Meaghan Smith Is Wishing for a 'Christmas Kiss' This Holiday Season

Nettwerk Records

On stage at the Rivoli, a tiny club on Toronto's hip Queen St. strip, Halifax, NS, singer-songwriter Meaghan Smith does her best to inject Yuletide spirit into a room full of big-city hipsters. With only a single guitarist as accompaniment, Smith -- looking more Zooey Deschanel than Mrs. Claus in her high black boots and vintage lace dress -- serves up modern renditions of holiday classic and self-penned contemporary Christmas tunes from her latest release, 'It Snowed.'

Smith's 2010 debut, 'The Crickets Orchestra,' won accolades from old-time jazz aficionados and electro-pop fans alike, and helped her snag a Juno Award for Best New Artist. A holiday-themed record might seem like a strange follow-up, but if you love the holidays as much as Smith, it's a no-brainer.

"I try not to be annoying, but I'm one of those people that start thinking about Christmas in January," she tells Spinner.