After spending several
years trying to rejuvenate their dance-pop sound with injections of
rock, the reunited boy band -- now down to the quartet of Nick Carter,
Howie Dorough, A. J. McLean and Brian Littrell (who was recently
diagnosed with swine flu; insert your own joke here) after the
departure of Kevin Richardson in 2006 -- are out to reconnect with
their younger selves and their old fans on their eighth studio album,
This is Us.
"We've gone back to the sound that people know --
the good pop melodies, the R&B influences, the Euro-dance rhythms,"
assures 36-year-old countertenor Dorough from his L.A. home.
"It was definitely a conscious effort."
And it's far from the only major undertaking in his life lately.
Along
with rehearsing dance routines eight hours a day for the Boys' upcoming
world tour, working on his upcoming solo album and managing a handful
of other pop artists, Dorough became a first-time father in May when
his wife Leigh Boniello -- one of the band's former webmasters -- gave
birth to their son James. Somehow, in the midst of all that, he found
time to call us for a chat about the life on the Backstreet these days.
martes, 13 de octubre de 2009
THE BACKSTREETBOYS: Reconnect With Fans
There have been lots of changes in your life since we last heard from you.
Yes,
life is changing. But it's changing for the best. Everything is going
well for the group. I got married about a year and a half ago, and I
became a father just recently. So yeah, lots of changes.
With the album, though, it seems you're all trying to change back to your old dance-pop selves.
Exactly.
After we took a break in early 2000, after the Black and Blue album, we
came back and were searching for a sound. Music had changed a bit, and
so we went in this pop-rock direction on Never Gone, which we thought
was really good. But we noticed that when we took it on tour, it didn't
really lend itself to the kind of show people expect from Backstreet
Boys -- the choreography and production and everything. So on
Unbreakable, we started getting closer to our old sound, and with this
album, we've gone all the way back.
Obviously, the title seems to reflect a certain acceptance of who you are.
Totally. This is us; this is the sound of the Backstreet Boys. We're not trying to be something else. How are the dance rehearsals going? You're an old man now; you're 36. Well,
I don't feel 36. Thank God for that. But it's not like what it was when
I was in my teens and early 20s. But that's why I'm taking ginkgo
biloba and glucosamine tablets and stretching a lot more. It's work;
you have to keep in shape. But we're also dancing more now than we've
danced since the Black and Blue tour in 2001. There's definitely no
holding back in the choreography.
So you're going to kill yourselves on this tour?
Pretty much (laughs).
Now that you're the oldest guy of the group, do the others treat you with more respect?
I
try to get them to listen to my wisdom. Sometimes it works and
sometimes it doesn't. Really, we all voice our opinions and we all try
to listen to each other. But I feel I'm the rational thinker sometimes
in terms of telling people what's realistic and doable. Sometimes they
don't want to hear it, but they come back and say, 'Yeah, you're right,
Howie.'
So you're Dad, basically.
Yeah, I'm in that role a little bit. Kevin used to have that role.
And
now you're a father for real. With a new baby in the house, are you
looking forward to touring so you can get some peace and quiet?
(Laughs)
Actually, last week we were in Europe doing promo and it was the first
time I was away for that long. And believe it or not, I actually was
getting a couple of extra hours sleep. So it wasn't the worst thing.
Everybody was asking me, 'Do you miss your baby?' And I definitely miss
him, but it wasn't like I couldn't stand being away. I think it's
because he's only four months and he's not really doing any major
things yet. He's pretty much just eating, sleeping and pooping. And my
wife does a pretty good job of handling that all on her own.
When
you see the frenzy surrounding the Jonas Brothers, is a small part of
you relieved that you don't have to deal with that level of craziness
anymore?
Yeah.
I look at them and see us 10 years ago. Those teenage fans are
fanatics. They are frenzied. I'm glad that I was able to experience
that. But I'm also glad to have grown older and have our fans grow
older with us. We're embracing that. We have fans that have been with
us from Day 1 that are bringing their kids to the concerts.
Yeah, but they're not trying to turn over your bus in the parking lot anymore.
No, it's a little bit safer
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/B/Backstreet_Boys/2009/10/09/11362201-sun.html?cid=rssentertainment
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