Ed Boxall’s “Polar Bear” Brings Winter Magic Without the Clichés

With “Polar Bear,” Hastings-based multidisciplinary artist Ed Boxall offers a Christmas song unlike anything crowding the seasonal airwaves. Instead of jingling clichés or high-gloss cheer, Boxall crafts a gentle winter fable, one where a lone polar bear wanders through the quiet streets of Hastings, carrying the weight of longing, dreamlike wonder, and the hush that arrives with fresh snowfall. It’s a beautifully odd premise, but Boxall treats it with such tenderness that it becomes instantly believable.

“Polar Bear” leans into the shimmering 12-string guitar textures inspired by The Byrds, creating a warm, nostalgic glow without ever feeling retro. Boxall’s folk-pop sensibilities shine in his carefully shaped lyrics, each line feeling more like a verse from a children’s storybook than a typical Christmas single. That storytelling instinct is no surprise outside of music. 

Boxall is a well-respected printmaker, illustrator, and author whose work often blends memory, imagination, and British wildlife. Those threads are woven throughout this track, turning Hastings itself into a dreamlike setting.

Signed to End of The Trail Records and preparing for his first LP with the label, Boxall sets a high bar with this debut single. “Polar Bear” is soft, cosy, poetic, and refreshingly human. It won’t replace the commercial holiday anthems, but that’s exactly why it stands out. For listeners seeking a winter song that offers quiet magic instead of forced festivity, Ed Boxall’s “Polar Bear” is a small, snowy treasure.