First I’d like to start off by congratulating you on your newest Single release “You Make It Feel Like Christmas”, we just love the music video! So thank you for taking the time to chat with us The Modern Gentlemen, we’re fans already! Can you actually start off by telling us where the group’s name comes from?
We started our career singing arrangements of old Standards in tight 4 part harmony. It was a bit of a throwback sound, but we wanted to not seem like an “oldies” act. So we tried to find a name that would blend ideas that were both classic and timeless and would also sound contemporary. So The Modern Gentlemen were born. We like to pay homage to great writers and groups who have come before us and expose a newer generation to them.
What was shooting the music video for the song like?
We shot this music video at a winery outside Toronto, Canada. You can’t have a bad day shooting at a winery! It was August and crazy hot, so red sweaters and Santa costumes were the furthest thing from our minds, but also super exciting to start thinking about the holidays. A fun little surprise about the video is the trumpet player, who’s dressed as Santa plays the solo, but we had to pick up some re-shoots when he was already gone. So… the producer of our album put the costume on and made an appearance as Santa #2 with us!
Were there any recording challenges that you made during the making of the song?
We had the privilege of recording this album at The Village Studio in Los Angeles, CA. We recorded in Studio D, which was constructed specifically for Fleetwood Mac. The studio and engineers were A +, but we only had about 5 days to record all the vocals before we left to perform on the East Coast, so we had to get it all done quickly. It was long days of recording, but we’re super proud of the final result.
Name the proudest moment when you released “You Make It Feel Like Christmas”?
Since there are four of us, you’ll probably get four different answers. But mine (Landon’s) is when I played it for my wife and best friends. Good friends will tell you the truth and I was prepared to hear their honest answer. When they each began singing along with it before it was even over, I was ecstatic. They wanted me to play it again immediately and they were pointing out their favorite moments and lyrics. They were genuinely excited about the song, a song we made. It was an awesome moment.
Is there anyone you would just LOVE to collaborate on a holiday single with?
So Many! And again, you’d probably get a different answer from each of us. But I’d say, we’d love to have an arrangement from David Foster. Sing harmonies alongside James Taylor. Sing a soulful tune with Brian McKnight or a five part holiday classic with Donny Osmond.
We can’t wait to see what you have in store next! Please tell us where we can follow YOU and also watch and listen to “You Make it Feel Like Christmas”!!!
To see what we look like and watch our fun music video check out our YouTube page www.youtube.com/
