Jammin With the Jonas Brothers
By Erika Sorocco
They're still in their teens, but that hasn't stopped siblings Kevin, Joe, and Nick of the musical trio, The Jonas Brothers. Armed with amazing vocals, a handful of instruments, and the power of the pen—to write lyrics, that is—these guys have established an unbelievable following. And these Jersey boys are set to invade your world in a new way—via the power of TV and a sweet (and tart) treat. So curl up in a comfortable spot, and get ready for a one-on-one jam session with The Jonas Brothers.
Your latest venture is working alongside Baby Bottle Pop…What can you tell us about your relationship with them?
Kevin: We’re the spokespeople for Baby Bottle Pop, which is very cool. We were approached to help promote the Baby Bottle Pop candy, and were able to shoot a commercial. We recently saw the Baby Bottle Pop kiosk that will be in Wal-Mart stores— it’s this huge box that has our picture on it and everything. We’re really excited about the whole campaign, since it’s our first endorsement.
Before teaming up with Baby Bottle Pop, were you fans of the candy?
Joe: We were definitely fans. I’ve loved Baby Bottle Pops from the very beginning. Ever since they came out, I’ve always thought that they ruled. They’re awesome!
What was the atmosphere like on the set while you filmed the Baby Bottle Pop commercial?
Nick: Amazing. We had so much fun. There was a lot of high-energy surrounding everything. The crew was really cool, and all the fans who showed up were awesome. The atmosphere, in general, was just amazing.
You’ve filmed a Baby Bottle Pop commercial, and you’ve done other commercials in the past. Is acting something you’d like to pursue sometime in the near future?
Kevin: Absolutely! We really hope to pursue acting, and have an acting career along with our music.
Can you give us some information about the bbpinvasion.com website? What Jonas Brothers features can fans find when surfing the site?
Joe: There are going to be a lot of cool, special features and things on the site, with some cool music. People who visit the site can mix their own music! I think that the kids who check out the site will love it! The people from Topps [the company behind Baby Bottle Pops] came to us with some ideas for bbpinvasion.com, and they were all really cool.
There is currently a Jonas Brothers sweepstakes being held in accordance with Baby Bottle Pop. What do people have to do to enter? What does the winner receive?
Kevin: All you have to do is go to the website (bbpinvasion.com), fill out an application form – with parents’ permission, of course – and you’re in. The grand prize winner gets a Jonas Brothers concert for their school or town.
Do you each have a favorite Baby Bottle Pop flavor?
Kevin: Watermelon.
Joe: I’m all about the strawberry.
Nick: I love the cotton candy.
What type of musical background do you come from?
Nick: Our parents are amazing musicians. They encouraged us, and sort of gave us a boost into the music world. We’ve also been influenced by a lot of amazing artists. My personal influences are people like Stevie Wonder and The Osmonds.
Joe: I’m really into Johnny Lang, and an Australian band called Thirsty Merc. They’ve both had a lot of influence on me musically.
Kevin: I find that John Mayer and Switchfoot have really influenced me. But anything that is interesting both melodically and lyrically has a strong impact on me.
When did you realize that you wanted to be musicians?
Nick: Being musicians was never really something that we planned from the beginning. I had written and recorded a song on my own, through Columbia Records, and was performing it during my solo shows. Some people heard it and really liked it. So I changed a few things to make it work for a group, and my solo project turned into a group project – The Jonas Brothers. Things just sort of worked out from there, and here we are.
Your debut album, It’s About Time, dropped in 2006, and featured the hit singles “Mandy” and “Year 3000.” To clarify any rumors, can you tell us who, exactly, Mandy is?
Nick: Mandy is a family friend, and has been one of our best friends forever. During the time that we recorded the song, Joe was dating her. They’re not together anymore, but she’s still a close friend. Basically, she’s just a really cool girl.
Your self-titled sophomore album is being released on August 7th…do you feel that your sound has matured on this record?
Kevin: We feel like our sound has matured a lot – in a good way. We had the opportunity to write this album from beginning to end, and truly play it. We’re all older now, and this album conveys everything that we want to say at this point in time, as well as how we want to sound. This album showcases exactly how we want to be perceived by the public and by our fans, and we’re happy about that.
Are there any songs that you have recorded – either on your debut album or your sophomore release – that mean more to you than others?
Kevin: There are definitely some songs that we’ve recorded that mean a lot of things to us. For me, that includes a song off our new record called “Goodnight and Goodbye.” It’s just a really great song, both lyrically and musically. I feel that the lyrics talk about some really important things, and as a whole, that particular track just means a lot to me.
You’re currently on the road until the end of July…are you all in school, or do you home-school or work with tutors? How do you find time to balance homework and performing?
Nick: Kevin has graduated, but Joe and I are home-schooled. We have such busy schedules, that home-schooling just works perfectly. It gives us a chance to keep up on our homework, even when we’re on the road, so we don’t fall behind or anything. It’s a great set-up.
Is it difficult to determine who’s truly interested in forming friendships with you, and who’s interested in simply hanging around with celebrities?
Kevin: We have to be open to meeting new people, because you never know who you’ll come in contact with, and who you’ll become really great friends with in the future. You just have to keep an open mind and look for the best in people. That’s the only solution when you’re trying to make friends.
Joe: I guess, you know, it’s always just cool to see that fans love our music and want to get to know us more, and to form friendships with us. Sometimes they freak out and stuff, but it’s not really a big deal.
You devote so much time to creating music for your fans…how do you spend your downtime? Do you have any hobbies or passions when you’re not working?
Nick: We all have a lot of things that we love to do during our free time. I’m a huge baseball fan and really love sports. But because of our profession, we do really focus on our music and all that, even when we’re not technically working—it’s what we love.
In the past, you have toured alongside The Veronicas, Aly & AJ, and Huckapoo…is there anyone you would love to work with in the future?
Nick: Yeah, there are tons of artists we would love to have the chance to work with. We’re going on tour this summer, and are currently looking for a couple of artists to open for us. Actually, we really want Jordan Pruitt to open for us this summer.
Any particular reason why Jordan Pruitt is at the top of your list for opening acts?
Joe: Nick has a big crush on her. Don’t get me wrong—she’s a great artist, but yeah, Nick has a big crush on her.
What changes have you encountered in your day-to-day life since becoming celebrities?
Kevin: Changes…well, we’re just extremely busy all the time. We’re not home that often, and we spend a lot of time working. But that’s okay, because it’s what we want to do. We’re just extremely lucky to have this opportunity.
We all know that you’re talented musicians, but do you have any hidden talents that people might be surprised to learn about?
Kevin: I’m really good at ping-pong.
Joe: I’m pretty awesome when it comes to balancing things.
Nick: Hidden talents…umm…actually, I like to play golf.
Are there any crazy fan encounters that you can tell us about?
Kevin: We’ve had fans follow us to our hotels and things like that. But you know…nothing too crazy.
I don’t want to get too personal here, but your fans want to know…Do you have girlfriends, or are you single?
Kevin: None of us are dating anyone right now.
Do you feel that there are any downsides to being musicians?
Kevin: Downsides…there aren’t really any downsides to being musicians. We love what we do, and we have so much fun doing it.
Nick, you recently revealed that you have type 1 diabetes…Do you feel that by making this statement publicly, you’ll be able to draw more attention to what a serious condition it is?
Nick: Yeah. Being a musician is a great platform to be able to share my story. It may encourage kids who have diabetes, and may be upset about it, to calm down, have a good time, and get more facts about the disease. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to talk to these kids about this.
Since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, do you feel that your life has changed in any way? Does it affect your ability to perform?
Nick: Actually, it hasn’t really affected me all that much. I’ve been able to manage my diabetes from the start by using some great products. Overall, I’m doing really well—so far, it hasn’t slowed me down at all.
If you were to leave the music world today, what type of career or profession would you pursue in its place?
Kevin: Music is pretty much all I’m interested in doing. Well, on second thought, maybe I’d be a racecar driver.
Joe: I’d be an astronaut—go to the moon.
Nick: If I had to picture myself doing something else for a career, I would be an athlete.
Aside from your work with Baby Bottle Pop, and the upcoming release of your album, are you currently working on any other projects that fans can look forward to?
Nick: There are a lot of new and exciting things happening for us right now, but I can’t really give information out about any of it, at the moment. The only thing I can say is that it’s new and exciting, so stay tuned.
Any last words?
Nick: Check out our website (thejonasbrothers.com) for dates this summer for touring and stuff; and look out for the new record.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS
Kevin Jonas
DOB: November 5, 1987
Band Position: Lead Guitar, Back-up Vocals
Favorite Pizza Topping: Plain Cheese
Vanilla or Chocolate: Chocolate
Favorite Movie: About A Boy
Lucky Number: 15
Favorite Sport: Pole Vaulting
Joe Jonas
DOB: August 15, 1989
Band Position: Guitar, Keyboard, Percussion, Lead Vocals
Favorite Ice Cream Topping: Hot Fudge
Tea or Coffee: Tea
Favorite Cartoon Character: Rocko (from Rocko’s Modern Life)
Favorite Musician: Freddie Mercury
Favorite Vacation Spot: Bahamas
Nick Jonas
DOB: September 16, 1992
Band Position: Guitar, Keyboard, Drums, Lead Vocals
Favorite Dessert: Pumpkin Pie
Pepsi or Coke: Diet Coke
Favorite Superhero: Spiderman
Favorite Season: Spring
Food You Could Eat Everyday: Steak
