David Foster and Katharine McPhee talk about how they were inspired to create their 'Christmas Songs' album, David Foster's secrets to making great Christmas music, how they make their relationship work, their favorite family holiday traditions and more.
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00:00 - High five, come on, show me you're alive.
00:01 - Oh, I thought you were taking your ring off.
00:03 (laughing)
00:04 And furthermore, I don't wanna be married to you anymore.
00:08 (laughing)
00:09 Hi, I'm David Foster.
00:10 - And I'm Catherine McPhee.
00:11 - And this is Billboard News.
00:13 (upbeat music)
00:15 - Hey everybody, welcome back to Billboard News.
00:22 I'm Rania Anifdos and I'm so honored
00:25 'cause we're here today with David Foster
00:27 and Catherine McPhee, hi!
00:29 - Hello.
00:30 (clapping)
00:32 - Live studio audience.
00:33 (upbeat music)
00:36 ♪ Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock ♪
00:41 ♪ Everyone would have a friend ♪
00:48 - We're finally in the Christmas spirit.
00:51 You guys have your Christmas album,
00:53 your second Christmas album together.
00:56 Tell me a bit about why you decided to give it another go.
00:59 - It's not really a second Christmas album.
01:01 The way we look at it is that it's like one complete album.
01:04 Most albums had about, what, 13 tracks on it.
01:08 So now, we've just combined the two last year.
01:11 - We did seven and seven, seven last year, seven this year.
01:11 - Yeah, so it's like one big album.
01:14 So you can now get the whole thing in one sort of bundle.
01:19 - It's called Christmas Songs, you know why?
01:20 - Why?
01:21 - Hey Siri, play Christmas Songs.
01:24 - To be fair, it probably doesn't hurt the algorithm,
01:26 right, the SEO, to get it up at the top
01:28 of someone's looking up Christmas songs, right?
01:31 And you guys did your first part
01:33 of Christmas Songs last year.
01:34 It was your first time in the studio together in what,
01:37 17 years since you were on American Idol?
01:39 - It's now been 18 years.
01:40 I mean, we'd worked together a lot, but--
01:43 - We toured together a lot, but that 18 years ago
01:45 is when I produced her very first single off the Idol show.
01:48 - Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
01:51 ♪ Someday I wish upon a star ♪
01:55 - Which became kind of a, in all modesty,
01:57 kind of a career song for you.
02:00 - It's a song that has followed me wherever I go.
02:02 But I did originally sing it on American Idol,
02:04 so let's just remember that it was based off
02:07 of that version, not just what David Foster did.
02:10 No, but it was an amazing day when I went to a studio.
02:13 I was born and raised in LA, so it was very cool
02:16 to get in my own car and drive to Malibu
02:18 in his beautiful studio.
02:19 And yeah, and so I do do that song a lot,
02:23 but that was the kind of first and few times
02:26 that we were in the recording studio together
02:28 until we were actually, you know--
02:30 - Making a Christmas record.
02:31 - Each other's ball and chain.
02:33 - Well, what made that, what helped you bridge that gap?
02:35 I guess you're married, you've worked together,
02:37 you've toured together, you've sang together.
02:39 Why were you like, okay, let's get in the studio
02:41 and make some Christmas music?
02:42 - You know there was a pandemic, remember that?
02:44 - I think I remember.
02:45 - So everybody was locked down, the whole world.
02:48 And we were inside and we had a new baby,
02:50 and we just started messing around with the piano
02:53 and then we started going live on Instagram.
02:55 - We literally thought that we would just put this,
02:58 a few songs out on our own, just independently.
03:01 And then your friend, longtime colleague, Tom Wally,
03:05 decided to sort of take over the project
03:08 and release it for us on their--
03:10 - On a real label.
03:11 - On a real record label.
03:11 - Global Vista.
03:12 - It honestly just started as something in our living room.
03:15 Like it really wasn't something that we were gonna be,
03:17 thought we were gonna be actively promoting.
03:19 But here we are at Billboard.
03:21 - This year, bring in the Christmas cheer
03:23 at the Foster Family Way.
03:25 With great music and great company.
03:26 - And I can imagine that that's probably the most,
03:29 the healthiest, most natural way, I guess,
03:31 to be in a marriage and also have a working relationship
03:35 is let things kind of flow naturally, I'm guessing.
03:38 - Yeah, for sure.
03:39 I'm about to go to New York for like two months,
03:41 starting tomorrow.
03:42 (laughing)
03:42 Whoa.
03:43 (laughing)
03:45 So we'll see how healthy we, see how we do.
03:49 - Catherine and I are gonna be hitting the town
03:50 and that's really kind of what she--
03:52 - We're gonna come visit you, give me five.
03:54 Come on, show me your life.
03:55 - Oh, I thought you were taking your ring off.
03:56 (laughing)
03:57 - Oh, no, that's so sad.
03:58 - That would have been a wild Billboard exclusive.
04:00 (laughing)
04:01 - And furthermore, I don't wanna be married to you anymore.
04:05 - How did you guys even decide on which Christmas songs,
04:08 I guess, to put out first and then the second half?
04:10 - It's not scientific.
04:11 It's really a matter of like, you know,
04:13 I'd get up, have a coffee and I'd look at the piano,
04:15 I'd go, just walk over there and I'd just start playing,
04:17 you know, "White Christmas."
04:18 Hey, come and try this.
04:20 ♪ I'm dreaming ♪
04:20 ♪ I'll be home for Christmas ♪
04:22 - No, that's not "White Christmas."
04:23 - I know, but.
04:24 - So in one of the other tracks, "Carol of the Bells,"
04:27 is a song that I did many, many years ago
04:29 as an instrumental and we took it.
04:31 ♪ Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun ♪
04:34 ♪ Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun ♪
04:35 Right, so we redid it and with some singers
04:38 along with Kat singing on it as well
04:40 to make it sort of a half vocal, half instrumental.
04:42 - It's definitely not a featured vocal moment.
04:44 - It's great because it features me on the piano
04:47 and you on vocals.
04:47 - So we just thought it would be nice for him
04:49 to have a few tracks that really just highlight him, right?
04:53 Because.
04:54 - But it also must be cool to use your voice
04:57 in that way too.
04:57 That's not the most traditional, I guess.
05:00 - We did that also with "We Three Kings,"
05:02 which we went for like an Enya.
05:04 I've loved Enya growing up.
05:06 Like just, that was a real middle school jam.
05:11 ♪ I'm a wonder star ♪
05:13 ♪ I'm a light star ♪
05:16 - I'm guessing that Rania's Christmas go-to
05:19 is the Mariah Carey song.
05:20 - Well, I mean, it has been number one
05:23 on the Billboard charts. - I know, forever.
05:24 - And I am a Billboard writer.
05:26 ♪ All I want for Christmas is you ♪
05:30 - What's your favorite thing
05:33 about working with each other in the studio?
05:36 - She sings great.
05:38 And for, as a producer,
05:40 and somebody who's kind of a control freak and a.
05:42 - I listen to you. - And a stickler.
05:43 Yeah, you do, sometimes.
05:45 - Most of the time.
05:46 - Well, for instance, we were recording yesterday.
05:48 - Right. - A demo.
05:49 - No, I was doing you a favor is what I was doing.
05:51 - Right, for a demo for my musical Betty Boop
05:53 that's coming, opening in Chicago.
05:54 - How many favors have I done for you?
05:56 - A lot. - A lot.
05:57 - A lot, and I was like, okay, you could try it.
05:59 And she just grabs the paper, okay, let's go.
06:02 Like, your attitude was like less than great.
06:03 - Really?
06:04 Excuse me.
06:05 - Yeah, let's get into this.
06:07 Catherine, your side of the story now.
06:09 (laughing)
06:11 - She's smart.
06:12 - This is a couple's therapy is what we really.
06:15 - Our new segment here.
06:16 - Yeah, right. - What are you talking about?
06:18 I didn't do that yesterday.
06:19 - I did that the day before yesterday.
06:21 - No, but you asked what we like each other.
06:24 - Right.
06:25 Yeah, I was gonna say, stay with the positive, Dave, geez.
06:28 - I started by saying I love your voice
06:29 and she's easy to direct.
06:31 She sings so in tune. - Thank you.
06:33 - And I love that.
06:33 - My Grown-Up Christmas List.
06:35 Written by David Foster.
06:37 (piano music)
06:40 Let's watch the master.
06:41 ♪ Do you remember me ♪
06:44 - It's easy, it's really easy.
06:46 - Yeah, it is easy, and it always was easy
06:47 in the studio with him.
06:48 Honestly, it hasn't changed that much
06:50 from my experience with him when I was 21,
06:55 fresh off the idol stage, to now.
06:59 I mean, yeah, I probably am a little bit more opinionated
07:02 with certain things because, you know, I've grown.
07:05 - You should learn from Celine more, okay?
07:07 15 years, she never said a word.
07:08 She just said, "Tell me what you want me to say."
07:10 - I'm sure she pushed back here and there.
07:11 - No, never.
07:12 - Are you telling me she was just a submissive little.
07:15 I don't think so.
07:16 - Yes, she was.
07:17 - Celine's a very strong woman.
07:18 - I gotta get Celine in here now.
07:21 - Just tell me what to say.
07:22 - Well, you know what?
07:23 I'm so glad that that's what makes you happy.
07:26 - Am I right, Kim?
07:26 - Someone who listens to exactly what you say.
07:28 - She's not, she's staying out of it.
07:29 - We could get Celine on the phone
07:30 and get to the bottom of this.
07:32 ♪ I'm everything I am ♪
07:34 ♪ Because you loved me ♪
07:37 - You've become quite the king of Christmas.
07:39 You've worked with Michael Buble, Barbra Streisand.
07:42 What is it about this time of year
07:44 that gets you in the creative mood?
07:46 - I'll tell you what it really is,
07:47 is that as a producer, you're always chasing,
07:51 you're always wanting a hit,
07:52 you're always wanting to be on the Billboard charts,
07:54 I mean, the iconic Billboard charts.
07:56 So you're always chasing.
07:57 With Christmas, you truly get a free pass.
08:01 - Right.
08:02 - There's no, you can't be too corny,
08:03 and everything works,
08:05 and you don't have to quote unquote make a hit.
08:08 You just have to do something that feels good
08:10 with these amazing songs.
08:12 So I pride myself in delving in deep,
08:14 and every year when I was doing those Christmas albums,
08:17 every year with Josh Groban and Michael Buble
08:19 and Celine and Barbra, as you said,
08:21 and Dolly Parton, and done so many of them.
08:24 - You probably loved the non-pressure.
08:27 - Yeah, the non-pressure.
08:28 - The non-pressure.
08:28 - And the challenge of doing the songs different.
08:30 - Yeah, and that's what's kind of nice
08:31 about Christmas music too, right?
08:33 Because you'll have all these artists
08:34 release Christmas songs,
08:35 and we have kind of the same rotation of Christmas songs,
08:38 but you still enjoy every version just as much,
08:41 and I think that that's what's really cool,
08:42 is that they're so versatile.
08:45 - Yeah, it's true.
08:46 - And it's really great, I love that.
08:47 And of course, you guys have a beautiful family,
08:51 and you must have some Christmas traditions
08:53 that we have to talk about
08:54 since we are in the festive season.
08:56 - Well, this'll be the first year
08:56 that we'll share it with our son,
08:59 because he's now just old enough to start getting excited.
09:02 He'll be three, or almost three.
09:03 - Yeah, I mean, last year he was too young,
09:06 but I always love to go a little bit crazy
09:07 and decorate everywhere,
09:09 so that always felt like a tradition in my family growing up
09:12 is that the day after Thanksgiving,
09:14 we'd pull out all the decorations and just start decorating,
09:17 put the Christmas music on, all the classics,
09:19 and have them in rotation, and just kind of go to town.
09:22 And now I have a little helper.
09:26 He's at that age where he's not really
09:27 that good of a helper, but he wants to help.
09:29 It's gonna be a great season.
09:30 We're very excited about it.
09:31 - So exciting.
09:32 Lastly, clearly you guys have such a wonderful bond,
09:36 and so what do you think is the key
09:38 to kind of a long-lasting relationship
09:41 that also is like a friendship?
09:42 - I'll pass that over to you.
09:44 - I was like, you're asking him.
09:46 - Oh, don't be so mean.
09:48 - It's a little comical, come on.
09:52 - It's unusual.
09:53 - Listen, we're talking about hope here.
09:55 - No, I think actually, Dave, I think you should, David,
10:00 I think you should answer that.
10:02 What's the thing you don't enjoy doing?
10:06 - Arguing.
10:09 Oh, digging deep.
10:11 - Yes.
10:12 - Oh, I hate it.
10:13 - Having real conversations about real things.
10:14 - Oh, so keep it fun, keep it exciting.
10:17 - Keep it light.
10:18 - Yeah, I mean, that's a good.
10:19 (laughing)
10:22 - You know, just keep it real shallow, real surfacy.
10:25 - If your marriage is in trouble,
10:26 just remember this one thing from a very experienced person.
10:29 Keep it light.
10:30 - No, honestly, speaking truth in kindness and in love
10:36 is the best recipe for keeping a relationship,
10:40 any relationship, but particularly a marriage.
10:43 You can say hard things and do hard things
10:47 if you do them with, and say them with kindness and love.
10:51 Even when you do that, it works well, doesn't it?
10:54 - Yeah.
10:55 - I'm so glad we got this all worked out for today.
10:57 - It was so nice to meet you guys.
11:00 Thank you for coming in today.
11:02 (upbeat music)
11:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]