Interview with Howie

BSB INTERVIEW -- PART ONE

Backstreet Boys have been incredibly busy, singing, touring and collecting more new fans, but TEENS managed to get a phoner with the very affable Howie.....

What have you been up to?
Not much; we have just been back here in the States for two weeks. Before that, we were promoting our album. We went to Europe and Germany and Austria, and then we came back to LA to shoot a video. We also visited Dallas where we did an open-air show with Jon Secada, Erasure and Blondie. Now that we're back, we will be rehearsing in LA for the next two weeks.

How do you divide work among yourselves when recording an album?
We work in a team. Recording for the last album was a bit crazy because we were touring at the same time and promoting and recording. Previously, in between touring and promoting we would take a week or two to go to the studio to record, but for the last album we didn't have so much time. We would go for two to three different sessions at a time in the studio, then split up the work. Some of us would be doing background, others would be doing the songs.

Is there any diffreence between your debut and the second album?
Yes, there are differences, but we didn't stray too far away from our style; we used the same producer. There is a more R&B feel in the second album than the first, but the flavour of BSB is still there.

You are your own individuals, but do you have the same opinion as a group?
Yes, we definitely think as a group. We are five individuals from separate backgrounds, and some of us may have knowh each other before coming together as a group - like Kevin and Brian are cousins - but we all have a common goal, that is to do what is best for the group.

Is there any professional jealousy of competition among yourselves?
There is friendly competition among us to get parts, but it keeps us on our toes and makes us do our best. We would all like to sing lead, but we do also realise that it is not possible, therefore we let our producers decide who is most suited to sing which song.

What do you think of the Spice Girls?
We once met them. They are very nice girls.

Do you think you are the male equivalent vocal group (in terms of quality and fame)?
Not really. The Spice Girls are the Spice Girls and BSB are BSB. We are different, our style of music is different, we have more R&B influences which show in some of our songs. Stylewise, there is no competition.

What sort of girls do you like and dislike?
We like all girls (laughs). That's for sure, regardless of age, race, colour. The main thing is, in business, it's hard to find to find someone that you feel likes you for who you really are. It would be nice to find a girl with a good heart, who is sincere, and has a good head on her shoulders.

How would you try to win a girl's heart?
Well... (laughs). I won't try to be something that I am not. I'm Howard and not anyone else and I feel I have a good heart, I'm caring and loving, and I'll just be myself around that person - and hopefully she will like my qualities. I might go all out to impress her though, taking her to dinner, buying her flowers, maybe even cooking dinner, and we'll have a romantic evening together.

Any of you with girlfriends?
No girl will put up with our schedule and lifestyle. We are always on the road, state to state, country to country, and it's hard to find such understanding girls. We've tried dating in the past, but it was very hard. Now we date, but they're nothing really serious, we have no steady ties of commitment.

Why is your group called BSB?
The name Backstreet is from a landmark in Orlando - a flea market that was there two years ago, but not there anymore. Backstreet market on weekends was a major tourist area, there were lots of tourists. We got the name from there and then we put 'boys' behind it. Why 'boys'? Because no matter how old we get, we'll always be boys. Boys will be boys and we have groups like The Beach Boys, Pet Shop Boys... 'Boys' is a name that will last.

BSB INTERVIEW -- PART TWO

Who sang the most on your second album?
There was no official count, but we all got a chance to sing. The majority of the recording was between AJ and Brian and Nick and then me to Kevin. All of us were featured doing solo in one song or another.

What's your favourite song on the album?
"All I Have To Give", written by 4 Force. It's great because it's an old song that still sounds good when you mix in a contempporary feel. And the younger generation can relate to it. It was great working with the guys and we had fun recording it. We also shot a video for the song that looks really nice.

How much do the songs involve your relationships with friends and family?
Most of the music has been written by us, so when we write a song, it does come from our feelings about family, friendship, love, etc. And songs that are written for us have to have meaning for us. If we can't relate to the songs, it would be very hard for us to sing them with feelings and emotions. We also try not to touch political stuff or matters that are too heavy.

What do you do to keep the band together when so many others seem to break up soon after gaining success?
Commmunication is the biggest key to keeping everything together. We are like blood brothers and like any family, we have our ups and downs. In fact, we're together 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So communication is important. We don't keep things inside us and then blow up one day. We talk freely and try to do things that are for the good of the group.

How would you describe each other?
Kev is the oldest in our group and I would say that he is very mature. He is also very professional in what he does, and makes sure it's done to the best of his ability. You could almost call him a perfectionist, but he doesn't go to that extent.

AJ is Mr Communication. We always like to tease him about his being very communicative with girls (laughs), and everybody else. He can talk about anything.

B-Rok is the comedian. He's very lively and keeps us on our toes. He would be the one turning dull moments around.

Nick is the youngest among us and the practical joker. He finds ways of playing practical jokes on us - itching powder, gum that turns your mouth blue ... He's really a big kid at heart.

Why does AJ always wear his black sunshades?
Black sunshades are AJ's trademark. he's very influenced by R&B stuff, so that's why he's always going around in those shades. Now people recognise him as 'AJ-with-the-shades' and without them, he doesn't feel like AJ.

Nick is 17, so is he still studying?
Yes, he has a tutor who guides him in his studies. But we can't really pinpoint the grade that he's in because of his wierd situation - you know, not being able to attend normal classes in school. He just has to complete a certain number of subjects each year. But I would say he is around the 11th grade.

After high school, does Nick intend to go to college?
Yes, he'd like to do that. In fact, all of us would like to. But right now, it's hard for us to find time because we are always doing something. We hardly even have the time to sleep.

How did you come up with the concept for the 'Get Down' video?
We get directors who come up with ideas for our videos and we usually ask them to send us a 3-minute sample of what they have in mind. This company called Sputnik came up with the idea for our 'Get Down' video, and we all thought it was really good. It's our first video done like that with a blue-screen effect. It was very interesting because we were forced to use imagination. And it turned out really good.

Is it tiring touring and promoting like this?
It does involove a little bit of work. You would think the lifestyle of an entertainer means always doing shows, partying after work, the getting up to do a show the next day. That's not really so. But it's good; we don't mind this kind of lifestyle. Just as long as we are keeping busy.

How was your visit to Bangkok?
We had a great time in Bangkok and we wished we could stay longer. It is a beautiful place and I loved the spicy food.

We are trying to go over the Orient in October but the schedule's been changed and we are trying to make a break in the States, so we may have to push our next visit back here a little. We would like to try to go to as many countries as possible before the end of the year.

What are some of your fun memories of the Philippines when you visited last year?
It was great. We went to Manila and had areally good time. We would like to visit the place more often. We saw many intesting Philippines traditions and also tasted the food. We also did a big TV show there and had lots of fun in the process. It is a beautiful country.

And to all BSB fans out there, Howie has this to say: We love everybody out there and appreciate your support!

---

This page hosted by   Get your own Free Home Page