THUNDER BAY — Coleman Hell, born and raised in Thunder Bay, has released his first holiday song called Grandma’s House.
“It's my version of a Christmas song. It's just about the enduring importance of family," said Hell. “We used to gather at both of my grandmas' houses every year at Christmas. In their passing, we lost that glue or that place where we would come together and it kind of got a bit more spread out."
“I think the memory of them and how important it was to them is what remains and keeps everyone coming together. That, to me, was just a good way of explaining what Christmas means to me,” he said.
Hell said his manager had always wanted him to do a Christmas song, but Hell only wanted to write one if it came naturally.
“I've taken some cracks at it and it never panned out. Then this year, it just sort of clicked," he said. “Almost my whole extended family lives in Thunder Bay. I grew up around a really big family. I was really fortunate and privileged to have them all around and having both my grandmas there. That was something I understand I'm really lucky to have had."
“Even when I moved away, it was like Christmas became even more important because it was one of the only times I was going to see everyone that year. Coming back to Thunder Bay, that's Christmas to me in a nutshell at this point," he added.
Before Hell had a splash with Two Heads and Fireproof he moved to Toronto to initially pursue a rap career.
“Then I started singing and my first song I ever sang was called Glow, Thunder Bay really lifted that up and even now, I always find so much support," he said. “I always feel so welcomed when I come back. It's still really a part of who I am, all my formative years were spent there. I know cities change and evolve over time. But there's this version of Thunder Bay that lives inside of me that is a big part of the artist that I have become."
Hell said with all of life coming at you, it can be easy to forget the importance of family, whether it’s biological or found family.
“I'm hoping maybe it hits people as a reminder. For me it's like, even though they're not here anymore I know what they would have wanted. They were so nurturing and they created this community for us to come together in and to keep that in mind around this time of year at least. But, hopefully all through the year, that family is really one of the most important things," Hell said.
Grandma's House can be streamed on most music platforms, as well as YouTube.
