For nine-time Grammy nominated modern Christian artist Natalie Grant, this Christmas is a homecoming – and in additional methods than one.
For the previous 20 years – because the celebrated singer-songwriter, writer, and philanthropist launched her first Christmas album, 2005’s Consider (all whereas selling her top-charting breakthrough album Awaken) – her want to launch a second Christmas album has solely grown stronger. When Grant accomplished her multi-album document deal final yr, she knew “the very very first thing I used to be going to do was make a brand new Christmas document.”
She did simply that with Christmas, out now. For Grant, doing so was a return to her roots – and a few of her warmest childhood recollections. Christmas was at all times significantly particular, as her household would collect across the piano to sing carols collectively. “And all these years later, we nonetheless collect across the piano each Christmas Eve,” she says with a nostalgic smile. And it’s, even for my very own youngsters, such a core reminiscence of Christmas.”
That sense of dwelling and togetherness – and the peace it brings – echoes Christmas, bringing a way of calm consolation and festive familiarity to beloved Christmas classics, plus two new originals. For “I’ll Be Residence for Christmas,” Grant seemed to a future reminiscence she will be able to’t wait to create, her two eldest daughters returning dwelling from their first yr away at school. “I had simply sobbed my eyes out at an meeting,” remembers Grant of the day she recorded her rendition of the basic. “There’s all this emotion and I am going into the studio, nevertheless it ended up being a second of remedy for me. I may have a respite from the craziness, and go, ‘Sure, they’ll school, however they will come again at Christmas.’”
In a sit-down interview with Crosswalk, Grant lays her coronary heart out on why she loves Christmas and singing about Jesus.
Crosswalk: Why did it take 20 years to launch one other Christmas album?
Natalie Grant: Anyone who is aware of me is aware of I am a Christmas queen. I like Christmas music, I at all times inform artists in the event you do it proper and, and document do not document a classy Christmas document, document a basic Christmas document, and you may construct. I’ve constructed a model tour, every part off of a 20-year-old Christmas document. I’ve wished to make one other one for a really very long time. I’ve had an exquisite partnership with Curb Information. I had a 23-year-old document cope with them. That is very lengthy in music trade phrases. I signed that deal again in 2001 and I accomplished the deal. I stayed and fulfilled my dedication, they usually’ve been an exquisite staff that did some fantastic issues for me, however one of many issues in my recording contract is that I had a sure variety of data I needed to do, and after I do a Christmas document, it did not depend. I did that Christmas document in 2005 and realized I simply gave them a document, nevertheless it did not depend in the direction of my dedication. The day that I completed the deal, was the day that I started engaged on a brand new Christmas document.
CW: You lately signed with Capital File, what did they consider the Christmas document concept, once you introduced it to them?
NG: It has simply been a phenomenal, unimaginable partnership with those who I’ve identified a very long time. They have been like, your very very first thing is a Christmas document. I would not have signed until it was a Christmas document.
CW: What do you get pleasure from about Christmas music?
NG: There is a basic nostalgia, many core recollections for my connected to Christmas songs. I come from a giant household. I am the youngest of 5 youngsters. All of my relations are very musical, none of them are in skilled music like me. My brother, my musical hero, was a worship pastor, unbelievable piano participant. All of my household at Christmas, or Christmas Eve, collect across the piano and we’ve songs that we sing. All of us have our components. I will be on Alto, my, sister’s going to be on soprano, my brother’s going to be on tenor. All people sings, even the grandkids have to collect round and now the good grandkids collect round. Christmas songs for me, are simply connected to core recollections with my household.
CW: What Christmas reminiscence do you’ve gotten rising up?
NG: After I was rising up, my dad and mom nonetheless dwell in the identical home that I grew up in. They moved into that home after I was two years previous. My dad’s about to show 90. My mother’s 85. They nonetheless dwell in the identical home, similar neighborhood. Lots of the neighbors have handed on, however a few of them are nonetheless there. However rising up, we caroled across the neighborhood, and it turned a convention the place folks would bake the cookies and look ahead to us to knock on the door. Christmas for me is an actual core a part of my upbringing. I like Christmas music and I used to be simply raised with that.
CW: The place does your love of Christian music come from?
NG: I’ve been a Christian and gospel music lover fan my entire life. I believe that even generally, that is in all probability a complete different interview we may do.
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Picture Credit score: ©Getty Photographs/Kevin C. Cox/Employees
Initially revealed December 02, 2025.
