Michael Bublé & Carly Pearce Cultivate Community With Holiday Collaboration [Interview]

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Michael Bublé & Carly Pearce

Over the years, Grammy winners Michael Bublé and Carly Pearce have individually connected with crowds and comforted listeners with their work. After Pearce served as a Playoff Advisor for Bublé’s team on season 26 of NBC’s The Voice, the two joined forces to further cultivate community this holiday season with their first-ever collaboration, “Maybe This Christmas,” released via Reprise Records.

Bublé co-wrote the tune with Chase McGill, Greg Wells and Jann Arden, and knew he wanted Pearce to be a part of it.

“Very luckily and serendipitously, we have the same publicist. So when I was doing The Voice and I knew I had to have a mentor, I asked if we could get her [to come on], and she said yes, thankfully,” Bublé tells MusicRow. “I had [also] been writing this song, and I knew this was not a romantic song. It was a song about somebody questioning their faith and struggling through a really tough time of year, so I was hoping that she would play the part of that person who’s calling out to say ‘Everything’s going be okay.'”

Pearce showed immediate interest after he pitched the idea. “I committed before I had ever heard the song,” she laughs.

Carly Pearce and Michael Bublé performing at the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Jamie Wendt

The songstress continues, “I think they wrote it so perfectly for anybody who this isn’t a joyous season for, and maybe they struggle to feel seen in their grief, their sadness or their loneliness, as way for them to truly know they are not alone. Whether it’s God or a friend or a family, somebody is right there watching out for you.”

They recently performed the duet during The Voice Finale, and shared it with the Grand Ole Opry last week as Bublé stepped into the sacred circle for the first time—a dream come true for the multi-Platinum entertainer.

“Many times when I write, I write country songs,” he notes. “‘Home’ was a country song. “Lost” was very country. I’m just inspired by the genre.”

A longtime friend of Bublé who was struggling served as the muse for “Maybe This Christmas.” When he learned his friend was living on the street, Bublé provided as many resources as possible and took him to The Kettle Society in Vancouver. That friend, who is now back with his family and doing well, reached out to Bublé after hearing the song to express his gratitude and how the lyrics have resonated with him.

“What people won’t forget, and what will live on forever, is how you made them feel. It’s a short life, and you’ve got a chance to make a difference,” states Bublé. “For us, as musicians, what a beautiful chance [this is] to spread some light and give a little hope to people. I just think it’s magical to walk into a room and come out with something that actually changes or saves lives. It’s amazing. What a gift.”

Liza Anderson
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