NXNE Spotlight: Canadian Electronic Artist Frank Walker Finds His 'Oasis' in Crossing Genres

NXNE takes place June 10-14, 2026 at venues throughout Toronto. Leading up to this year's festival, we're spotlighting some of the artists playing Billboard Canada LIVE shows this year. Frank Walker plays June 11 at SOUNDSTAGE at the W Toronto. Find the full NXNE schedule and buy passes here.

Frank Walker has found his creative Oasis.

The Toronto DJ, producer and electronic musician released his his sophomore album Oasis last week via Palm Tree Records, Kygo’s joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment. It's a bright and uplifting electronic record full of cross-genre collaborations and it marks an expansive new chapter for Walker, who wanted to build on his sound following his debut album Origin (2024).

"It felt like a little creative desert where I knew what I could do, but how was I going to fill that space [of not knowing where to go]? That’s where the name Oasis came from," he tells he tells Billboard Canada. "It’s more of a creative oasis for me, finding that sanctuary where I have this cool sound that people know me for, but I'm also experimenting in other directions, whether it's different tempos, sounds and percussion, or collaborating with other producers."

Oasis is true to Frank Walker's bright sound inspired by EDM's "golden era" in the mid-2010s, while also veering into new styles like speed garage and drum and bass. While making this project, he took on a new initiative by collaborating with producers like Ryos, ARTY, Timmy Trumpet, a process that led him to work outside the boundaries of his usual style and which he describes as a learning experience.

"You’re always picking up tips and tricks from these people and learning and growing. That process has taught me to be more open [to new ideas] and it has made me stronger as a producer," he adds.

Numerous tracks on Oasis are characterized by a unique fusion of country with EDM, notably on "Lay It On Me" featuring country star Josh Ross and Norma Jean Martine. The single became a hit on Billboard Canada's Airplay charts and reached the top 10 of the Canadian CHR/Top 40 chart in March after debuting in October, and it's still charting on both the Canada AC and Hot AC charts this week. It's a formula that has proven to be a hit on the airwaves, and it's present on Oasis tracks like "Desperado" with Danielle Bradbery and "Remember Us" with Dustin Lynch.

"These genres work so well together because there are very similar chord structures and tempos between country and dance. If you take a lot of these country songs, add a big electric guitar solo and put it on a dance synth over a drop, it meshes really well. There’s a natural synergy there," Walker explains.

The motivational, uplifting lyrics on Oasis and its bright textures are a callback to the "golden age" of EDM and its happy moments, a positive atmosphere he believes has been missing in popular dance music recently. He vividly recalls being in Muskoka when he heard Avicii's "Wake Me Up" for the first time, and he wants his own fans to live that same experience with his music.

"I want to make those memories [for my fans] to say, 'Hey, I remember the first time I heard this Frank Walker track. I was in this place having the best day and it felt amazing,' or 'This song really got me through something.'"

The Toronto DJ cherishes that special connection between fans and music and is eager to bring that atmosphere to life onstage during his intimate Billboard Canada LIVE performance and Q&A on June 11 at SOUNDSTAGE, where he plans to play Oasis in full. He describes the set as his first proper album showcase, and he values being able to connect with fans through a closer proximity to the audience.

"The intimate shows are where your true fans are going to be, and you really get to feel closer to people than at a festival stage where you're 50 to 100 feet away. It's really cool to connect dance in that way. It's always fun to talk about the creative process and hearing stories about how other people love the songs and the way they feel about certain ones," he shares.