skatchewan-born singer-songwriter Jeffery Straker shares A Very Prairie Christmas, a 12-song recording shaped by nearly a decade of his beloved annual holiday shows. Blending nostalgic classics, intimate arrangements, and Straker’s signature piano-driven storytelling, the album captures the way Christmas memories evolve while still holding their magic.

“When I was selecting these songs, I had the benefit of having performed my annual holiday show for nine years,” Straker explains. “Listeners enjoyed my originals, but it was clear that the classic Christmas tunes were important and needed to be included. Folks have so many memories attached to those songs. If there was a thought bubble over everyone’s head in the auditorium – with a little movie-of-memories playing while we performed – each song would be different for everyone.”

After years of fans asking at the merch table whether a Christmas album existed, Straker finally set out to record one, naming the project after his long-running shows. The entire album was recorded and produced in Saskatchewan with a cast of local musicians. Sessions took place in July and August, with summer heat outside and a Christmas tree set up inside his living room-turned-studio. “It was fascinating how the songs immediately transported us into full festive mode,” he says. “These songs were all I needed to virtually hang some holly and lights around my house.”

Designed like a concert setlist, the album mixes moods and tempos, balancing moments of celebration with quiet reflection. “Christmas can be complicated,” he shares. “Part of the joy comes from taking stock of where we’ve been – both the ups and the downs. I have a lot to be grateful for, and I’ve also lost family and friends that I wish I could be with at this time of year. I hope these songs are a space where listeners can let all those feelings play out.”

The album’s focus track, “Holly Jolly Christmas,” is a long-standing audience favourite from Straker’s annual show. Written by holiday hitmaker Johnny Marks and made famous by Burl Ives, the song shines with bright, nostalgic cheer. “It’s like the flashing coloured lights on a Christmas tree,” Straker says. “I don’t think Christmas is complete without this song and its spirit-lifting powers.”

The recorded version reflects the full-band energy of his hometown holiday show, featuring a 10-piece ensemble – upright piano, drums, upright bass, mandolin, acoustic guitar, two violins, saxophone, trumpet, and two backing singers. “It’s short, sweet, and pure Christmas magic,” Straker says. “The message is simple: it’s Christmastime, so be happy and celebrate it.”

Burned-out mathematician turned indie-soul artist Jeremy Voltz returns with “Feel It All,” a deeply introspective track about the struggle to care for someone despite anger, distance, and the vulnerability that comes with connection. As the latest release from Voltz’s 2025 music campaign, the single captures the push and pull of human relationships – tender, complicated, and ultimately unbreakable.

“The song came from a rocky relationship with a friend,” Voltz shares. “I tried for almost a year to distance myself and keep safe at arm’s length. But I realized that no matter how hard I tried not to care about my friend, I couldn’t stop. My anger had dried up without me noticing, and I even tried to cling to it so I wouldn’t have to care, because caring is hard. But ultimately, care blooms in spite of our best efforts.”

Uniquely, this is the first song Voltz has ever released that he created on an Akai MPC – the legendary drum machine and sampler made famous by J Dilla and first discovered by Voltz through Dilla’s influence on D’Angelo’s music. “It’s an amazing new way to create away from my guitar,” he shares. “The track inspired the lyrics, which is usually the other way around for me. When I came up with the beat, these emotions and lyrics flowed out of me almost instantly.”

Voltz adds, “The message of the song is that you can try as much as you want to harden yourself, to not care, but care and concern grow in spite of yourself. Like a flower growing out of a crack in the sidewalk.”

Haitian Canadian artist Tedy releases his highly anticipated debut album Scandalous. A bold, emotionally charged record that blurs the lines between pop, R&B, and alt-soul, Scandalous marks a defining moment in Tedy’s artistic evolution.

Known for his raw storytelling, soaring vocals, and genre-bending sound, Tedy is quickly molding himself into one of Canada’s most magnetic voices. With over 50 million global streams, one million TikTok followers, and 27 million likes, he’s built a fanbase drawn to his honesty and fearless creativity.

“Scandalous is about reclaiming the word,” Tedy says. “It’s about being unapologetically real. I’m calling my fans ‘Scandals’ because if being yourself makes you a scandal – be the biggest scandal, make headlines.”

From the viral, poignant anthem “Rich,” to the heart-wrenching ballad “I Hope,” and the unapologetic closer “Talk About Me,” Scandalous moves through vulnerability, ambition, and empowerment with cinematic flair. This body of work includes the talents of Dan Book (blink-182, Britney Spears) and Jesse Mason (Chance Peña, BLONDISH), Chris Lyon (The Chainsmokers, Rina Sawayama, Rebecca Black) and Rabbit (Stell, Johnny Orlando, Maeta). 

At the heart of the album lies “Hurt My Feelings,” an aching yet tender reflection on unspoken love and the quiet acceptance of loss. Tedy captures the bittersweet beauty of wanting someone you can’t have, weaving emotional vulnerability with poetic restraint. Within the broader context of Scandalous, it stands as a defining moment: a surrender to imperfection and an embrace of emotional honesty that anchors the project as a whole. 

Tedy is also expanding his creative prowess by putting a stamp on his songwriting ability, with recent credits for EJAE from K-Pop Demon Hunters on her newest single “In Another World.”

“If my earlier projects introduced me, Scandalous is about me peeling the layers of my inner self,” he shares. “I’m not hiding anymore. I’ve learned that what I thought were weaknesses are actually strengths. This is me, loud, emotional, and proud.”

The Scandalous era extends beyond music. Styled and designed largely by Tedy himself, the visuals fuse glam rock with high-drama pop – what he describes as “Elton John meets Prince, filtered through a Victorian pirate obsessed with glitter.”

The album is more than a body of work; it’s a declaration of selfhood. 

“All my heroes were scandalous,” Tedy says. “Now it’s my turn.” 

Ontario-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Dylan White makes his solo debut with Fronds – a lush, groove-driven EP that explores the repeating patterns of love and fear that shape human connection across lifetimes and generations. Rooted in jazz, soul, and funk, Fronds reflects both the intricate structure of nature and the resilient spirit of those who dare to break cycles of trauma and doubt.

“We’re surrounded by deep-rooted and mysterious patterns,” says White. “This album was inspired by those patterns – of both love and fear – that repeat themselves throughout a lifetime and across generations. As a nature boy, I’ve always been intrigued by the fact that repeating systems are the basis of all life.”

Across Fronds, White leans into the concept of iteration both musically and emotionally. Recorded across Guelph, Toronto, Haliburton, and Calgary, the EP captures a wide network of collaborators who helped shape its textured, communal sound. “I cashed in all the favours that I could,” he laughs. “All of the musicians on this record are players that I’ve performed with for years. Their backgrounds span acoustic singer-songwriter, funk, soul, jazz fusion and everything in between.”

The EP’s collaborative spirit shines brightest on “Rags,” the defiant, joyfully funky centrepiece. Built around a whole-tone descending bassline, the track dismantles the tired myth of “rags to riches” with sharp wit and a grin. “It’s a joyful attack on murky and vain clichés like ‘pulling yourself up by your bootstraps,’” says White. “It rejects the ridiculousness, conceit, and delusion that we (especially white guys like myself) succeed because we ‘earned it’ and thoroughly enjoys poking fun at that idea.”
With its layered jazz harmonies, light-on-its-feet groove, and expressive performances from drummer Julian Psihogios and guitarist Anoop Isac, “Rags” balances playfulness with purpose. “Julian’s intense, blistering solo, paired with Anoop’s mysterious chords, really embodies that shift from humour to seriousness,” White says. “It’s cheeky, but it’s not cynical – it’s fundamentally optimistic.”