Multi-Billboard charting Canadian artist Franklin McKay lends his soulful passion to those with the holiday blues, and says “Christmas Ain’t the Same (Without You)” with the release of his latest single — available now.
Celebrating the season with a freshly-minted tune has been top-of-mind for the singer/songwriter before, including a few varied versions of “The Best Day of the Year” and “This Christmas” — the latter of which hit #24 on the Billboard-charts.
This year, however, McKay switched gears when it came to “Christmas Ain’t the Same (Without You),” he says. Co-written with Harem Scarem’s Harry Hess, the release strays from McKay’s traditionally up-beat and happier-sounding holiday offerings, noting that “not everybody is jingle-bell happy.”
It’s “more of a reflective song, as opposed to a downer,” McKay shares. “Every Christmas isn’t happy for everybody; I think songs have places at different times in our lives and what we’re going through.”
While the languishing of the Covid-19 pandemic can be credited for at least some inspiration towards the track, McKay reveals he ultimately and most personally relates it to the passing of his mother, who passed in 2017 at age 85. “I think anybody who has lost a loved one can relate on that level. It’s applicable to anybody that has lost somebody in their lives that they’re used to having around.”
Originally hailing from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, McKay has worked with a multitude of notable musicians, performers, and writers over the course of his career; Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), Bill Champlin (Chicago), Marc Jordan (Rod Stewart), Heather Rankin (The Rankin Family), Greg Fitzgerald (Madonna, Hall & Oates), and more.
Currently at work on a forthcoming album, previous releases from the Los Angeles- and Toronto-based artist also see Billboard US Adult Contemporary-charting tracks such as “More Than A Memory,” “Someone,” and “Destiny” among them; the latter saw a reimagining that featured The Rankin Family’s Heather Rankin.
With more than 350,000+ collective streams across Spotify alone, his most recent release “Breath of Life” debuted at #50 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart this past February, 2021.
