Avalon

Avalon

SPREADING SOME JOY
Avalon Gets Into the Spirit with their first Christmas Album
With their smooth harmonies and unabashed pop sound, Avalon have developed into one of Christian music's most exciting young acts. Their 1997 smash "Testify to Love" took the foursome to star status, but their hit-filled 1999 album In a Different Light established them as a potent force on the Christian music scene. Now Avalon have released their first holiday collection, Joy, a vibrant mix of traditional and contemporary Christmas songs that even adds some newly penned material (including the powerful "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day," co-written by Celine Dion). Barnes&Noble.com's Lisa Zhito spoke with Avalon's Michael Passons about the meaning of Joy this season.

Barnes&Noble.com: Why a Christmas album now?

Avalon: I think as a group we really wanted to do it. We've all really loved other artists' Christmas albums in the past. When the opportunity came, we jumped on it. I think it's our best album to date; everybody sang with a lot of passion.

B&N.com: What was it about this project that brought that out?

MP: I guess when you're singing music you've heard all your life, it's just music that you know -- there was something different about it. Maybe it's because we're all just children at heart, and when it comes to Christmas, everybody has something inside they can draw from that's not usually there.

B&N.com: Most Christmas albums are recorded in the spring or summer, when the last thing you're thinking about is the holidays. Was it hard to get into the Christmas spirit?

MP: You know, the interesting thing about this is that we actually did record it last Christmas; that was the only hole in our schedule. That seems to be a first in our industry! Brown Bannister produced this, and he said of all the Christmas records he's done, this is a first for him, to actually record during the holidays. We were fortunate to have a little bit of extra spirit and inspiration in recording at Christmastime.

B&N.com: Do you have a favorite song on Joy?

MP: My favorite is "We Are The Reason"; it's an old David Meece song. It's a song I've sung all my life, since I first heard it, and it's followed me through my life. I was glad to be able to share it with a new generation of people that may not have heard the song before.

B&N.com: This album is certainly pop, but it's got a much more acoustic feel to it than your other releases. Was that intentional?

MP: We wanted to make it very versatile and timeless. It's not indicative of Avalon stylistically. It's very orchestral, and that's not what Avalon is really like. But in making the Christmas album the word timeless came out a lot. We wanted something people could pull out year after year.

B&N.com: Speaking of timeless, what's your personal all-time favorite Christmas album?

MP: If I have to put one in a No. 1 slot, it would be Amy Grant's A Christmas Album. Although I also love the Celine Dion Christmas album These Are Special Times; that's one you can play throughout the year as well. She just wails, and it's a lot of inspirational songs as well as Christmas songs.

B&N.com: So what's next for Avalon?

MP: We've got two Christmas tours this year, one before Thanksgiving that will be for Joy and one after Thanksgiving that will be part of the Child of the Promise tour. It's full costume, full sets, very much like a Broadway show. Jody [McBrayer] and I are playing the parts that we sang on the record. It should be interesting to see all of us try to act!