Katharine McPhee explains how she and David Foster keep the romantic spark alive: ‘We just want to connect’
The 'Smash' and 'American Idol' alum married in 2019
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The idea of working with David Foster was music to Katharine McPhee’s ears.
The couple, married since 2019, have been enjoying their time together doting on their son Rennie, whom they welcomed in February of last year. But now, the pair has teamed up for another collaboration.
On Nov. 25, the duo will release their first album together titled "Christmas Songs," a seven-track record of reimagined holiday tunes featuring a big band sound.
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"David and I met when I was a contestant on ‘American Idol,’ which was about 17-18 years ago," the 38-year-old told Fox News Digital about her spouse, 73.
"We’ve been colleagues long before we were in a relationship together," McPhee shared. "Then we became friends. So I’m very accustomed to being on stage with him, sharing a stage with him, being in the recording studio with him. That was first before anything. That’s where we’re the most comfortable together. It doesn’t create any friction between us at all. There’s no kind of unknown between us. That’s where it all started for us."
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McPhee and Foster began dating back in 2017. The "Smash" alum previously noted that the record producer threw a Christmas party for her and her friends in an attempt to impress her. Their idea of keeping the spark alive as busy parents has gotten "really simple" over the years, McPhee shared – and she would not have it any other way.
"We just love being able to go to a movie and have dinner together," said McPhee. "There’s nothing extravagant about what we like to do. We just want to reconnect. I love to just sit and have dinner with him. I’ll have a glass of wine – he doesn’t drink. And we just talk. That’s our time together that we always make sure to have. We have a very hectic schedule so that’s really important to us, to carve out that time each day. And there’s always something to talk about whether it’s our family, our son – it’s our time."
McPhee said the quality time she and Foster shared at the studio bonding over Christmas songs brought them even closer together.
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"I’m always marveling at his ability to have an idea in [his] head and manifest it into something," she explained. "Working with David is the best because he knows exactly what he wants, what he needs from you. Being his wife and also his fan before we were even married, I have an immense respect for him… And it’s been so much fun. We had the summer together and thought about just releasing a few songs on social platforms… but the idea turned into so much more."
McPhee said the holidays have always been a special time in her household.
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"The day after Thanksgiving, we always have a tradition where we pull out all the Christmas decorations and turn on all the Christmas music," she chuckled. "It’s something I look forward to every year. Hopefully, my son will eventually be decorating as much as I do. I love pulling out the recipes that I’ve done for several years, recipes that my grandmother has done over the years… my mom also loves to come over. She can cook, but she doesn’t enjoy it as much and that’s something she’ll admit. But one thing we love to do is pull out our apple pie recipe and prepare it together for Thanksgiving and Christmas."
McPhee insisted that her son is already showing off his musical talents. Time will tell if he goes on to pursue the family business, but the star said she already knows the piece of advice Foster will give on pursuing the music industry.
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"I know what my husband would say and I guess I’ve sort of adopted his belief," she explained. "He’d say, ‘If you need my advice or if you need me to tell you how to figure it out, then it’s probably not going to happen to you.’ Typically, people who are really meant to do something will find a way to do it and figure it out. And they don’t lean on people necessarily to make it happen for themselves. So I think practice and perseverance are probably the best keywords we will share with him to make it happen. But the only person who can figure it out for yourself is you."
McPhee said she enjoys sharing her family life with fans on social media. The singer said she is not fazed by any trolls eager to target her.
"I think [that confidence] comes with age," she said. "I know how I like to conduct myself and not everyone applies that to their lives. And listen, these are people who will just write something and go about their day and they don’t think about what they wrote again. So I’m going to spend about as little time on it as the person who decided to write it in the first place. I’m sure they don’t even think about it five seconds later after posting it. So to me, it pretty much has zero impact."
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These days, McPhee has been focusing on her latest project – a jewelry line. She said the idea came after giving birth to her son.
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"Making jewelry has been this secret passion of mine," she said. "Growing up, I knew what my real passion was. It was very obvious and right in front of me. I knew I could sing and I loved to perform. But meanwhile, I was always collecting jewelry… I always knew one day I was going to make it possible. It was something I manifested in my own head without ever uttering it to anybody close in my life, like my husband or my mom."
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"I’ve always been an avid fan of collecting jewelry and giving it as gifts for special occasions," she continued. "And along the way, I learned there [are] a lot of ways to manifest things. I used to write things down before the new year would start and say to myself, ‘I’m going to achieve this.’… This is something I’ve always believed in. And jewelry holds memories. It’s something you can pass down to your family, which is important to me… Any time you spend time with your family is sacred… And [making jewelry] is something I love to do. It’s extended into my adult years. I always give something to my mom or sister for a birthday or special occasion. That’s where it all started and continues. It’s become a special tradition, one that I continue with my mom and sister."
As for Foster, McPhee said he has "definitely given his input."
"He’s very particular about what he likes and what he doesn’t like," she laughed. "I always like to show him what I’m working on. For the most part, we agree… I always love to get his ideas and perspective on stuff. He likes the classics. I like things a little bit more edgy. But it all works."