LMNT: The Perfect Elements

gt.com: this is an interesting line up -- sort of a Making the Band reunion show. is it just coincidence you ended up opening for O-Town or was this planned?

IKAIKA: It was a coincidence, huh?

BRYAN: We have a booking agent that takes care of our tours. The agent that O-Town uses thought it would be neat, a good thing to start the summer off. We haven't actually kicked off our own tour, which starts in July. But it's fun to come back, see the guys, and check their show out. I don't think they particularly meant it to be a huge thing, but they saw two acts that kind of complimented each other that people could associate with, so it's a good thing!

MIKE: It's good for the fans to see [Making the Band] all over again!

gt.com: very true! you're probably getting sick of this question, but for the record... how did you find Jonas? what made him stand out?

MIKE: We had been auditioning for a long time...

IKAIKA: Ages and ages!

MIKE: All through parts of Rock & Shop, our mall tour that we do with Teen People. But we knew we were missing something. Months after the tour, we had almost decided to stay as three. We had Atlantic Records send out a talent agent who found Jonas. So we said okay, we're going to look at him and another guy, and if he's not the one, we're going to stay as three.

IKAIKA: Jonas was so wide-eyed, it was so funny! First time in the big city! I pretty much put him through the wringer -- vocal stylings, dynamics, and stuff like that. We were looking for someone who was a tenor and had good style. And someone who was just a cool guy, a cool person that could groove. Jonas pretty much fit the bill!

MIKE: And, he's not bad looking!

gt.com: couldn't agree more, Mike! pretend one of our readers is walking through the record store and she stumbles across your debut album. why should she buy it?

MIKE: Well, besides the amazing picture on the cover...

BRYAN: I knew you were going to go there!

MIKE: Ikaika is wearing red leather pants on the cover!

IKAIKA: It was my Ronald McDonald wear...

BRYAN: We titled the album "All Sides," and we did it for a couple reasons. Number one, obviously, when we look at music and when we look at our styles, we're just four very different people. And, that is easily reflected in our music. From song one all the way to song eleven, it transgresses from one side of the spectrum to the other. So, we kind of covered a little bit of everything. I think because of that and because of being able to put the music in there and seeing what coalesces with each other, it is really different.

gt.com: speaking of discs...what are you currently spinning in your CD players?

IKAIKA: I'm spinning Dave Matthews. I have been for a while -- I have four of his CDs. And, De La Soul's "Stakes is High" album.

BRYAN: Right now, I actually have Plus One's new album.

JONAS: I rotate between a lot of R&B, but at this moment, it's Coldplay.

MIKE: I think Craig David is the last CD I had in my CD player.

gt.com: nice! your first single "Juliet" is a really catchy number -- is it based on anyone in particular or completely fictional?

IKAIKA: It's based on every girl that dissed me in high school! Just fictional, but it applies.

MIKE: There was this girl I met named Juliet...kidding! The people that wrote the song for us, when they explained what they had in mind, it was like Ikaika said, it's for any girl that plays games.

BRYAN: <joking> ...and they all do!

IKAIKA: She knows she's feelin' you, but she doesn't want to admit she's feelin' you, and that was my high school career in a nutshell!

MIKE: And Juliet is like the ideal girl...but she plays games.

gt.com: so, Romeos -- in honor of your first single, what would your ideal Juliet be like?

BRYAN: Okay, design a date!

IKAIKA: For me, someone I can just hang out with, that we can laugh at stupid things and have a good time together.

BRYAN: I think someone that can totally exist in her world without me. She's happy that I'm there, but she's on her own and very confident. She can appreciate the fact that I can go onstage and be in front of thousands of girls and come back to her. That's what I want.

JONAS: I love spontaneity, I'm a very spontaneous person, I love surprises! Someone whose willing to do whatever, whenever.

MIKE: She's gotta be funloving, be able to have a good time and not be anal. Not that I've come across a lot of anal girls, but I don't want to say "Let's go do this," and her say "No, that's embarrassing, we're in public." That kind of thing. A girl that's down for whatever!

BRYAN: And she's gotta eat! Girls that don't eat are not cool.

IKAIKA: They're so like...five minutes ago! ::laughs::

BRYAN: That was so '98! ::laughs::

gt.com: amen! we're impressed! are there any stereotypes about the group or your music in general that you want to shut down?

MIKE: Yeah, I was actually just over at O-Town's bus chilling. For some reason, on some of the websites, some of the fans of LMNT and O-Town think that there is some secret rivalry. Nuh-uh.

IKAIKA: Well, it wouldn't be secret then if they all knew... ::laughs::

MIKE: Well, true, but there is no rivalry at all. We just kind of branched off from the same tree and made our own group and are doing our own thing. There is no animosity at all! I just want the fans to know it is okay to like both groups.

gt.com: good to hear! so, what's been the biggest struggle as a group in the past year?

BRYAN: I don't want to speak for the group, but being patient and letting it happen as it is supposed to happen -- we're so anxious. Even today, the record hasn't been released yet and the video is out now. It is always something else -- you always want something to happen. We shot the video, but now it is like when are we going to get put on? The single is released, but when are all the stations going to pick it up? I think you just have to relax, do your thing, perfect your craft, and just let it all happen.

IKAIKA: True that.

gt.com: it'll certainly be worth the wait! what's your take on the pop phenomenon?

MIKE: I don't know who defines pop. I guess recently MTV has been the one to define pop, but I don't think anyone has taken that role to define pop. It is kind of whatever is going on at that time. Three years ago, pop was Britney Spears, 'N Sync, Backstreet Boys. Now, it seems to be The Calling and all these rock groups that are coming out. The pop phenomenon is simply the phenomenon of mass appeal.

IKAIKA: Pop means popular. So, any artist that is getting a lot of mainstream radio play that a lot of people are talking about and there is a big buzz about that person is a pop artist. No matter what, you can define your genre of music as being R&B or hip hop or trance or whatever you want to call it. But, if people are feeling you, you can't fight that you are a pop artist. It is not a bad thing. I think Eminem -- everyone digs him, so he's a pop artist. You might not want to be known as a pop artist or accept that, but it is just a fact. If you are popular, you are a pop artist.

BRYAN: I understand your question, though -- pop music. What you are trying to pitch is why certain artists are singled out. There was an article I read the other day that said three years ago, you would find a station playing three boy bands and have no problem with it. You might hear a Backstreet Boys song, ten minutes later hear an 'N Sync song, and ten minutes later hear an LFO song. Now, it is kind of reversed. Now you will hear, like Mike said, The Calling and after that P.O.D. I do think that people's tastes are fluctuating towards rock. But, that's the thing -- people always determine where it is going to go, and it always goes around: this for a little bit, then this for a little bit. There is always going to be a place for good music and catchy songs. And, I think that we have that -- we have a good time singing and people enjoy our work.

gt.com: good points! for Bryan, Mike, Ikaika -- being reality show veterans, and since there has been a new crop of reality television shows, if you could audition for a different reality show, what would it be?

MIKE: The Bachelor -- I'd so be on that show! Not because he gets to deal with twenty-five girls, it's the comedy -- what these girls go through to get that one guy. I'd love to be in his seat, just watching the girls...like court jesters! For them to go out and be like, "Look at me do this!" And to be able to be like, "Next!" To have that power? I think that's awesome!

IKAIKA: I'd be on Eco-Challenge! I'm Eco-Challenge material!

BRYAN: I'd be on Survivor!

gt.com: switching to jonas, tell us a bit about your experience in music before joining LMNT.

JONAS: I was in a local boy band in Utah, we did little stuff, like fairs. I think the biggest thing we did was a Delta Airlines Christmas party for 5,000 people. That was huge for us back then, and it's still a lot of people now! We had so much fun! It was just kind of a learning base for me, to get to where I am now.

gt.com: when you're on television, or when you were, is it difficult to watch yourself or do you take it in stride?

IKAIKA: I've seen about two Making the Band episodes. I couldn't watch it -- well, there was no need for me to watch it, because I was there. I've been watching a little bit of the new season where we're not there anymore -- it's cool! I didn't watch it while I was on, because I lived through it.

MIKE: It's like, what was I thinking!? Is that a booger? Did I forget to brush my teeth that day?

BRYAN: It's like when you do your answering machine message, and then you listen to it, and you think, "Do I really sound like that?" But, it's different, because now it is not just your voice -- it's how you look, your mannerisms, and everything that you do.

MIKE: Performances are tough. We just shot the video, and everyone is sitting around telling us, "That's real cool!" No...in here ::points to head:: it's like, "Bro, I could have hit that dance step so much harder."

BRYAN: You don't care about the other guys in the video -- you're only staring at yourself, thinking "I could've hit the move better!"

IKAIKA: Funny how it works like that!

gt.com: ha, how interesting! okay, what's the best experience you've had as a group?

IKAIKA: I think this morning's performance, to be honest with you. Because, it was very much a learning experience. I think it was our first time playing an outdoor festival.

gt.com: it's pretty public that you guys share a house together in New Jersey. have you ever had any fans show up to the home?

JONAS: We've actually had letters and stuff like that slipped under the door.

MIKE: One year, we decided to do a pumpkin-carving contest, this is before Jonas was in the group, and they came and vandalized our property!

BRYAN: Wait, wait, wait...whose contest?

MIKE: Okay, Bryan and Matt, (our previous member), carved pumpkins.

BRYAN: And somebody stole our pumpkins! It was kinda weird. They were here, and then gone. It was kinda unnerving. But nothing too bad!

gt.com: what IS it like living together?

JONAS: It is honestly really, really fun! Mikey's out a lot, which is his personality. Lately, Ikaika and I watch dumb movies...well, comedies. We rented Aladdin the other day, just cause I was singing "I can show you the world...", and we're like "Dude, you wanna rent that?" So we got it, and we probably looked kinda dumb, men renting Aladdin.

MIKE: They're going "It's for my mom," but the guy at the desk is probably like "Right...."

gt.com: is it one continuous guy's night out or like being with siblings?

JONAS & IKAIKA: Siblings!

MIKE: Siblings with a definite hierarchy! The three of us are in the same pool, Bryan's up above.

BRYAN: It depends on what it is, everybody has their own thing. Mike definitely likes the family room. The kitchen is Ikaika's territory. Don't go in the kitchen when he's cooking! Jonas pretty much hangs out in his room.

JONAS: I love my room!

IKAIKA: My room is from the kitchen to the couch! That's my home away from my room. I love to cook!

JONAS: I'll spend hours in my room.

MIKE: Jonas plays guitar, sings, dances in the mirror, keeps himself occupied.

gt.com: any crazy fan experiences?

MIKE: We were on the Rock & Shop tour, and this lady tried to get past our meet and greet...let's call her..."Fan in Love with Bryan." So she tried to cross over the velvet rope, and she started screaming and screaming, and the cops told her to calm down, but she ended up getting arrested! The screams we heard from the other side of the curtain were like someone was stabbing her to death. She was like, "BRYAN, BRYAN! Tell them I'm your friend!"

gt.com: yikes! was the music industry all you thought it was or is it surprising you more every day?

BRYAN: I think one thing is that you hear a lot of horror stories. It is very, very important to work with people who respect us and that we respect. We haven't had any really bad...knock on something...experiences. Because, you hear about them all the time.

gt.com: what was the biggest shocker in becoming a recording artist?

JONAS: The first time I ever went with these guys to do anything, they were on a Rock & Shop tour in Boston. This girl saw Mikey, and the other two guys were behind us, and she just stopped. She went pale, couldn't breathe, she was panting. I didn't know what was wrong -- I thought something was really wrong with her! I was looking at her, she was shaking, and then she said, "You're LMNT!" I was like, "Are you all right? You're shaking because of these guys?" That was the first time I had ever seen anyone like that -- it was crazy! Really shocking to me.

MIKE: He looks over at me, and says, "Hey, Mike, look at this girl!" And, I said, "Oh, she does that at every show." Even her mom was shaking!

BRYAN: Hey, that was my cousin -- I'm telling her you said that! ::laughs::

gt.com: haha! alright, what can we expect in the near future from LMNT?

MIKE: We're going to take over the world! Everything possible -- if we get to that point, and you ask us that question again, we're going to say something else. A total upward climb for LMNT forever and ever...

JONAS: We just want to keep going up!

gt.com: so how about that album...?

MIKE: Of course! "All Sides," Purple Leopard / Atlantic Records recording artists LMNT...

IKAIKA: In stores June 4th, 2002...

MIKE: And, a lot of touring this summer.

gt.com: very convincing! we've got our copy in reserve!