin, Joe Goodkin!

Dive into these songs and our holiday interviews!

:: Natalie Jane ::

wishlist

Natalie Jane: I’ve always loved the holiday season. It used to be because I meant we didn’t have school but now after leaving home I value the family time more than anything. My favorite holiday song has to be “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande. I used to listen to it on repeat for hours and hours while I would do my homework in middle school. But nothing has changed- I still have it on repeat to this day.

Natalie Jane: It doesn’t feel like the holidays without music. When I walk into a store or turn on the radio in my car and hear Christmas music, I am instantly in a better mood. It’s also just fun because once a year I listen to all the holiday songs so I never get sick of it because I take 10 months off from hearing them.

Natalie Jane: Honestly, it’s quite simple, I love Christmas music and I wanted to make my own! It’s something that’ll live on forever for a month at a time and I think that’s so cool. Also A lot of my music is really sad and I thought it would be really fun to do an upbeat happy batch of Christmas songs to prove to the fans I can be happy too!!

Natalie Jane: The holidays always make me reflective, so wishlist is about the things I’m wishing for that you can’t wrap: love and connection.

Natalie Jane: “Secret Santa” is basically me whispering to Santa that I have a crush – it’s about that giddy, secret kind of liking someone where you don’t want to jinx it by saying it out loud. Then “wishlist” is the happy follow-up: I got the boy, and suddenly my list is empty. It’s that moment where you realize you already have everything you were wishing for last year.

Natalie Jane: wishlist is a playful, emotional take on the holidays – less tradition, more feelings. It’s not about Christmas morning, it’s about the crushes, wishes, and emotions that build up before it.

:: Train ::

Christmas in Tahoe (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Train: My relationship with the holidays is very healthy. It’s all family and friends based, but food is a big part of it. I love to cook during the holidays, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Halloween. My favorite holiday songs are anything from Nat King Cole or Donny Hathaway, and I actually really love Train’s Christmas in Tahoe album. It’s a family favorite.

Train: Music is pretty much our entire holiday experience. The house is filled with music all year, every day, but especially during Christmas time, and it makes it just that much better.

Train: Christmas in Tahoe was so fun to make. We just thought we would record some covers, write a few songs that were originals, and then we just kept writing and writing. I think we’ll just keep adding on over the years until we stop making music, which I think is still way, way down the road. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think Christmas in Tahoe is a big part of a lot of families’ holiday experience, which I am really proud of. I love that.

Train: Writing Christmas songs is a very natural thing, but in this particular case, my keyboard player and MD, Jerry Becker, and my drummer, Matt Musty, were a big part of the process. They would send me a bunch of things that sounded like Christmas, and then I wrote words and melodies. It’s just a fun thing to do, to keep adding to the album and adding to the Christmas experience.

Train: These are more relationship songs than some of our other original songs like “Shake Up Christmas,” which is also a relationship song, of course, but it’s more upbeat and fun. Everyone might have a different favorite of the three for different reasons, and that’s part of the creative experience – hoping that everyone gets something different out of each one.

Train: There are hundreds of thousands of versions of just about anything out there, and I think these will capture a few fun moments, a few melancholy moments, for people that want to reflect. When you hear the songs, they might transport you to a specific place. For me, these songs put me in a living room with a fireplace and a glass of wine, reflecting on past love and past experiences, present love and new experiences, and I think that’s part of the human experience and Christmas.

:: Natalie Grant ::

“Christmas Looks Good on You”

Natalie Grant: The holiday season re-centers me in the best way. I mean, it’s crazy busy because I’m touring, singing every night, and also managing family schedules, coordinating dance recitals and parties, making sure all the gifts are ordered … it’s crazy! But then right around Christmas, it all slows down. Family is everything to me, and this time of year slows life down just enough to remind me what truly matters … being together, reflecting, and making memories that last.

Some of my favorite holiday songs are the ones that feel timeless and nostalgic, like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, O Holy Night, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and Silent Night. They carry so much warmth and history, and they never fail to take me right back to the heart of the season.

Natalie Grant: Music sets the tone for our entire holiday season. It brings back memories, creates new ones with our family, and helps us slow down and really feel the beauty, joy, and meaning of Christmas. And I come from a large family, and everyone can sing. Every year, as far back as I can remember, we gather around the piano every Christmas Eve. We sing holiday classics, we sing sacred songs – my brother and my husband take turns on the piano – and through the years we have grown to a group of 40, so we sound like quite the choir now …

Natalie Grant: I was inspired by the songs that have been the soundtrack to our family gatherings – the ones tied to core memories and deep nostalgia that can instantly take me back to Christmases past. They carry a sense of hope, peace, and comfort for me, and getting the opportunity to put my own spin on songs that mean so much has truly been a dream come true.

Natalie Grant: “Christmas Looks Good on You” captures the joy and warmth of the season for me because it’s rooted in love and everyday moments. I wrote it with my dear friend Sarah Reeves and my producer/songwriter husband, Bernie Herms. It was actually inspired by my husband, who lovingly drags our flocked Christmas tree out every year and sets it up for me, even though he hates every second of it. He ends up covered from head to toe in white – jokingly turning into a bit of a Scrooge – but he does it simply because he loves me.

That playful image became a metaphor for what the song is really about: the people we love who make the season beautiful. It’s a lighthearted, romantic reminder that so many of our favorite holiday memories aren’t about things at all – they’re about the people Christmas “looks good on” because of who they are and how they love.

Natalie Grant: In a world where so much is becoming automated or formulaic, this record was made with 100% real human creativity, and that felt important to me. We used a live symphony and horns, and worked with incredible vocalists whose range, precision, and artistry can transport you back to another era.

The music spans so many styles – from nostalgic and classic to big band and gospel – and yet it all feels cohesive and deeply real. I’m incredibly proud of it, and I truly believe we created something timeless that can stand the test of time.

:: Cory Henry ::

A Wonderful Holiday

Cory Henry: I have a pretty good relationship with the holidays. I really enjoy the tradition of family coming together and spending time with each other. I love that the holidays produce family time because there’ not too many other things that really force the family to come together.

Some of my favorite holiday songs are “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” (The Christmas Song), “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway, “Someday at Christmas” by Stevie Wonder, “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night.”

Cory Henry: Music impacts the holiday experience in the greatest way. I don’t think we would be as cheerful as we are if we didn’t have music to support the feeling. Most of the things that we look at – movies, TV shows, going out shopping, spending time out in public places – they are playing music that is so festive, and it adds so much to the experience. Music is a powerful tool.

Cory Henry: I was inspired to record this project just off the strength of being on tour with Stevie Wonder and having some days off while being on tour with him. I had the idea to record new music with my good friend Stanley Randolph, and because we recorded during the season, it felt like holiday music whether I was trying to make it or not.”

Next thing you know, I had some ideas lyrically about the holiday season and what it feels like to have a soulful holiday season or a warm holiday season. Most people think the holiday season is predicated on being cold – winter, snow, all these frigid experiences – and I wanted to make a warm, soulful, cozy holiday project. You gotta switch it up, because I’m not dreaming of a cold white Christmas… a nice sunny one would do, just for me.

Cory Henry: I think A Wonderful Holiday captures the spirit of the season in a numerous amount of ways. There are feelings of joy and happiness and family, and surrounding yourself with warmth. As well as a little bit of the feeling when you didn’t get what you want for Christmas – which happens to people all the time, more than we like to announce.

A Wonderful Holiday speaks to so many different emotions and experiences, and I hope that people get with it in the best of ways.

Cory Henry: With so many holiday songs out, I think that my album is different because I’m not trying to appease what the holiday sounds are. When people make Christmas music, it feels like it’s a lot based on covers and holiday sounds. I think this is just great music.

The songs are different. I don’t know if we’ve ever heard anybody diss Santa on record. I think that’s the most different holiday song I’ve ever heard. Some people will agree they didn’t get their presents and the things they want from Santa, and they got problems.

It’s different in writing, different in production, and it’s different because I’m doing it. That’s what brings the new, fresh things to the table, and I hope people like it.

:: Where’s Beth ::

“Overtime Waltz”

Where’s Beth: December feels both like a time to cherish and a time to get through, and I like that tension. I like noticing the days getting shorter, feeling the season shifting, but I’m also usually busy in the weeks leading up to Christmas, on my computer a lot, and stressed. Sharing meals with friends is one of my favorite things to do at this time. I also love Christmas Day with my family, it’s always lazy and restful and I feel really grateful for that. Vince Guaraldi and Al Green Christmas are my go-tos for cooking or decorating the house. I picked up a fun habit from past roommates of turning random objects into tree ornaments, so I have a lot of fun hanging those every year. Also a big fan of Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens and River by Joni Mitchell.

Where’s Beth: As a kid I put pressure on myself to be in a good mood around the holidays and that caused anxiety so I think I’ve gravitated toward sadder holiday music to help round that out. I also get disoriented easily so I like that I have one month of the year when I listen to the same album on repeat (Sufjan Stevens’ Songs For Christmas).

Where’s Beth: I wrote “Overtime Waltz” during my last Christmas living in NYC. There was a lot of flooding that December and I was dealing with burnout, really wanting to be in nature. But the city is magical at Christmastime and so it was easy to see my sad little feelings as part of something bigger. I was listening to River and thinking what a perfect song it was for feeling blue at Christmastime, so I tried to write one too, and it was so fun. The familiar holiday tropes are like little pieces of furniture you can pick up and move around until you have a seasonally decorated room to be your same old moody self in. After my husband and I moved to Seattle, we got a group together to record it live in our basement. Getting to play with Steve Moore and Abbey Blackwell was really special. They’re both such incredible musicians.

Where’s Beth: Trees lose their leaves before the holidays and I think humans feel a similar kind of vulnerability in the cold. For me, Overtime Waltz captures that spirit of vulnerability and tenderness. It also captures a bit of the humor that comes with family time (meeting grandma’s new boyfriend and feeling jealous, someone getting the words wrong during family caroling, dancing to the nonstop noise coming from the TV).

Where’s Beth: It’s a song about burnout which is a common experience around the holidays but not really explored much in the holiday music I’m familiar with. It’s also about grief, and there are a lot of people grieving this holiday season, so I hope this song can be a comfort for a few.

:: Ava Della Pietra ::

“You Make It Christmas”

Ava Della Pietra: I absolutely love the holiday season! I associate it with so many vivid childhood memories, like how my mom used to host cookie-decorating parties for my friends, or the winter it snowed higher than I was tall and my brother built a tunnel through the snow so I could play in it! Those moments made the holidays feel magical, and now it is just as special getting to spend that time with my family, baking bûche de Noël, and writing music. Some of my favorite holiday songs are “White Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Last Christmas,” which I just released a cover of!

Ava Della Pietra: Music is a huge part of my holiday experience. I have a tradition of writing a special song for every member of my family each year. They’re typically a combination of silly and sentimental, and it has become one of my favorite ways to feel connected during the holidays. It’s also so beautiful to sit under the Christmas tree with the lights glowing and listen to Christmas music. That is peak holiday for me!

Ava Della Pietra: I love holiday music so much that my very first release ever was an original song called “Christmas Tonight” back in 2019 when I was just 14! Then last year I released “Reindeer Rebellion,” which takes a playful, rebellious twist on the season. It is about the nine classic reindeer banding together to stand up to people who have lost their holiday spirit and who need a reminder of the joy and magic of the holidays. This year, “You Make It Christmas” is an updated acoustic version of “Christmas Tonight.” Revisiting it in a more mature, stripped-back way feels nostalgic and beautiful, and it brings out all the warmth and closeness that made the song special to me in the first place. With “Last Christmas,” I have always loved how the upbeat melody contrasts with the bittersweet lyrics. In my cover, I wanted to lean into that emotional core and let the vulnerability come through.

Ava Della Pietra: The two songs capture different sides of the holidays. “You Make It Christmas” is the quieter, more personal side and about that feeling of being with the people who matter and realizing they’re really the thing that makes the season so meaningful. “Reindeer Rebellion” leans more into the fun, slightly over-the-top side of the holidays. It has humor, attitude, and a little bit of chaos, which I think is also very true to this time of year. I think that putting them together gives a pretty honest picture of what the holidays actually feel like: part meaningful, part messy, and always a little surprising!

Ava Della Pietra: I like that the songs on my EP don’t sit in one emotional lane. “Reindeer Rebellion” brings a distinct energy and a sense of humor that I don’t think is very common in holiday music. My acoustic “Last Christmas” adds a bit of heartbreak and feels melancholy and vulnerable. And “You Make It Christmas” is more intimate and about loving those around you during the holidays. So instead of one “holiday mood,” it gives a few distinct perspectives on the season!

:: Old Crow Medicine Show ::

OCMS XMAS

Old Crow Medicine Show: I am one of those over-the-top Christmas fanatics. The warmth it brings to humanity, the rush of shoppers, the snow globe affect in downtown streets, and especially the holiday music coming from every speaker. I love the classics most of all, Bing Crosby and Burl Ives. Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree is an absolute American masterpiece, up there with the greatest recordings of all time.

Old Crow Medicine Show: Growing up I was the youngest member of the Shenandoah Valley Chorale Society, and the holiday concert schedule was packed with shopping malls and nursing homes. I’ve been waiting ever since then for my band to tour for the holiday season.

Old Crow Medicine Show: The primarily acoustic instrumentation of Old Crow brings it a few steps closer to the sounds of Christmas than many other genres allow. Mandolins, violins, and harmonicas already sound carol-y, so it didn’t take a lot of sonic changes to our typical stringband sound. Writing this batch of songs was really where the joy was. I loved finding our band’s’ own unique voice in the holiday revelry.

Old Crow Medicine Show: New England is the part of our country I think feels the most Christmasy. It’s the snow and cider presses, the region where you might actually encounter a one-horse open sleigh. I wrote this one with a lot of joy imagining for small towns in the green mountains of Vermont, family farms in Maine, and New Hampshire’s white mountain lakes frozen solid.

Old Crow Medicine Show: As Nashvillians and members of the Grand Ole Opry, Old Crow has a special relationship to the Christmas season. Performers like us get the privilege of curating holiday memories for concert goers, families, and visitors to our city. We’re mighty lucky to do this kind of work, and it sure is great to now have a Christmas album and tour to be able to revisit year after year.

:: Magnus Ferrell ::

“Lost Without You (Xmas)”

Magnus Ferrell: Christmas has to be my favorite time of the year. I’m not sure what it is but there’s something that makes everyone a little happier…but listening white Christmas by the drifters in my car is just peak life In my opinion.

Magnus Ferrell: Hearing a Christmas or holiday classic that only feels right to listen to during this specific time of the year is such a unique thing that not many other things have. Its like the fact that you can’t really enjoy it during the other three seasons is what makes it sooooo special to me.

Magnus Ferrell: I always have loved the holiday season, I personally haven’t heard a groovy Christmas song in a while, and I know how could they can be if you do it the right way (Jackson 5, etc). We started with an interpolation of Robin Thicke’s “lost without U,” thankfully we got permission to use it, then wrote everything ourselves around it! We originally didn’t have it as a Christmas song, then tried it and were really happy with the result!!!

Magnus Ferrell: The strings bro. The strings go crazy. Literally all it takes to do it for me is some sleigh bells and some strings.

Magnus Ferrell: We got that groove in it… maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but as I mentioned earlier I haven’t heard a groovy Christmas song in a while so the thought is it can cut through the noise with a sound that hasn’t really been used in a while.

:: Jacquie Roar ::

“Christmas Miss Me”

Jacquie Roar: When I was younger, Christmas correlated with cold weather which I was never fond of. My brother and I would play outside making snowmen until our fingers felt like they were on fire through our gloves. It sounds like a good time, but for some reason my kid-mind was like a grumpy old man yelling at kids to get off my lawn! Now, I love the holidays. I get to get cozy in my super soft comfy clothes and drink warm tea. I get to wrap gifts and make Christmas very magical for my kiddos. We dance to a lot of oldies like Brenda Lee’s “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” The Home Alone sound track is our family tradition sound track.

Jacquie Roar: Speaking of sound track! I feel like Christmas really is the sound track to the winter season of our lives.

Jacquie Roar: I honestly just got a wild hair! I woke up one day and thought, “you know what?….” Every year I get asked by so many people that support my music if I’m going to release holiday music. I finally gave in and said let’s just go for it. Before, I think I was scared to allow myself to be cheesy, but obviously I’ve let that fear go…haha!

Jacquie Roar: There are so many songs out there about being in love or coming home to your loved ones during the holidays, so I wanted to give a Christmas anthem to those who might have experienced a breakup during the holidays season. I wanted to bring joy to those that might be brokenhearted to look at the brighter side. That mistletoe is just waiting for that someone new!

Jacquie Roar: It’s a holiday breakup bop. It’s not a sad breakup song. It’s celebrating that you are free and probably saving yourself some gift money since you’re single and ready to mingle, ha! I think it’s catchy, feel-good and fun. If you’re sad ‘cause you got broken up with before the holidays, blast this song and smile…baby, you’re free!

:: Sofia Talvik ::

“Let Peace Be the Song”

Sofia Talvik: ,I usually celebrate Christmas in a very low key way with good friends and family. Since I’m on the road most of December doing my annual winter / Christmas tour I get a lot of the holiday atmosphere the whole month. So over the Christmas weekend I just want to take it easy. My favorite Christmas songs are generally the more alternative songs like “Christmas card from a hooker in Minneapolis” sung by Neko Case, and “Green grows the Holly” with Calexico.

Sofia Talvik: Music is always a big part of my life and I think holiday music adds to the season. I generally don’t start playing holiday songs before December though.

Sofia Talvik: Well I think all artists go in with the notion and hope that they will write the next “Santa’s Super Sleigh.” Of course that rarely happens. For me it was a fun way to do something different, I started off my tradition writing songs in completely different styles than what I would usually play. Then when it became a yearly tradition and fans started to expect it every year, I continued writing more in my regular style, but I always write Christmas songs that were on the darker side of Christmas and they’ve been really popular throughout the years. I think people yearn for something else than Wham and Mariah Carey for Christmas.

Sofia Talvik: I don’t think it captures the holiday season as much as it captures current affairs. What will happen with all the families who are targeted by ICE this winter, who might be separated from each other, put in camps? How will we all be coping with the lies and threats that we are fed every day? This song is a protest song. I hope it will resonate with people. However if you want to hear more wintery and mellow songs, my new Christmas album “Wrapped in Paper” has 11 other songs to choose from.

Sofia Talvik: I think the strongest thing about my song is”Let Peace be the Song” is that it’s timely, it’s raw, and it’s honest. That’s why I recorded it with only guitar and vocals, I didn’t want the message to disappear in a big production. It offers something different from your regular holiday cheer and consumerism.

:: Sydney Quiseng ::

“Christmas With You”

Sydney Quiseng: It’s so hard to choose but these songs are on repeat the second Halloween is over: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Blue Christmas,” “Last Christmas,” and “Silent Night.”

Sydney Quiseng: Music sets the mood. Having the wrong music on in the background can be distracting and take away from the moment, but putting on just the right record can get everyone in the holiday spirit immediately. If I’m cooking or cleaning, I love listening to all the holiday hits, both modern and classic. If I’m hosting an intimate dinner with friends, I love listening to instrumental Christmas music. If I’m doing a Christmas craft night, then I love the vintage feel of a Frank Sinatra Christmas playlist.

Sydney Quiseng: When I first started making solo music a couple years ago, I made it a goal to make a coastal country Christmas song, and maybe even an album one day. On a random September day in 2024, my husband and I started writing “Christmas With You.” Then just a few months ago, I brought that song to my brother, Noah (who’s also in Echosmith with me) and we finished writing it and produced it together. We brought in a friend to play some lap steel and banjo to give it that country spirit. Recording this song was so fun and came so naturally. I can’t wait to make more Christmas music in the future!

Sydney Quiseng: I love that this song reminisces on both Christmas in the recent past and childhood. The first verse perfectly captures Christmas with my husband since we got married 6 years ago – all our favorite things to do when the weather cools off in California. The lyrics in the first chorus reminisce on what I used to ask Santa for when I was kid, then it all gets wrapped up with the perspective I have now, which is that I really don’t need all those things if I have my loved ones here with me.

Sydney Quiseng: I’m a touring artist and my husband is a pilot so we have a unique perspective on navigating long-distance. Singing about wanting to spend Christmas with my significant other hits extra hard for me because there have been years we’ve had limited time together over the holidays and sometimes we have to celebrate early or late. It serves as a reminder that Christmas isn’t about what you get, but it’s about who you’re with.

:: Bizz Bigsby ::

“What to Buy You for Christmas”

Bizz Bigsby: The holidays have always held a special place in my heart. I was raised by my grandmother and great-aunts, and they always made sure our home overflowed with Christmas cheer. I have the fondest memories of fresh-baked ginger cookies, a Christmas tree covered in tinsel and glowing lights, and piles of gifts sitting in front of the fireplace.

I’m a little old-school when it comes to Christmas music, too. My favorites will always be “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole, “Blue Christmas” by Elvis, “Silent Night” by The Temptations, “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway, the Jackson 5 Christmas album, “Mary, Did You Know?” by Danny Gokey, and “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt. I could go on and on – but you get the idea!

Bizz Bigsby: Music is such a big part of my life, so naturally it became an essential part of my holidays. Honestly, I don’t think the season would feel the same without the traditional songs I’ve heard year after year. I can still remember kicking off the holidays with “Silent Night” by The Temptations and “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway – and I still keep that tradition alive to this day.

Bizz Bigsby: I remember one Christmas when I was completely stressed out trying to find the perfect gift for someone who already had just about everything. As the holiday got closer, the pressure kept building. I mentioned it during a writing session with my team, and it turned out they were feeling the exact same way. From there, the song practically wrote itself.

We knew we weren’t the only ones who felt that way, so we decided we had to turn it into something people could relate to – light and fun, but still meaningful enough to hit home. We also wanted to gently remind everyone what Christmas is really about, and it’s not presents or the perfect gift under the tree.

So we laid it over a jazzy, bluesy groove and ended up creating “What to Buy You for Christmas (Blues).” The irony? That song turned out to be the best gift we could’ve given – something heartfelt, personal, and made just for them.

Bizz Bigsby: Every year, I watch people rushing from mall to mall, scrambling to find the “perfect” gift or feeling obligated to buy presents for people they haven’t seen since last Christmas. The holiday has become so heavily marketed that we’ve drifted away from what it’s truly about. That’s really the heart of this song – it carries two messages.

The first is that the price of a gift has nothing to do with the spirit in which it’s given. I still have the very first Christmas card my daughter made for me, with five dollars tucked inside. That meant more to me than anything money could buy.

The second message is that Christmas is about Jesus and His birth, yet I don’t hear or see that acknowledged as often anymore. I wanted to weave that reminder into the song gently – not preachy or heavy-handed, but still present in a meaningful way.

Bizz Bigsby: It’s a fun, honest, laid-back jazzy blues Christmas song that captures something we’ve all felt at one point or another. It’s relatable, light, and real – and I think everyone can see a bit of themselves in it.

:: Silk Daisys ::

“it’s just like xmas”

Silk Daisys: We love the holiday season. We’re both majorly sentimental, and I think that plays a big part. We also love Christmas lights, and complain constantly that they should be kept up all year round. Last year we put some of the big multi-colored lights all over this chair in our house for Christmas and did this big display of all these ceramic Christmas trees and kewpie angels on a shelf. When it came time to take everything down, we were like, “ok most stuff can go but this bit makes us too happy. It stays.” and now we’re the crazy people who have a bunch of Christmas decorations up all year.

Christmas also has some of the best movies and music. Every year when we decorate we have this monster playlist of Christmas music that we play. It has been heavily curated over the years. It leans really heavily on soul music. Try as you might, you can’t beat Marvin’s “Purple Snowflakes” or Stevie’s “Someday at Christmas.” One that always makes Karla cry is Hep Stars’ “Christmas On My Mind.” And of course, being dreampoppers, the Cocteau Twins “Frosty the Snowman” and “Winter Wonderland” are in heavy rotation this time of year. Mike Viola’s “Give Me A Second Chance for Christmas” is a masterpiece as well. We might try to cover that one at some point.

Silk Daisys: It makes everything feel hopeful, even when you’re living in dark times. In a way, it is sacred music. Not even necessarily in a religious way, but in the way that it feels wrong to listen to it outside of the holiday season, so much so that families establish their own rules about when it’s ok to start listening to it and when to stop every year.

We’re pretty precious about it. We have a tradition where we don’t listen to any of it until we’re decorating. But then it’s all we listen to after that, and we’re always looking for new stuff to add to our playlists.

Silk Daisys: Funny enough, I’ve written three Christmas songs. This is our first “official” one as Silk Daisys, but I wrote one a while back called “Don’t Go Away This Christmas” that I had on my SoundCloud for a while, but it was more like a ’60s bubblegum pop vibe. The other one was a Christmas song about Covid that we recorded as our family band (Hansome Fantom) called “The Old Normal (Bummer Christmas).” It’s more powerpop than anything we’re doing with this band.

What inspired me to write “it’s just like xmas” was that I was playing guitar in the lull of Christmas Day, after our kids had opened their presents, the calm after the storm, so to speak. I’m looking around at all this wrapping paper all over the ground, and the phrase “it looks like a bomb went off in here” crossed my mind. I started thinking about the children that are living in countries that are literally being torn apart by war and violence. I thought about how we’re all hurtling through the cosmos on this tiny blue planet, and how we set up these ways to divide us into groups and nationalities and other ways to feel like we’re far apart, when really we’re all just neighbors looking up at the same moon.

Silk Daisys: For me, it captures a certain sense of calm, and the feeling of introspection that comes in the quiet of Christmas, where you’re taking stock of your past year and dreaming of goals for the new one. I wanted it to be a really simple plea for peace, and I wanted to make sure it gave the feeling of snow falling. “Life In A Northern Town” by The Dream Academy always feels like snow to me, so that was an influence, but I didn’t want to open the song up to anything epic or bombastic. Our song keeps you wondering if some big drum thing will come in, and it never does. That’s on purpose.

Silk Daisys: There are so many great holiday songs out there that it’s hard to compete, but I hope it is a welcome option for people looking for more ethereal dreampop holiday music. And I hope that the lyrics remind people that we’re all closer than we think we are, and that it’s not too late to choose peace… yet.

:: Karen King ::

“Christmas Time in New York City”

Karen King: My dad was a fireman, and he would never let us put a real tree in our house, but we loved Christmas and I’ve been celebrating Christmas my whole life and now with a real tree! I love that everybody seems so much happier than the rest of the year. Of course they do during the holiday season! And I love singing all the Christmas songs. I sang them my whole childhood growing up. That’s my relationship! I’ve always loved singing songs for Christmas. I never thought that I would write a Christmas song. I never thought about writing one, other than this melody that was in my head for years: “Christmas time in New York City, it’s Christmas.”

Karen King: Oh, my God. “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” that’s like number one. Also, “Let It Snow” and “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Those are some of my favorites. “It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas,” that one too, haha.

Karen King: Well, we always play Christmas songs during the holidays. The music impacts me by making me want to have a great time, see friends, party, eat a little too much, decorate, and go shopping.

Karen King: Well, like I said, I always get titles of songs first when I write music, and I had “It’s Christmas time in New York City” in my head for years. I always seemed to get the first line, the title, and a little bit of the melody. That was in my head for many, many years. And I said, you know, I gotta write this song. And when I took it to my girlfriend, Dee Dee (Adelaide Mancuso), my writing partner, I sang that melody for her, and we wrote it, and it became this song. We worked very, very hard on this song to make it reflect everything that New York is all about. We sang about each place that people love to visit, like during the holidays or Christmas, and fit each lyric into the notes of the melody throughout the song.

Karen King: Well, it’s such a great song, and I think it’s a masterpiece. I feel that we wrote a masterpiece. To be able to sing it – my own song, instead of all the songs I’ve sung for years, everybody else’s songs – makes me love Christmas more. It makes me feel more into it, having my own song, and I want to get it out there and try to sing it for everyone.

Karen King: You know, I don’t even think it – I know it. The song is so happy, and it’s so much fun. And let me tell you, it’s a great song to SING! Listening to the big band in that orchestra makes you want to sing it. I think people will want to sing it just like they sing “It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” But “Jingle Bell Rock” has been number one every year in a row, and you hear it 100,000 times. I think my song is something new, refreshing, and it needs to be out there. I think people will love it, and I think they will really sing it like all the old traditional songs. Do I think it’s different? I think it’s as good as those classics.

Karen King: Listen, if they listen to the song, they’ll love it. I think that if we get it out there and people hear it, they’re going to love it, and maybe they’ll start singing it – and that’s what I hope for.

:: Nourallah Brothers ::

“Christmastime”

Faris Nourallah: I’m broke during the holidays. I feel like a loser. I think I should write, “You get nothing but my love this Christmas.”

Salim Nourallah: Ever since my kids were born about 22 years ago, I started loving Christmas again. Just the ritual of it all. It has nothing to do with religion for me – decorating the tree, the lights, the gift giving, the music, the family time. It’s my favorite holiday. As for music, I love The Ventures’ Christmas album. What’s not to love about a surf guitar version of “Jingle Bells”? I also love Sinatra’s Christmas stuff and Nick Lowe’s Quality Street. “Christmas at the Airport” is brilliant. El Vez’s “Christmas Wish” is probably my most beloved though.

Faris: Here in the Philippines, Christmas lasts three or so months. They don’t really play Wham or the classics. I’m not sure if that George Michael song was Wham, but you know the one. That’s a great Christmas song. Not philosophical. No one needs a philosophical Christmas song.

I can remember getting a leftover tree from the tree place the night before Christmas. I was so proud of myself. My girl at the time wasn’t impressed. She dumped me. Not sure what we were listening to. Maybe it should’ve been, “I’m leaving you this Christmas.” Coda, “Because you can’t afford a tree.” A tree? Look! They are good for the environment. Why would you chop down a perfectly good tree? I had to listen again, but in no way do I advocate the chopping down of trees.

Salim: During December, there’s always Christmas music on at my house. I’ve got this super-cool 1959 RCA console turntable in my living room that’s perfect for old records. It just enhances the entire spirit and mood. Especially at night when the tree is all lit up. I love it.

Faris: It was not intended to be a holiday song. I think I was feeling nostalgic. Remembering when Christmas would always be threatened to be canceled as our father was a pseudo Muslim.

Salim: It’s a total “classic.” A lot of songwriters would kill to have penned it. I can say that ’cause my brother wrote it, not me. I’ve always been jealous.

Faris: It’s just a great song that captures the idealism of what I never had.

Salim: A lot of “current” Christmas songs sound forced to me. Like certain music biz types are just trying to cash in. Where are the new classics? Oh, wait, look no further, here’s a “new” classic by the Nourallah brothers!

Faris: Sincerity. Deft panache? A sense of timelessness. A great melody. And probably the best song since Metal Gurus covered those other guys.

:: Kaia Fincher ::

“slowburn (christmas song)”

Kaia Fincher: The holidays have always felt bittersweet to me. They’re warm and nostalgic, but they also make you reflect on what – and who – feels like home. Still, it can be complicated – especially for queer people. Not every family gathering feels simple or comfortable. I grew up loving the classic jazz Christmas records: Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, the kind of music that makes the room glow a little softer.

Kaia Fincher: Music sets the emotional tone of my holidays. Jazz and classical music make everything feel warmer, softer – as if time slows just enough to breathe. A good melody can transform an ordinary evening into something intimate, almost like slow-dancing in the living room with the lights dimmed.

Kaia Fincher: I wanted to write something honest – a holiday song that resonates with those who don’t always feel comfortable around this time of year. “Slowburn” was inspired by classic jazz records, but I approached it through the emotional perspective of a queer person. We’re ending 2025, and somehow, many countries are passing laws that target LGBTQ+ people. I’ve been reflecting a lot on what it means to come home. Not every queer person gets to show up as their full self. Not every parent wants to accept a version of their child that doesn’t fit their expectations. And not every Christmas offers a place of comfort. The world can be loud, cruel, and confusing – but love within a family should never be conditional. I wanted to write something gentle, warm, and honest. A song that tells queer listeners: you deserve to be safe, to be seen, and to be loved. Every queer person should be able to walk through the front door without shrinking, apologising, or hiding who they are. And I will always stand for that – through my music, my voice, and the stories I choose to tell.

Kaia Fincher: For me, the holiday spirit isn’t just about glitter and cheer. It’s about honesty, tenderness, and the courage to love openly. “Slowburn” embodies that warmth – but also the complexity many of us feel in December.

Kaia Fincher: I believe “Slowburn” brings emotional honesty. It’s not trying to be the loudest or the brightest. It’s a quiet moment of truth – a song for people who want something real. Plus there aren’t many holiday songs that speak directly to queer experiences or to the complexity of coming home. “Slowburn” creates space for that – with warmth, gentleness, and dignity.

:: Bronte Fall ::

“Christmas Star”

Bronte Fall: I love this question. And I must say my answer has evolved in recent years. I suppose Christmas has always felt super nostalgic and cozy. I love the traditions carried on through decades and even generations. It always brings me back to childhood; the excitement of the season has never faded for me. It also makes me feel closer to those I’ve lost, like my father (in 2022) and my grandparents.

My dad was Father Christmas (like his mother before him) – he would stay up practically the whole night on Christmas Eve setting up toys and making Christmas morning absolutely magical for myself and my 3 siblings. He put so much effort into giving the most thoughtful presents for everyone he loved. The last few years have been extremely difficult in his absence but have also given me purpose to carry on his magical Christmas giving legacy. And at the very least, the holiday season sparks the happiest of memories. In the best of cliches, it reminds me of singing around the piano with my big Irish extended family and sharing a Christmas feast while all talking and shouting over each other, simultaneously shoving stuffing and champagne down our bellies.

My favorite holiday songs are “Carol of the Bell” (Home Alone Soundtrack – John Williams), “Do You Hear What I Hear” by Whitney Houston, “I Pray On Christmas” by Harry Connick Jr., and “Merry Christmas” from the 1994 Mariah Carey Album, the whole thing!

Bronte Fall: Oh my goodness, it is an integral part of my holiday experience. Most of my core holiday memories involve me performing in one way or another; singing or playing violin for my family at the Christmas Eve dinner table, singing a solo at the 4:00pm mass before my family’s big Christmas Eve party or singing with my family around the piano after dinner. And what on earth would the entire Christmas season even be with the classic soundtrack of songs we listen to each year to get into the spirit!

Bronte Fall: I generally think it’s fun to write a seasonal song whatever season that might fall in and perhaps Christmas is the most fun! There are just SO MANY words and scenarios to play with. I was inspired to write this song while newly dating my now husband. He was living in Denver and I in Nashville. 2020 was a particularly tough year (to say the least!) and meeting him felt like a welcome distraction from the hardship and chaos. This song was a few years in the making, however. I didn’t finish the bridge of the song until the following year and I didn’t record it until this past summer (4 years later). I liked having that cushion of a few years to continue developing it in a live setting because it was able to come together organically with my band (and not in the studio). Of course, both avenues are fun to explore. I haven’t recorded many songs in that way lately though and it felt refreshing!

Bronte Fall: In a similar vein to the first question, I wanted the song to give all the nostalgic feels. What I endeavor to say in the song is that a new relationship very much feels like being a kid anticipating the coming of Santa around Christmastime. I was giddy, happy, excited and uncertain all at the same time! I want it to feel like that and at the same time transport the listener to a simpler time when it was easy to get that excited about something so simple!

Bronte Fall: I hope this song does for its listeners what it did for me, adding a bit of relief to challenging times. A happy, joyful reprieve to the chaos that can be our lives. I hope it brings a reminder to people that simple joy is still possible even as “grown-ups” and that it’s ok to celebrate the small things the way only little children around the holidays do!

:: Teri Tobin ::

“Home for the Holidays”

Teri Tobin: In my family, the holidays have always been a really special time. For as long as I can remember, it meant a lot of preparation– prepping food, setting the table, and getting ready for the big family gathering. Some of my sweetest childhood memories are from spending the night at my grandmother’s house and waking up early just so I could be right there with her on Christmas morning. I loved watching Granny open her gifts.

When I became a mother, the holidays took on an even deeper meaning. It became incredibly special to witness the joy that both my son and my grandmother shared opening their gifts together. That generational connection – seeing them light up in the same room – made the season even more magical for me.

Teri Tobin: For me, Christmas doesn’t officially start until I hear Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” That’s the kickoff.

“Christmas in Hollis” by Run-DMC is another favorite – it’s fun, timeless, and brings back memories.

I also love “My Favorite Things (Syberized)” by my girl Sy Smith – she put her foot in that one!

Whitney Houston gave us a whole gift with The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack, and my two favorites from that album are “Who Would Imagine a King” and “I Love the Lord.”

And of course, the iconic “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. You can’t beat that level of classic.

Teri Tobin: Music is at the center of my family, the soundtrack starts while we’re in the kitchen prepping for the season – cooking, laughing, telling stories. There’s always my holiday experience. In music playing. It sets the tone, fills the room, and makes even the quiet moments feel warm.

Teri Tobin: Home for the Holidays is actually my second holiday EP. The first one, back in 2012, was completed in about two weeks – no offense to that project, but it definitely felt rushed. This time around, I knew I wanted to do things differently and with far more intention.

I’ve always been a fan of Myron –both as an artist and as a producer – so the idea of collaborating again already felt special. From the moment we started talking about this project, we were very intentional about everything: the song choices, the energy, and most importantly, the feeling. I wanted this EP to really capture the sense of home and the nostalgia that comes with the holiday season, while still giving people something fresh.

We weren’t focused on sticking to a specific genre or making a traditional holiday album. Our goal was to create something that moved us – something that felt like a modern, soulful approach but also had the warmth and familiarity of an instant classic. That balance of nostalgia and newness is what guided the entire process and made this project feel so special.

Teri Tobin: “Home for the Holidays” is very personal to me. As I mentioned, the holidays have always revolved around my grandmother, who’s now 98 years young. And now that my son is grown, the focus has shifted even more toward making each year special for her.

The song was written from the perspective of all of us coming home – literally and emotionally – to be with her. I wanted it to feel upbeat and universal, something people could move or vibe to regardless of their background. Family is universal, and that’s the heartbeat of the song.

“Christmas Won’t Be the Same” taps into my natural instinct to sing love songs. That’s something Myron and I both connect on, so it felt effortless to create a beautiful love song that just happened to be set at Christmas. We wanted to express the ache of long-distance relationships or being apart from someone you love during the holidays – and wrap it in romance.

Teri Tobin: There are countless holiday songs, but my hope is that people gravitate toward this project because the sentiments resonate with them.

For some, “Christmas Won’t Be the Same” might echo something they’ve lived through. For others, songs like “Angels We Have Heard on High” or “Mary Did You Know” may bring back childhood memories the way they do for me.

Our interpretations bring the warmth and richness of R&B, jazz, and hints of gospel – genres that shaped me. My goal was to honor the nostalgia of the classics while offering a fresh, soulful, heartfelt take that feels like home.

:: Joe Goodkin ::

“Before It’s Christmas Again”

Joe Goodkin: I find the holiday season is a time for reflection on the passage of time and what has changed (or hasn’t) since the last holiday season. My favorite holiday songs use Christmas/the holidays as a setting to tell a story, songs like So Much Wine (The Handsome Family), River (Joni Mitchell), and Family Life (The Blue Nile). I also dig interesting versions of standards like Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing Little Drummer Boy.

Joe Goodkin: A lot of holiday memories I have are tied up in listening to or singing music, all the way back to choir in high school and holiday gatherings. Music can trigger those vivid memories and connect them to the present.

Joe Goodkin: “Christmas” is such a powerful word to use in a lyric. It’s evocative and what I call a “high information” word. I’ve been looking for a way to use it in a song for years and inspired by some of the songs I mentioned above I set about constructing a story that would make use of the holiday season setting.

Joe Goodkin: “Before It’s Christmas Again” evokes the feeling of time passing, holiday parties, romance, and a bit of whimsy.

Joe Goodkin: It is my suspicion that “Before It’s Christmas Again” is one of the few and perhaps only Christmas songs to feature “tequila” in the lyrics and as a key plot point.

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