“All the unnecessary stress it brings to people’s lives I find rather pointless," says Aladean Kheroufi of Yuletide. "Plus I was raised Muslim. But still I was born and raised in the west so of course there’s no escaping the cruel, cold grip of Kris Kringle." It might be somewhat of a surprise, therefore, that he turned his talents to recording a Christmas tune.

"Holiday Cheer" takes influence from an unusual source: Stephen Stills’ '80s cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”. As Kheroufi explains, “It’s got a great '80s back and forth waddle that had me hypnotized." He then set about trying to fit in as many other Christmas song titles as possible, including one of the true greats, Tom Waits' not-really-festive-in-any-way "Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis".

After years of acting as producer, arranger and sideman in various bands in Edmonton and Victoria, Kheroufi took himself to NYC to soak in the city, the culture and the soul. On his return to Canada he set about carving out music on his own terms, fusing today's modern condition and passing it through a soulful filter with a healthy respect for the past. He released a single, “Maybe She’d Stay”, in June and followed it with the Beauty Beyond Grief EP in July.