Ten years and 90 million albums on, onetime teen idols Backstreet Boys have become men.
The band have a short UK tour, which includes a date at Birmingham’s NIA on Thursday, May 8, and admit that they are pleasantly surprised to be still very much in business.
“To still be around feels amazing,” admits Howie Dorough; “so many artists, boy bands and rappers that started when we did have disbanded.
“We look at artists like the Eagles, the Rolling Stones or Aerosmith, where everyone has done individual things, but they are still able to come back together. I admire that kind of staying power. ”
Brian Littrell agrees: “The pop bands of yesteryear that don’t exist anymore were centred around one or two central vocalists. What has allowed us to keep going is that we were always a team of well-rounded singers, with a similar vision.
“We’ve been through so much together, on equal terms, and that either tears you apart or brings you closer.
“When we took a break from 2002 to 2005, it was such a blessing to step outside of our own spotlight and focus on the value of something other than being a pop star. We needed to go through that character building in order to maintain respect for what we all have as a group. ”
Now a quartet following the amicable departure of Kevin Richardson in 2006, the Boys went back to the future for last year’s Unbreakable album after experimenting with a more guitar-based approach on Never Gone.
“The rock sound limited us from doing as much choreography, ” explains Howie. “When we were in the studio, we recorded more than 30 songs, but made the conscious decision that this album should return to that middle ground, so our fans realise we haven’t lost touch with who we have always been. Performance is such an important element of the Backstreet Boys.”
“We can’t wait to get back onstage and put a big extravagant show together using this material as the base, ” agrees Nick Carter. “Half of what we do is vocals and harmonies on our albums, but our other role is entertainers, which we take pride in.”
A J McLean jokes: “We don’t want to be a bunch of geriatric boys sitting on stools when we perform. I think when you hear the record, you can see how much fun these songs are going to be to perform live.”
“We’ve been part of this group for half our lives - it’s crazy to think about. If you asked me in 1992 if I’d still be a Backstreet Boy in 2008, I’d have thought we’ll make some records together and have a good little run. But we continue because we love what we do.
“We thrive being onstage and seeing the faces of little girls and boys and couples and grandmothers, all cutting a jig in the front row. If we were to write a book based on our experiences, I think it would be longer than War and Peace. When I’m a grandpa, I’m going to have a lot of stories to tell. ”
“We love the fact that we can still lift people’s spirits and make them smile with songs they can sing along to. I do think we’ve found a magical sound,” adds Brian. “We’ve grown up together with our fans for this long. Hopefully, we can stay together for another 15 years. ”
“Our music has evolved with our fans. We were young pups when we started, ” says Howie. “With each album we’ve had the opportunity to grow more mature, lyrically and vocally. We’ve also had the chance to educate ourselves about the business and becoming real musicians. I hope that shows with each step we’ve taken.”
SOURCE : Track-Back
PS: Traduction sur demande !
Mon 28 Apr - 17:16
