Martina McBride Releases Big Band ‘It’s the Holiday Season’ Album

Martina McBride’s new Christmas album is out! The nine-song record, It’s the Holiday Season was released on Friday, Oct. 19, helping fans get an early start on the festive season.

“I’m super excited about it,” McBride shared with PopCulture.com and other media, prior to taping her performance for CMA Country Christmas. “It’s a big band Christmas record, kind of in the Frank Sinatra kind of style. We cut it in L.A. with a big band, hence the big band feel, at Capitol Studios.”

The Kansas native wanted to record in Los Angeles to capture some of the same sounds that were made by previous music legends.

“It was different just being in that studio, where all those great Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra albums were cut,” McBride recalled. “There was a really cool vibe, I guess, and spirit there, and working with some of the same musicians that played on my record played on their records … It was really special. It’s just something I don’t get to do very often.”

McBride knew how she wanted It’s the Holiday Season to sound, but admits she was still pleasantly surprised by the finished product.

“The thing about a record like this is you don’t really get to hear the arrangements until the day of tracking, and you walk in and you hope for the best,” the 52-year-old acknowledged. “It surpassed any kind of expectation and wish, that I could ever have hoped for. It was brilliant, and beautiful, and fun, and whimsical, and had such great energy.”

McBride will embark on her The Joy of Christmas Tour on Nov. 23, performing with full symphonies for each of the ten shows.

“We’re actually doing three dates in Nashville, my home town,” noted McBride. “I’ve really never done a Christmas tour with a symphony before, so this will be all new.”

The singer also just announced she will host her own cooking show, Martina’s Table, on the Food Network.

“I’ve always had a passion for cooking and love to cook for my friends and family,” McBride said. “Having a show on Food Network is a dream come true. We’ve filmed the first season and it’s been so fun and exciting to be able to share some of my favorite recipes and stories.”

McBride will release her second cookbook, Martina’s Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life, on Oct. 30. Purchase It’s the Holiday Season at her official site.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Credit: John Shearer/Country Rising