(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) Baby, maybe you and me - yeah, we could be celebrating Christmas in the city.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
New York City is alight with magic this time of year. It inspired Pentatonix's new holiday album.
SCOTT HOYING: I like that the decorations are so, like, larger than life. It just feels like you're in a Christmas movie instantly, and we wanted to kind of capture that feeling.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) City lights, crowds and taxi horns, snowy skies. What are we waiting for? There's a concrete wonderland to explore. Oh, you and I.
SIMON: Pentatonix's new album is called "Christmas In The City," and it reimagines holiday standards. It offers original compositions. And as you may have noticed, it features musical instruments. It's a new direction for the hit a capella group. Earlier this week, we spoke with three members of Pentatonix, Kevin Olusola, Matt Sallee and Scott Hoying.
HOYING: A big part of Christmas is those old sweeping orchestras and big bands that you hear and the classic Christmas songs. We love that sound. And we've done so much Christmas music, but never really had done that before.
KEVIN OLUSOLA: There's something that really expands the palate that we've never really done as much. I think that people are really screaming and loving the things that we're doing, so I think this is something that we can continue throughout our career.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) In one, two, three. Yeah, we could be celebrating Christmas in the city. We could go wherever, whatever the weather, 'cause we...
SIMON: Last time Pentatonix was on NPR, Matt Sallee, you weren't part of the group. How did you find your way there?
MATT SALLEE: Well, I joined the group in 2017 through a mutual friend. And went to Berklee College of Music and did a lot of a capella singing, some wedding band work, which I absolutely love. Long story short, opportunity arose, and I ended up joining the group in 2017. That's the shortest version I've ever told of that story. But (laughter) I've been in the group more than eight years now. So it's just like - we've just been through - in each other's lives, and it really makes it feel like family. And somebody has a kid, we're like, oh, like, the more the merrier, you know? And somebody gets married, we're like, welcome in.
SIMON: Among the original songs, let me ask you about "Bah Humbug."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BAH HUMBUG")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) I met a man named Ebenezer south of Camden High with callused hands, stood at a slant, and no one dared walk by. His heart was hard and sharp as flint. His door was lined with locks. As lonesome as an oyster, and he was greedy as a fox. He was a penny-pinching...
SIMON: Where does this come from?
HOYING: Oh, my gosh. And so this was an idea that I actually had, like, a few years ago, to do, like, a sea shanty. You can hear, like, elements of sea shanty in it, but it turned into something different. But it was just, like, a really, really fun song to write because it was the story of "A Christmas Carol" in four minutes.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BAH HUMBUG")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) Bah humbug. Hum, hum. Bah humbug. Hum...
SIMON: I mean, I heard the song, and I thought, why read a 100-page Dickens novel when you can listen to a four-minute song?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BAH HUMBUG")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) Well a ghostly figure touched his sleeve, and time flipped upside down He saw a boy, so innocent, unlike the man that he is now. Then a second ghost...
HOYING: Famous phrases from the Charles Dickens book like, the doors were lined with locks, as lonesome as an oyster, all these, like - so we were trying to incorporate the Charles Dickens verbiage. And it was, like, a really fun one to write.
SIMON: Scott Hoying, let me put you on the spot a bit. How did you bring about this collaboration with Frank Sinatra that's on this album? We should explain Mr. Sinatra is gone - God rest his soul - but back on your album. Yeah.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM")
PENTATONIX AND FRANK SINATRA: (Singing) Snow is snowing. Wind is blowing. I can weather the storm. What do I care? What do I care?
HOYING: It all happened through Dave Pierce, this amazing executive producer we worked on this album with. And Dave Pierce was like, I work with the Sinatra estate a lot, and I know that there's a vocal of Frank Sinatra singing that hasn't been heard. And I can ask the Sinatra estate if we can have the vocal and do a collaboration. And so we, like, sang for them and got to know them. And then they granted us the unbelievable, mind-blowing opportunity to sing with, like, the blueprint of vocalists.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM")
PENTATONIX AND SINATRA: (Singing) What do I care? Icicles form. (Vocalizing). Got my love to keep me warm. Off with our...
SALLEE: We actually got to record with Frank Sinatra's original trio - his bass player, his pianist, his drummer. And so it was just a very, very surreal, kind of bucket list thing that was really special.
OLUSOLA: It also just took us out of our comfort zone. The track was very jazz-inspired, so we had to use syllables and try certain vocal flourishings that we hadn't really done before. It was a challenge that we got to take on to really honor this iconic vocalist, bringing that to so many more families because of this collaboration.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM")
PENTATONIX AND SINATRA: (Singing) I got my love to keep me warm.
(SOUNDBITE OF PENTATONIX SONG, "HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS")
SIMON: So many of you in Pentatonix obviously have your - have solo projects. You have albums and books and concerts. Is it kind of like its own holiday to come back together for an album like this?
HOYING: Yeah.
OLUSOLA: Yeah.
HOYING: I mean, that's what's so beautiful about the Pentatonix experience, is that, like, one thing we've always done in our group that I feel like is special and kept us together for so long is we let everyone do, like, solo projects and projects. That way, we can all fill our cup. And then it ended up being a good thing for Pentatonix 'cause we can all bring experience and ideas and our fulfillment to the group, and it makes us stronger.
OLUSOLA: You know, I fully agree. I mean, it's so nice because we're five very different people. And the way each of us fill our cups are very, very different. And so to be able to go out and do those things that fill your cup and to attract fans individually that may not necessarily know Pentatonix, but they know who you are because they resonate with your story, your - I like to sometimes say your hero story. Now they come back and go, wait. There's a vocal Avengers? I didn't know this. I only know Black Widow. I only know Iron Man. I only know Black Panther. Wait. There's Avengers? And that's kind of what it feels like for those fans to now find us through our individual endeavors. And that's really special.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) Have a holly jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year. I don't know if there'll be snow, but have a cup of cheer. Have a holly, a jolly...
OLUSOLA: The one thing that we've always wanted to make sure we do is leave a legacy not just for us to look back on, but also for the fans to look back on and, now that we have children, for our kids to look back on.
SIMON: Yeah. That's life.
SALLEE: I feel like we also are fans of each other, too, which is really important. You know, it can be difficult in groups with so many different personality types, but we're really good at coming to a consensus. I think it's just because we all, one, respect the art of Pentatonix and what Pentatonix does for us and how much joy it brings to so many people. And also, we just have been through each - in each other's lives for so long. It's like a five-way marriage. It's just a lot of just love.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "[CHRISTMAS MOVIE")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) Ooh. We could live a real-life Christmas movie. Dancing in the cold, pull you closer to me. Just you and I, laid by the fire. Ain't this a wonderful life? Close your eyes.
SIMON: Matt Sallee, Kevin Olusola and Scott Hoying, all with the music group Pentatonix. Thanks so much for being with us.
HOYING: Thanks for having us.
SALLEE: Yeah. Thanks for having us.
OLUSOLA: Pleasure.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHRISTMAS MOVIE")
PENTATONIX: (Singing) A magic that's older than time, time. Oh, you're laughing at me falling when I'm skating. But at least I made you smile. I'm not complaining. Then you kiss me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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