A Saskatchewan musician true to his roots

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Jeffery Straker on Christmastime, queer identity and making music

Originally from a farm outside of Punnichy, Sask., Jeffery Straker is the textbook definition of a proud Saskatchewan artist. He has been releasing music and performing full time for seventeen years, and his career has taken him all over the world.

It all began at the piano in the living room of his family’s farmhouse. His mother was a talented pianist and the house was often filled with music. All the Straker kids were put in piano lessons with the local music teacher, Mrs. Young, around the age of seven. Jeffery was the only one of the kids who stuck with it.

Straker loved to practice. He eventually moved on to another piano teacher, one in Raymore, who helped to further develop his skills until he was enrolled in the University of Regina’s Conservatory of Performing Arts.

Straker’s career took off when he was living in Toronto. He started writing music that reflected what it was like to live in the Saskatchewan prairies and released an album lovingly titled Highway 15, after the road that runs in front of his family’s farm.

Straker felt the best way to perform his music was in front of the people who would really understand it, so he moved back home to Regina. He describes his music as grassroots and folky, and now has nine albums to his name, including some Christmas albums.

For almost ten years Straker has put on his “A Very Prairie Christmas” show, touring small towns in Saskatchewan with songs that remind him of growing up during the holidays. “For some reason, our house was the place for music, where neighbors would gather with their instruments. We had a lot of musical neighbors, and these kinds of epic jam sessions would take place,” shared Straker.

“[It was] a lot of old-time country and folk music, and they were such a pivotal part of my Christmases,” he continued. “Both of my parents have since passed away, but when I started doing these shows, they were both alive. Now, it’s almost like a tribute to those Christmases, and a tribute to my parents in a way because the memories are so fond.”

Through these Christmas shows a tradition developed. Straker often discusses his love of dainties and Christmas baking, and when he went over to the United Kingdom for a tour, fans brought some for him.

“It was so funny because people just saw others doing it on Facebook. I remember this one show, this lady brought me two pies: a rhubarb pie, and another one that’s like this English kind of pie. She came to me with these two pies, and she said, ‘I understand I’m supposed to give these to you.’ She didn’t even really know why.”

Straker’s shows, as well as his music, involve a lot of heart. Telling funny stories between his songs and sets gives concertgoers a glimpse into what his life is like. What that looks like has changed over the last decade and a half. Straker is openly gay and has been in a loving relationship with his partner, Micheal, for the last five years. In the beginning, Straker was quiet about who he was.

“People are at a show to feel something. I think when people buy a ticket to a show, they are buying a ticket to a feeling and I sort of started to sense that if I was not being my full, true self on stage, I don’t think the whole me would be getting across. So, at a certain point, I was just like, ‘I’m just going to start being out about this,’” he said .

In 2008, Straker released a song called “Tykie’s Coming Out,” about a fellow classmate who was openly queer. Soon, people started putting the pieces together that Straker was also queer, though the song was not directly about himself. Of course, Straker knew that not everyone would be supportive.

“I did receive some nasty emails—I won’t lie about that. I got emails from some people saying, like, ‘Oh, you know, doing your gay agenda, trying to push your gayness on the road.’ It was expected, but still bizarre. I realized, if you go into music to try to please everyone, stop being in music,” he said.

While on tour, recording and pursuing music full time, Straker always remembers his roots. The 49th annual Telemiracle telethon put on by the Kinsmen Foundation took place on March 1 and 2 and this was the 14th year that Straker has been a part of the show. Like many people in the province, Straker remembers watching the Telethon throughout his life and, when he was on the show for the first time, he shared a dressing room with legend Bob McGrath: “I walked in, you know, and there’s this guy who I grew up watching on Sesame Street. It was just not lost on me that those phones ringing were people calling in their hard-earned cash just because this opportunity was there to help someone, and it’s just the most beautiful, selfless, wonderful thing. This has now happened for 49 years! What an honor, you know? I just love it!”

Another way Straker stays in touch with his roots is through his merchandise partnership with the Outlook, Sask.-based company, Prairie Bean Roastery. Straker’s recent album, Just Before Sunrise, shares a name with his own personal coffee roast. He’s sold over 1500 pounds of coffee in the last four or five years.

“People really like it. After people buy it, they message me and they’re like, how do I get more coffee? It’s so expensive, the postage is so expensive, but it’s a good problem to have.”

Straker’s newest album, Great Big Sky, recently received a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination. He’ll head to the ceremony in April. Great Big Sky also received a letter of acknowledgement from King Charles in 2023.