For the Backstreet Boys, 1998 marks the year the group not only broke big, but also grew up. After spending four
years on the road at home and abroad and racking up multi-platinum sales of its debut album, the Backstreet Boys came to realize that its "show business" lives were very much a product of both
words: "show" and "business." Despite their success, the Backstreet Boys decided that before working on their next album, it was long overdue that they address the "business"
aspect of their profession, and the group has spent the past few months getting its financial house in order. The Backstreet Boys, who returned home to Orlando for a short vacation last year
prior to heading into the studio, sat down with MusicMania's Aziph
to discuss what has been going on behind the scenes with the group, from switching managers to re-negotiating its record contract. The Backstreet Boys
also talked about the pressures of following up its debut album and how they have grown in the past year from boys to men.
MusicMania's Aziph: So you're back home. What is it like coming
home finally? You are touring constantly. Are you going to get to take any time off here?
Kevin Richardson:
Actually, while we're home we're going to be recording the new album. We just had about a week and a half off, which is the most time we've had off in a while. But now we're beginning the new album.
MusicMania: Can you tell me a little bit about the new album? When might we see it come out?
Kevin: It's going to be out in the spring.
MusicMania: New sound? Different sound?
Howie Dorough: Growth, for us.
MusicMania: A natural progression?
Kevin: Exactly, where the music takes us.
Howie:
We're not going to venture far from what we've done. Like they say, if it ain't broke, don't try fixing it. We've had a really great year this last year - actually the last couple of years - two different albums, an international album and an American album, so we're working with a lot of the same producers. Actually we're doing a lot of collaborating with other producers.
Kevin: We're writing a lot of our tracks ourselves.
Howie: It's going to be a growth for us, musically. All around cool thing.
MusicMania: Any new
singles? Anything coming up, off the old record? I know you're working on stuff for the new...
Howie:
We have a new single, the fifth single off the Backstreet Boys album. It's a song entitled "All I Have To Give." It's produced by some good friends of ours, Full Force. I think it's a good representation of the whole group. Each of us has a little something solo-wise. I think it's a good way to end the album.
MusicMania:
Inevitably I have to get in to some of the stuff that's very pertinent, and honestly a lot of your fans are concerned, in relation to some of the legal stuff. Let me just ask you first how did you meet (former business manager) Louis Pearlman way back when?
Kevin: He was the owner of an independent record label, and he was looking for new talent.
Howie:
The three of us came to him, and then we had a mutual friend of Lou's that knew Kevin. That's how we got Kevin and shortly after that Brian, and he's been sort of the sixth Backstreet Boy, since day one of this whole thing. Just helping us get this together, helping us fulfill our dream.
MusicMania: I really want to get you guys to have the opportunity to take, or at least set the record straight as far as always hearing reports like they were a group before they came to
Louis, they weren't, he held auditions... What exactly happened, back in '92-'93?
Kevin: It's kind of a combination of both.
