[music]

Alison Stewart: This is All Of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. You have heard the behind-the-scenes work of my next guest for sure, and now he's dropped a not-your-average holiday album. James Fauntleroy has worked with the biggest names in music, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Frank Ocean, and Drake. He's been twice nominated in the Grammy's Album of the Year category, two years in a row, as a featured artist on albums from Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar. In 2018, he won that honor plus Song of the Year as a co-writer on the Bruno Mars album, 24 Karat Magic.

As of last Friday, he's officially a solo artist. His new album, The Warmest Winter Ever, is not only his solo debut, it is also a Christmas album, but with some steamy titles like Unwrapped, Nice or Not, and Christmas Every Night. Here's a track titled Mrs. Claus.

[MUSIC - James Fauntleroy: Mrs. Claus]

Me and Mrs. Claus

Ain't been getting along

Spent the last few Christmases just sitting alone

Shouldn’t have me sitting alone

Got me sitting alone

Waiting on another holiday

Cause the silence getting so loud

If anybody can hear me

Don't want much, just you.

Alison Stewart: James Fauntleroy is also up for a Grammy for best progressive R&B album this year, the 2024 Awards for another release in which he takes the lead, a collaborative album with Producer Terrace Martin called Nova. A very busy human. James Fauntleroy, thanks for coming to the show.

James Fauntleroy: Thanks for having me. That's awesome. It's an awesome introduction.

Alison Stewart: What was the appeal of making a new R&B-leaning Christmas music album?

James Fauntleroy: Well, you said it. It was new. Something new. After all those things you listed off, which has been like the last 15, I think, maybe 17 years of my career, I'm always looking for something new to do.

Alison Stewart: Who were you channeling in your approach to this Christmas album? Were you thinking standards? Were you thinking new standards? Or were you thinking like, "I'm going to take what I do, my expertise, and apply it to the Christmas vibe?"

James Fauntleroy: I was thinking about a way to just challenge myself and give myself a new set of parameters to pull something different out. All my songs are channeling the greats before me, though, so everything I'm always thinking of Stevie Wonder and Prince and just everybody that's awesome, basically. [laughter] In addition to that, I was thinking about Luther Vandross, that was what the Christmas music was when I was growing up and mostly just thinking about how to do something different.

Alison Stewart: This project started almost a decade ago. You released the first Warmest Winter Ever in 2014, and there was another volume in 2016. What was right about coming back to it now?

James Fauntleroy: Well, honestly, even though it's been, I don't know how many years that was, 100 years or so, whatever, [laughter] but over this time, initially when I started, it was the same reason. It was like, "I'm always looking for a new thing to wrap my skill around to pull up something different." Over the years, people have been consistently hitting me, my fan base and people that find the songs over the years are constantly hitting me throughout the year. They'll hit me in June, like, "Hey, I'm still playing this." They'll hit me in, you know what I mean, in October, like, "Wow."

Because people are so consistently hitting me year round about it, I thought that this was a good time to also address the hundreds of complaints I've gotten about people having to switch between SoundCloud, [laughs] and streaming services while they're working out. Apparently, this is also a good exercise [laughs] sound music.

Alison Stewart: Yes. Let's talk about that. Many of these songs were available on SoundCloud, now you're putting them on Digital Service Providers, DSP, streaming platforms, Apple Music, or Spotify. As an artist, what was drawing you to put these on DSPs? Was it just the fan base?

James Fauntleroy: Yes, that's it. It was just to show my fans and the people who've been supporting my music, which is a tight-knit, but dedicated group that I hear them constantly telling me, "Hey, put this on streaming services, or I'm going to show up at your house." I'm like, "You know what? I need to [laughter] let these guys know I appreciate their support and the fact that they've been listening and supporting." Also, they're always telling me they want to be able to share it more easily and just-- I just saw one this morning that the fan said that they were finally able to stand appropriately now that all the songs are on stream services. That was the biggest motivator, was them.

Alison Stewart: My guest, James Fauntleroy, the album is called The Warmest Winter Ever. Let's listen to the song Christmas Every Day, and we can talk about it on the other side.

[MUSIC - James Fauntleroy: Christmas Everyday]

Girl you know you make it feel like Christmas everyday

Oh, especially when you kiss me every place

And it's getting late, I want you right now

Ain't waiting till tomorrow morning, I want mine now

We here now, and the kids ain’t around

They sleepin' girl you know its safe and sound

I want to lay you by the fireplace and drown, (ohh).

Alison Stewart: James, this is holiday music for the Grown and Sexy, as they say, [laughter] as we just heard from that lyric. Did you set out for the beginning to make a steamy Christmas record, or is this just the way the music naturally went?

James Fauntleroy: No, 100%. It was always full steam.

Alison Stewart: Full steam ahead [laughs].

James Fauntleroy: Throughout my career, I've written so many different kinds of songs, pop songs and rap songs and all this, and typically in the entertainment industry, especially mainstream, there's a lot of talk about kids. What kids are interested in, what kids are talking about, what they're listening to, and I've just always been a staunch believer in making music for people with jobs. I wanted to start off really making sure people know that this is not kid music, so this is for adult Christmas time, because I feel like, especially around really any holiday, but Christmas is certainly one of the more romantic of the holidays, so it just felt like it went together.

Alison Stewart: For grown folks. This is an album for grown folks.

[laughter]

James Fauntleroy: Yes. This is not for children. I've seen some people playing it for their kids, and I'm like, "Okay."

Alison Stewart: Not going to tell you how to parent. [laughter] You talked to Bill Bur about your writing process and said you envisioned some classic movies like Elf and the song that resulted was Neck. I listened to the record, and that's about starting to get it on with somebody and starting at the Neck. How did you get there from Elf?

James Fauntleroy: Well, Elf is not for kids per se, but obviously it's targeted for adults. When I've started thinking about, because there's 25 songs, so that was a challenge in itself, trying to figure out another thing, after the first five, it started getting difficult. [laughs] By the time I get to that song, which was in the 20s whatevers of writing new songs, I was just trying to think of what perspective I hadn't touched yet, and so I thought about what it would be like as an elf in Santa's workshop. The first image that pulled up in my mind was the Elf movie. Then I just thought about what would this steamy Christmas-time workshop Elf situation be about. [laughter] Then there you go.

Alison Stewart: My guest is James Fauntleroy. The name of the album is The Warmest Winter Ever. Let's listen to another of the new songs, Magic. What would you like people to listen for in this track?

James Fauntleroy: Really, even though I know everyone listens to the lyrics much later after they hear the song several times, but I really want everybody to pay attention to what I'm saying on all these songs, honestly. I would say the lyrics.

Alison Stewart: Let's hear Magic.

[MUSIC - James Fauntleroy: Magic]

Don't ask bout what I want

'Cause you already know

I want you

Don't know if I'm good enough But I'm trying

Been in a mood

Cause I don't see you enough

But I'm trying

Don't mind flying private

To change your climate

If you can let me slide this time

That would be cool

But I don't know if I'm good enough

But I'm trying

Really trying baby I don't even know what happened

Do it how you like but I still end up on the bad list

Girl you're such a savage, I just want to match it

That's why I don't want to talk I'm trying to get to ripping off the plastic wrapping.

Alison Stewart: The name of that track is Magic. There's a lot of space sonically on this album. It's not really loaded up, some of the tracks are almost acapella. That one was really sparse in certain places, how do you think about space and silence and the less is more of writing music?

James Fauntleroy: That is such a great question, and I talk about that all the time with my peers and my students, so that was cool. I do programs and stuff. I'm constantly telling people to think of space as an instrument, so that's very astute that you caught that out because that's super intentional, putting the space in places that it just allows for better emphasis and gives people time to process. Then there's some songs where I'm not giving you any of that. You’re just going [chuckles] to have to get in there and go where I'm going, but for the most part, space can really be an effective way to create a mood in a song. Yes, that's on purpose.

Alison Stewart: Tell us a little more about the 1500 Sound Academy.

James Fauntleroy: The 1500 Sound Academy, I co-founded almost seven years now, it's located in Inglewood, California about eight minutes from LAX. We just opened our second location in China, so there's one in Taiwan and one in Beijing, and we've been just serving the local Inglewood community, the just community of people that are chasing their dreams in America and now we're starting to take it across the globe. As you said in the beginning of this show, I've worked with so many people.

I've had such a lucky outcome in terms of exposure to different dynamics of the business and working with all these superstars that I just felt like if there was even a slight chance that I could make somebody else's road a little easier than it has been for me and everybody I've ever talked to [laughs] then I feel like I needed to take that chance. It's been super fulfilling and awesome and I feel like I'm just getting started there.

Alison Stewart: My guest is James Fauntleroy, we're talking about his album The Warmest Winter Ever and about his career and about his academy. I do want to get back to a little more music. I love the title of this one, Is It Morning Yet? Let's take a listen.

[MUSIC - James Fauntleroy: Is It Morning Yet?]

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

I don't wanna rush, so damn come on

I wanna open up the only thing I ever wanted

I don't care who name is on it

I can tell he made it for me, yeah

You know I've been waiting on it

Tell me

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

I don't wanna rush, so damn come on

I wanna open up the only thing I ever wanted

I don't care who name is on it

I can tell he made it for me, yeah

You know I've been waiting on it

Tell me

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

I don't wanna rush, so damn babe

Girl won't you open up

Girl you know exactly what I wanted

I can act surprised if you want it

Darlin' blow my mind every moment

Said I could get it in the morning

Is it morning yet?

Is it morning yet?

Alison Stewart: James, a little bit of that sounds a little bit like, I don't know, hymns a little bit.

James Fauntleroy: Absolutely, yes. That's also a good call out because I was definitely while I was trying to push my own envelope in terms of what I could do with this subject matter, I was still trying to fit in all the classic elements in different parts of the project to still remind you that it's a Christmas project without just hitting you over the head with a Christmas tree. Yes, there is a little bit of hymnal, there's bells on certain songs, little elements to just still have some of the Christmas spirit even though there's a song on here by aliens, for instance. I'm going to all the different directions, but still want to hold on to some Christmas spirit.

Alison Stewart: Before I let you go, I do want to ask you about your album Nova was nominated for Progressive R&B Album for the Grammys alongside Terrace Martin and you've described it as an artist-led project, your first artist-led project. What felt different about this, Nova?

James Fauntleroy: Well, I've been on and off making bossa nova-inspired songs over the years because I just love Brazilian jazz with an extreme passion. Terrace who I've known for my entire career from literally the very beginning, we've been talking about working on music for almost 20 years, and anybody who's close to me knows a great way to get me to work on something is to make it Brazilian jazz. [laughs] One day he approached me with the idea of doing this type of album, and we started talking about the players and everything. When we did it, I wasn't intending it to become Grammy-nominated. This is actually my first nomination as an artist.

I have Grammys as a writer, but it's really exciting and just something I never thought I would experience. I had such a great time, I'm really proud of the album, and I'm really glad that the people I made it for, we made it for, are responding to it really well, so super awesome.

Alison Stewart: All right, you've got some listening to do. The Warmest Winter Ever from James Fauntleroy as well as the album Nova which is nominated for a Grammy. James, thanks for being with us.

James Fauntleroy: Thank you for having me. What’s up? Hey, everybody. Love you.

Alison Stewart: We're going to just switch up a bit. We're going on a track from Nova since we talked about it.

James Fauntleroy: Oh, nice.

Alison Stewart: This is Online Shopping.

[MUSIC - James Fauntleroy: Online Shopping]

I don't want money, I just wanted everything that money can buy

I can't get it for free, I already tried, not what I like

'Cause I want to try to get you, baby

Just name your price

Baby, I can take you on a trip

I know that you my inner drip

I'll get you to the water quick

And you could take off all of this

Diamond on your neck

I put a chain around your wrist

I put a chain around your waist

And drag your ass up on the ship

If you want a deal, we can talk about it

Sign on the dotted line, money in your pocket

Kiss me and kiss the world goodbye.

Alison Stewart: That is All Of It for today. I'm Alison Stewart, I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you.

[MUSIC - James Fauntleroy: Online Shopping]

'Cause now you're mine, mine, mine, mine

Mine, mine, mine, mine

Mine, mine, mine, mine

Ooh, you're worth--

 

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