Fred Eaglesmith

Canadian singer and songwriter Fred Eaglesmith makes music that lives somewhere between country and contemporary folk, with a dark undertow that suggests rock & roll without making it an audible influence. Eaglesmith's songs frequently deal with themes of a hardscrabble existence where liquor, drugs, violence, and desperation are facts of life along with love and good times; his lyrics are often leavened with sharp wit and his delivery can be sorrowful, energetic, joyous, or sarcastic depending on the song. Eaglesmith's music can lean toward country (1997's Lipstick, Lies & Gasoline), bluegrass (2003's Balin), or folk (his 1980 debut Fred J. Eaglesmith), with all his configurations blending his lyrical voice with clever storytelling and a sense of showmanship. One thing he'd never done was make a holiday album, until he crossed that off the list with 2023's A Christmas Card.