gt.com: A lot of groups have announced they
are taking breaks (Matchbox20, Destiny's Child, and 'N Sync for instance), but have yet to
resurface as a whole. will LMNT be reuniting, or have you decided to part indefinitely?
BRYAN: No, we just said we were going to take some time to go pursue these things.
We've been working for almost four years, so everyone just kinda has the itch. I think it
happens with any group, everyone has their personal preference of music or what they would
like to make happen, and that's awesome! You come up with some really cool stuff
collectively, but at the same time, we've done so good at making sure that everyone's
voice was represented. It was never one person's musical taste or style that was ever
reflected in the music. So, that's basically what it comes down to. You just finally get
to that point where it's like, "You know, I'd really like to do my type of music."
It ended up that this is a perfect time to go out and support each other and do our own
thing. We didn't really give it a time limit, it's different for everybody. At this point,
it's very indefinite -- we didn't make anything in concrete.
gt.com: good to hear! moving on to your solo work, how would you describe
the sound of the album, which you're in the process of recording now?
BRYAN: I would call it organic pop -- it's me and live instruments. It's not a lot
of flash and pizzazz and effects or anything like that. I'm just really working hard at
making it sound like a cross between what you hear when you hear Hootie & the
Blowfish, John Mayer, and Sugar Ray. It's like a very band-feel, even though it's a solo
gig.
gt.com: how would you compare it to your past projects?
BRYAN: The only other real project I've had is LMNT, and in that case, we had
several different producers on that album. And because of that, you have some great
variations and each song was very different. There were certain songs that I felt were
overproduced, songs that didn't need to be as full. And with some songs, you lose the
effect that you have four guys that can sing and that can sound great as one harmonic
voice. Sometimes that got buried behind the, what we call "the lights and the
lala," which is a lot of production stuff going on.
gt.com: so when can we expect the album to be released?
BRYAN: I'm working hard to do at least fifty songs before we sit down and pick the
best. I just got started last month, and it's been going amazing so far! We've been
cutting some of the masters, because we feel they are so strong. It may take awhile, and
I'm not under pressure to finish it quickly. I'm hoping that people will be able to hear
something, at least through the website, in the next month or so. Just so I can get
feedback on the music and what you guys think about it. Maybe an album this year, if
that's possible.
gt.com: how exciting! now, as you've learned, writing can be a deeply
personal task. what have you learned about yourself through this process?
BRYAN: I've always been very expressive in my music, and I find that I'm even more
expressive in my music and in my lyrics than I am in life in general. It's always been a
great outlet for me, as far as reconnecting with certain things that happen in my life and
certain emotions that I want to pull out for the songs. Writing is a really cathartic
experience -- you get so much out. And the fact that I've been able to do nothing but
write, since we've taken the break and I don't have to worry about performances and
rehearsals, it's been a cleansing couple of months.
gt.com: tell us more about the process of writing a song. how does that
come about?
BRYAN: You sit down with some instruments, and you just start going through it. The
music, a lot of the time, will dictate what type of song it is. Like, if all the sudden
someone is playing a happy chorus on the guitar, we'll sit there and write out lyric
ideas. If you're playing major chords and it blends itself to a happy groove, that of
course leads itself to happy lyrics. Or in minor chords, it's very Coldplay-ish, you get
that sort of vibe. That's kinda where we start. Very rarely we'll say, "Let's
write a song about Breakfast at Tiffany's," or something like that. A lot of
times if you get work assignments, like if Disney came to us to write a song for
a movie, sometimes you have to start with that and work backwards. But, I like to work the
other way around.
gt.com: how about when you finish the song -- do you test the waters and
ask friends, family, or producers what they think? or, is it set in stone and ready to
record by the time you hit the studio?
BRYAN: Absolutely! At the end of the day, I have to live with it, and I have to be
happy with it. So, that when I'm on stage, I can give my whole heart into it. I am the
final say, but I take a lot of time to make sure that I get everyone's opinion, not only
the producers and my manager, but I also take it outside the project. Because, we are
close to the project -- we wrote the songs, so we think they're the greatest. I have to go
to people who don't know music, people who are just average listeners, who just really
love music, who maybe turn on the radio everyday. We like to see what their feedback is.
So far, we have worked about three weeks in Nashville, and we have six songs done. We went
to some friends house last night, and we played all six songs for them. Then, we gave them
pieces of paper and told them the songs we would be playing for them. And, they ranked
them. That's really important -- it's almost like market research, like what people do for
movies. Taking the product you are going to put out in the public, it would be foolish not
to go out and get people's reactions beforehand.
gt.com: we couldn't agree more! okay, while in LMNT, you toured with
Britney Spears -- what was the most interesting thing you learned about her while opening
up her shows?
BRYAN: If anything, it was the first time I learned what it was like to be a part
of a circus! There was this huge production. I have always had in my mind, which is
probably from watching Dumbo, when the circus comes to town, it comes with a lot
of trucks and cars filled with different things. And, her tour had eighteen 24-foot trucks
filled with costumes, scenes, prop changes, lighting equipment, and stages. People would
be able to finish her show in Detroit at ten o'clock at night, pack all of that up, bring
it to the next city, and have it all set up by the next night. The way they make the
process work is so flawless, and it's so amazing. Everyday I would sit backstage after we
performed, where there are all of these moving sets. Huge rolling carts that are lined up
in the order they go in, one after the other. She would go out and do her opening number,
and then that scene would roll off the stage, and as soon as it was rolled off the stage,
it goes back into the truck. As soon as that truck was full, it went to the next city. It
was an amazing process -- I would have to say that was the most interesting aspect of the
whole process.
gt.com: completely! speaking of Ms. Spears...what was your reaction when
you heard about her Vegas wedding?
BRYAN: You know what? Go for it, Britney! I would imagine it just cannot be very
easy to be in her shoes and to have everything scrutinized. From what I read and what I
understand, she went just to have a good time and to have a joke. And, everyone is
entitled to do that. Just because you are a celebrity doesn't mean that you won't have
those moments or lapses that you just want to do something crazy. I just hope that she
doesn't regret it. If it was meant to just be for fun, I hope she isn't kicking herself in
the pants for right now and realizing that it may not have been the smartest thing to do.
gt.com: definitely -- now, going from being in a group to being solo, how
are the standard tasks, like recording an album and being on stage, different than they
were when you had the other guys accompanying you?
BRYAN: Recording now is a lot different, because now I have more say in the type of
music we do and how we do it. But performing is going to be terrifying! I'm used to going
out there with the guys and having them there and feeding off of each other's energy. If
you have a night when you're not feeling up to it, everyone else could cover. And now it's
like, you know, you gotta be on and everyone's looking at just you.
gt.com: we can imagine! take us back to when you first decided that being
a musician was the path you wanted to travel. what was the first thing you did to start
your career?
BRYAN: My whole entrance into this was by fluke -- when my roommate called me about
Making the Band. I had always been singing in my gospel choir, and I was having a
great time with that. But I never thought in a million years that I could do this as a
career! It wasn't like I was actively pursuing it. I will say now being in the music
industry, everyday is a hustle, it's a game. I mean, you have so many people out there
that are talented with the ability to sing and dance and have the right music...the thing
that differentiates you know, Justin Timberlake from the guy singing at Starbucks;
their preparation, the opportunities that arise, the practice they put into their craft,
how much talent they have. That's just something I work really hard at everyday -- I know
that if I want to survive in this industry, I'm going to have to do everything I can to
work for it.
gt.com: speaking of reality music shows...what's your take on the whole
American Idol phenomenon?
BRYAN: I'm not going to lie to you, I'm a total addict and I love watching it! I
think reality television, in regards to music groups, are fun to watch. American Idol
does a good job, because they just focus on the people and the critique, and that's it.
Whereas Making the Band, even though it was about the group, was more about the
storyline and what was going on behind the scenes. I think when you take that out, what
you are left with is whether the person can sing or not. I think that American Idol has
given a lot of people an opportunity, especially Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Ruben
Studdard. And leaving all of that other stuff out, like personal lives and seeing how you
are in the morning, it shouldn't matter. That's not what it's about -- if it's truly about
someone's ability to sing, then that's all it should be about.
gt.com: if you hadn't been a part of Making the Band, do you think you
would have tried out for American Idol?
BRYAN: Oh yeah! I would've auditioned, and someone would have been like, "Oh
no! Absolutely not!" ::laughs:: Yeah, seriously, but of course I would
have auditioned for that!
gt.com: you're too modest! okay, what do you think of the current state of
top 40 music?
BRYAN: I definitely think this year has been a backlash against the genre of music
that LMNT was doing, which was true pop. But that's okay, because things change and you
have to accept that for what it is. I think it made a move into more organic
singer/songwriter type of sounds. Groups like 'N Sync and LMNT or things of that nature
were replaced by talented songwriters like John Mayer, Josh Kelley, Jason Mraz, and
Maroon5. I would definitely say it is a more organic feel. It went from guys who sing with
vocal track -- not that they can't sing, but they sing without a band backing them up, and
instead of playing instruments, they danced. I guess people were tired of that, and they
wanted to go back to a more traditional style of music, which is where I think we are at
now.
gt.com: how about your view on the whole downloading music online issue?
BRYAN: It hurts, as artists, to put your heart and soul into something and have
people take it. I think it is going to resolve itself. But, you shouldn't have to pay that
much money for a CD. For a long time, music labels were charging a lot of money to support
big salaries for stars and to support new acts. People also have to realize that in order
for a record label to develop new acts it takes money, and that money comes off of the
success of acts that are already established. That's how the whole cycle works. I feel bad
in the sense that people that have music now have to find alternate routes to sell it, but
at the same time, I don't think the consumer necessarily needs to pay that high of a
price. I think that the alternative or the solution is iTunes or something like
that, where people download the specific songs that they want. Everyone can win in that
situation!
gt.com: through your career as a musician, what has been the one move
you've regretted?
BRYAN: I think I most regret not speaking up as much when we were producing LMNT's
debut album, "All Sides." You know, it's hard as a new artist to make
all these demands, you don't want to be a pain or a diva or hard to work with. You want to
express your opinions. I walked the line of caution too much, and I should've said my
opinion even though they may not have taken or respected it.
gt.com: what do you hope to accomplish with the new release?
BRYAN: I hope everyone loves it as much as I'm enjoying putting it together! I
mean, that's all I can ask for. To sell a million records would be great! To fill up
stadiums, that would be awesome! I'm going to work on an album that I'm happy with, and
that I'm proud of, and I like the music. Not necessarily saying that I'm just going to do
it my way, because I am working with a lot of people. But to have something that I can put
my heart and soul into, I hope people enjoy it!
gt.com: we don't doubt it! nice catching up with you again, Bryan!
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