YOUNGEST Jonas Brother Nick is going solo next year but the trio haven’t had an Oasis-type meltdown. They to aren’t that “immature”.
Despite having more worldwide fame and scrutiny and being younger than Noel and Liam Gallagher, Nick, Joe and Kevin could show the Manchester brothers a thing or two about keeping a group together.
Nick, 17, said: “If there’s something we disagree on, we’ll have a conversation about it. But it’s not an immature kind of ‘I’m right and I’m gonna be stubborn about it’ way.
“We’re open to each other’s comments. We have a great respect for each other. “And we never forget that we are family. Our common passion is music. That really binds us together.”
Taking notes, Noel and Liam? While the Gallaghers, who haven’t talked since Noel left the band in August, plot their solo careers, Texas-bor n Nick has big ideas of his own.
He may still be a teenager but the Jonas Brothers are the world’s biggest boy band. They began as a vehicle for Nick’s solo career but Columbia Records president Steve Greenberg preferred it when his brothers sang with him.
Nick is also a seasoned actor. He started acting on Broadway at seven in A Christmas Carol, Annie Get Your Gun, Beauty And The Beast and Les Miserables.
Jonas Brothers’ last two albums, 2008’s A Little Bit Longer and this year’s Lines, Vines And Trying Times both went to No.1 in the US and reached the top 10 in the UK.
They also feature on the track Dumb on Timbaland’s new album, Shock Value II, which is out this week.But next year Nick will step out on his own with Nick Jonas And The Administration, and will release a debut album, Who I Am.
But it’s not the end of the Jonas Brothers. He’ll team up with Joe and Kevin for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and Disney Channel show Jonas.
Nick’s packed in a lot in 10 years and has some wise words for all X Factor hopefuls. He said: “I think a lot of younger artists today just try to be famous first and a good musician or actor second. “They have their priorities mixed up. Ray Charles once said, ‘I don’t want to be famous, I just want to be great.’ “That comes close to our mantra in life. A lot of fans come up to me and say, ‘I’m a songwriter. I want to be a musician one day’.That’s what I love to hear – when somebody says, ‘I want to be a musician’, ‘I want to be an artist’, or ‘I want to be an actor’, as opposed to ‘I want to be famous’. When you are whole-hearted about what you do in life – and I’ve always strived to be the best I can be – that’s the attitude you should have.”
While he sees Jonas Brothers as a rock band with pop vocals, his Administration side project will show off a more indie side. Looking like someone from the pages of NME, Nick wears a chequered shirt, blue jeans, brown boots and a bracelet. He said: “I’m a big fan of The Zutons and Kings Of Leon. There is a bunch of bands that I like, but the Kanye West album is really great. And there is this band called Leland who are really wonderful, too.”
It doesn’t sound like Nick has much time for girls. While brother Kevin, 22, is engaged to former hairdresser Danielle Deleasa, Nick reckons he’s still a bit young for all that.
He laughed: ” At the end of the day, I’m still in high school. And to think that people are interested in my high school relationships is kind of funny. For us, we’re very flattered by the fact that we have a lot of female fans. It ’s not bad. I’m not gonna lie,” he spluttered, laughing even harder.
Their virginity may have been mocked by Russell Brand last year, but to thousands their clean image and hard work ethic is a real inspiration. Nick is glad many people lined up to condemn the comic. He said: “I think we consider ourselves normal guys who are doing our best, and that’s what we’ve been saying from the beginning.
“Live like you’re at the bottom even if you’re at the top. For us, that just means staying humble and doing your best every day. We’re not saying we’re perfect. Nobody’s perfect, but we’re doing our a best. We’re just trying to do our best to make our mum proud and to be gentlemen.”
Nick Jonas & the Administration, which features former members of Prince’s New Power Generation, will release their album, Who I Am, on Feb. 2. The group will make its live debut performing a single of the same name on the Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! special Dec. 2 on CBS.
