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Date: May 26, 2005 Janet Susan R. Nepales, May 25, 2005 LOS ANGELES – The boys are now men. Some of them are already sporting beards and moustaches. Three of them are in their 30s; one of them is already a dad. But who cares? They are still The Backstreet Boys. And they are back. After a five-year hiatus, the BSB, as they are also known, are seriously making their musical presence felt once more with the release of a new single, “Incomplete,” from the quintet’s new upcoming album “Never Gone” which is due in US stores on June 14. We recently attended a listening session at the secluded Sunset Marquis Hotel that has a surprising feature — a recording studio on the ground floor. The likes of Madonna and the “Ocean 11” cast have recorded and dubbed, respectively, at this studio of the low key but ultra hip hotel in West Hollywood. When we arrived one evening at The Studio, some staffers of Jive Records welcomed us into a cozy room filled with throw pillows, candles, hors d’oeuvres, chips and dips, fruits, sodas and a bucket filled with beer bottles. The listening session allowed us to hear the new material, which is decidedly more mature. “Incomplete,” their launching single is definitely not bubbly pop but a serious ballad that is refreshing. All of the original members of the group, except for Nick Carter, dropped by to mingle with the press — Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson. At the interview session the following day, the entire band was there. The members, however, were split up. We were fortunate to interview the band’s most popular member, Nick Carter, and Brian Littrell. Nick, dressed in a blue jacket, printed t-shirt, denims and lots of silver jewelry (necklaces and rings) looked serious all throughout our chat. Brian, on the other hand, dressed in a brown leather jacket and denims, was always smiling, talking slowly in a Southern accent. Both guys are reportedly the best of friends in the group – the Yin and Yang, the Frick and Frack as they are sometimes called. While Nick is the alleged practical joker, Brian is the reserved one but we could not discern that in this afternoon’s interview. Nick is the youngest in the group at 25 while Brian is the only Backstreet Boy Dad in the quintet, and he is proud of that. In this interview with the duo at one of Sunset Marquis’ airy villas, we got to know Nick and Brian more and the secret behind the durability of the Backstreet Boys. Asked what made them decide to come back after five years of being inactive, Nick replied, “First of all, we needed a long break from everything we have been doing. They say strike while the iron is hot, but now we learned that quality is better than quantity. We needed to rejuvenate ourselves.” Brian added, “When you also look at Aerosmith, Madonna, The Eagles, U2 and the like, all of them took a break here and there in their careers. The public view was that the Backstreet Boys was a boy band that will not be around for a long time. We beat those odds. We just celebrated 12 years together last month. We also needed that break because we were losing our individuality and we needed to get that back because the stronger we are as individuals, the better we are as a group.” So during that five-year break, Nick found himself going on a solo tour and doing a solo album. “He got to experience life on his own since he has been with the Backstreet Boys nearly half of his life,” revealed Brian. “We got a chance to spread our wings. We got a new respect for each other again. Because when you are touring for a solid eight years straight, it also takes its toll.” According to Nick, the best thing that ever happened to him during the five-year hiatus was to learn the hard way that “it is difficult to be on your own. I had to deal with the pressure all by myself. I learned so many things on that solo tour. I grew as a vocalist and as an entertainer and so everything I learned, I contributed to the group. Hopefully, I can be a stronger link in the chain.” For Brian, the best thing that ever happened to him during the five-year respite was being a father to a two and a half year old boy. “I am the only Backstreet dad in the group,” he declared. “Fatherhood was the biggest change in my life. When we were riding high on ‘Millennium’ and ‘Black & Blue,’ I realized I was being selfish. I was taking fame, success, the fans, and the other guys for granted. We were all kind of pulling at each other. Instead of working together, we were working against each other and it was three times harder when you do that. When I was away from them, I was able to focus on my life as a husband and a father. I was able to share the life of my little boy and watch him grow up. I got my head screwed up and was able to think straight again.” Asked how they would describe their songs these days, Nick replied, “Our songs are naturally growing. If you listen to them, the concept and depth of the things we are talking about also cover world problems. We may talk about love but we also talk about heartbreak. ‘Poster Girl,’ for instance, is about troubled people and not just about a girl. I believe that making music is an opportunity to spread music in a positive way. It is a universal language anyway. Music affects people’s lives. Just like the song ‘Never Gone.’ Kevin (Richardson) wrote it for his late father and it talks about death, loss of a loved one.” The group performed in a Kuala Lumpur fundraising concert to help the victims of the recent tsunami tragedy in Asia. Brian volunteered, “We change our schedules to make room for such concerts. From day one, our message in our music was that the Backstreet Boys are a real people and not just something that will come and go. It is sad that people only get together when a tragedy happens.” Nick remembered when they did a concert for one of their crewmembers who died in the plane crash during the September 11 tragedy. “He was supposed to surprise his wife because she was giving birth to a baby girl at that time,” Brian sadly recalled. They set up a fund and donated the proceeds of one of their concerts to his family, he added. Brian recalled, “My wife was also supposed to be in one of those planes but she cancelled three days before. So I will never forget that. During this time, A.J. (McLean) went into rehab and I visited him in rehab. So it was a memorable tour.” On a happier note, Brian could not forget their London concert with Elton John when they had a party in a park. “It was just amazing how music brings people together and how our music has been accepted all over the world. Anytime we could perform is a blessing and the reaction of people on their faces is priceless. I could never forget them. It still burns into my soul.” Asked what they thought was the secret of the Backstreet Boy’s enduring success, Nick commented, “It’s simply unexplainable. Maybe it is destiny, maybe it was meant to be. We are all very competitive. We are driven by competition in reaching our goal. And our goal is to stay together and to make music.” The group is getting ready to be heard and seen again all over the world. There is no stopping these Boys now.
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