Publisher ’ s Note : This conversation with Crowder marks a full circle – a homecoming of sorts . Our very first issue of this magazine ( we were called Worship ! Magazine at the start ) was David Crowder on the front cover . And now as we embark on our 20th year of publishing , it was only fitting to have David back on the front cover . The timing of his new Milk & Cookies Christmas album couldn ’ t have arrived at a better time . His friendship with us personally and as a publication has meant so much to us over the years . So let ’ s jump in …
[ Bruce Adolph ] So here we go . First of all , I don ’ t know one artist , Christian or mainstream , that is more fitting to do a Christmas record than you . It ’ s natural .
[ Crowder ] It ’ s got to be the beard or something , right ?
[ WM ] No , it ’ s you . You ’ re the one . A lot of artists do the obligatory Christmas album for the record label because they ’ ve got one more album to produce in their contract .
[ Crowder ] ( laughing )
[ WM ] Or they go , “ Boy , we got to do one more project for the year .” But this is just right up your alley . I think you began researching this record when you were a little boy in your pajamas , prebeard , so to speak . So , in the first 10 seconds of the record , you come out and tip the hat to Burl Ives . It is just wonderful . That whole vibe on the music and the feel back then , the old , cheesy organs . So anyway , tell us about how it came about .
[ Crowder ] Man , it ’ s exactly like you said , I ’ ve been kind of fighting it the whole time . We did do a Christmas nod when we were with the David Crowder Band , but it was kind of like an EP situation . We had a few new studio tunes on there , but we really just hit record at a few live things . Because you got to cobble together a
Christmas thing , it ’ s just what you do . If you ’ ve got to make music and be a musician that ’ s signed to a label , you got to have a Christmas album . And I ’ ve just been fighting it the whole time . Twenty years worth of fight . About Christmas .
And it goes exactly like what you said . I have so many wonderful memories as a kid , laying on the shag rug in front of my parent ’ s old record player that was more like furniture . It was humongous . It was a big console , stereo speakers that were built into the piece of furniture . And it was one of those you could stack up , I don ’ t know how many records , but eight records or something . Just stack them and it would automatically , as soon as it gets done with that side , it would move over and the next one would drop . And just hours of Christmas music I was laying there looking at the liners . I couldn ’ t even read , but I ’ d just be looking at pictures and stuff .