Official Lyrics Video - Sing Along with Katy Perry
Following the unveiling this week of the artwork for the cover of Katy Perry‘s new hotly anticipated album ‘Teenage Dream’, Katy has released a lyric video of the album’s great title track. Have a listen here and sing along to the lyrics:
Enter here and Win Tickets to See the Black Eyed Peas
WIN 2 Tickets to See The Black Eyed Peas with special guest T-Pain
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Win a pair of tickets for one of these dates and cities…
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| Tuesday, Aug 3rd | TD Garden | Boston, MA |
| Friday, Aug 6th | XL Center | Hartford, CT |
| Tuesday, Aug 10th | 1st Mariner Arena | Baltimore, MD |
| Wednesday, Aug 11th | HSBC Arena | Buffalo, NY |
| Saturday, Aug 14th | Scottrade Center | St. Louis, MO |
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Six-time Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum artists The Black Eyed Peas have just announced multi-platinum superstar T-Pain as special guests on select dates of the second North American leg of BlackBerry® Presents “The E.N.D. World Tour 2010.
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| Date | City | Venue |
| July 27 | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre + |
| July 28 | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre + |
| July 31 | Montreal, QB | Bell Centre + # |
| August 1 | Ottawa, ON | Scotiabank Place + # |
| August 3 | Boston, MA | TD Garden * |
| August 4 | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center * |
| August 6 | Hartford, CT | XL Center * |
| August 7 | Atlantic City, NJ | Boardwalk Hall * |
| August 10 | Baltimore, MD | 1st Mariner Arena * |
| August 11 | Buffalo, NY | HSBC Arena * |
| August 13 | Chicago, IL | Allstate Arena * |
| August 14 | St. Louis | Scottrade Center * |
| August 18 | Winnipeg, MB | MTS Centre * |
| August 20 | Saskatoon, SK | Credit Union Centre * |
| August 22 | Calgary, AB | Pengrowth Saddledome * |
| August 23 | Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place * |
| * with special guest T-Pain + with special guest Jason Derulo # with special guest B.o.B. |
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Katy Perry is on fire! Her smash single, “California Gurls,” featuring Snoop Dogg, surges to the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, just a week after being released. The track is also the ‘greatest gainer’ on the Pop and Adult Pop charts.
Read the whole story here http://www.clubdistrict.com/blog/594
JANE’S ADDICTION HEAD ACROSS THE ATLANTIC FOR EUROPEAN PERFORMANCES:Following their red-hot Cinco de Mayo performance in Los Angeles earlier this month, JANE’S ADDICTION will head across the Atlantic next month for two major shows in Europe. They’ll appear Wednesday, June 9 at the Gelredome in The Netherlands (with Rage Against the Machine and Gogol Bordello) and then Friday, June 11 at Rock In Rio in Madrid, Spain (with Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill).
Read entire story here http://www.clubdistrict.com/blog/603
Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes teams with Best of the Best for the official mixtape for the largest international music festivals in the US to take place on May 30th, 2010. The mixtape features exclusive music from official Best of the Best Performers including: Diddy, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, Gyptian, Lady Saw, Serani, G-Whizz, Chino, Baby Cham, TOK, Mavado, Demarco & more!
Read the rest at http://www.clubdistrict.com/blog/609
INTERVIEW by ClubDistrict.com
Psy-Trance innovators Infected Mushroom have evolved into one of the biggest electronic bands on the planet. Twice ranked among the world’s 10 best DJs by the bible of the scene, the U.K.’s DJ Magazine, the Israel-bred, L.A. based duo bring a frenetic rock energy to the form. Their explosive show, featuring guitars, live drums, intensely passionate vocals and an ambitious multimedia backdrop, ranks among the genre’s most unpredictably joyous events. And their recordings continually venture where other electronic acts fear to tread.
Infected Mushroom’s latest album ‘Legend of the Black Shawarma’ finds the Israeli-bred, L.A.-based electronic duo, taking their Psy-Trance fusion of bruising, metallic rock and unstoppable dance-floor beats to a new level. “It’s a really diverse record,” Duvdev relates of the band’s follow-up to 2007’s Vicious Delicious, “it’s even more aggressive–both on the metal side and on the breakbeat side.”
Released on Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto label, this album is some very potent Mushroom indeed and boasts some high-profile guests. The lead single “Smashing the Opponent” features a scorching vocal from Korn’s Jonathan Davis, while Jane’s Addiction/Porno for Pyros frontman and alternative-rock patron saint Perry Farrell lends his inimitable pipes to the follow-up single , “Killing Time.”
From the Ultra Fest in Miami to the Virgin Festival in Baltimore, from Mexico’s OMIX to Cali’s Coachella, from Brazil’s Ipanema Beach to Melbourne’s Metro Club, Infected Mushroom has averaged about 120 live performances per year. The band will honor that tradition finishing up 2009 and ushering in 2010 with a vengeance.
ClubDistrict.com presents UNMIXED with Infected Mushroom!
CD: I’m going to ask a very cliché first question just to get it out of the way. I can’t seem to find any details on how you finally settled on the name ‘Infected Mushroom’; is there a psychedelic secret to the name?
Duvdev: No secret…it is an old Israeli punk band that never really made anything of themselves so we stole the name, plain and simple. You’d think by our music we’d be original 
CD: You both have similar childhoods learning piano at such an early age, and as teens Erez was into Psy-trance while Duvdev was into metal and punk, how different would Infected Mushroom sound today if both of you came from straight electronic roots?
Duvdev: Who knows! Impossible to tell, and I’d hate to imagine! Eisen was in a band too, don’t discount his rock roots…I think we both bring a unique musical perspective to the table which is why our chemistry jives well…
CD: So here we have Erez and Duvdev both coming from two somewhat unrelated musical backgrounds, how were those first jam sessions? Was is difficult?
Duvdev: Like I said, our musical backgrounds were not completely unrelated…but it did take us a while to get to where we are (our first musical experiments together were nothing to call the Grammys about)
CD: You are a full band, that is one of the beauties of Infected Mushroom, how does the full band fit into writing tracks? Is it just you two or a collaborative effort?
Duvdev: Well, Erez and I produce the tracks, and when we bring it to the band we tell them how we’d like the fundamental rhythms and/or chords played live…they definitely add in their own flare on stage and we encourage their creativity. As far as the studio album, Legend of the Black Shawarma, a majority was our own work in the studio.
CD: As a band your roots are in Psy-trance, but that classification does not do your style justice. If you were to create a new genre for your style what would you call it?
Duvdev: Rock-Trance… or Exercise-Trance haha!
CD: What I find unique in your tracks is the use of distortion, heavy handed beats and what sounds to me like some Israeli influence. You also experiment with beats ranging from 130 to 160 BPMs, which American band would you say is your rock equivalent?
Duvdev: Well, I don’t know about equivalent because it is hard to compare Infected to any other sound but some of our influences are System of a Down, Korn and Primus.
CD: Great to see you guys working with Paul Oakenfold. I would love to see an Infected Mushroom remix of an Oakenfold track, can we expect to see any such collaboration in the future?
Duvdev: Yeah! Oakenfold did a remix of Killing Time…and yes it is very great to be working with him, a big honor. We are doing a remix for his next album in return. As far as the future, we have some other great collaborations in the works which I can’t tell you about yet, but you’ll like them, promise!
CD: Legend of the Black Shawarma is the title song of the album bearing the same name, so what is the legend?
Duvdev: The album title was inspired by a close friend of ours who enjoys being on the ocean… Basically, I’m a little crazy in the head from my Goa days, so don’t ask me why, but I thought up a story about sharks deep at the bottom of the ocean who have an old legend, nearly forgotten, about a special dark shawarma that once sank from the mysterious surface waters above. As my story goes, one day this ocean-loving friend of ours was enjoying a nice day on the ocean when all of a sudden he fell out of his boat…As he began to sink, the sharks looked up and realized the Legend of the Black Shawarma is alive! The sharks were happy needless to say 
READ THE REST AND WATCH VIDEO AT http://www.clubdistrict.com/blog/98
Written by ClubDistrict.com – Nightlife Simplified
Filo & Peri have seen their careers skyrocket as their musical palate has remained true. Their sonic style veers from driving-techno to euphoric-trance, and from banging-progressive to sizzling vocals. Throughout it all, one thing remains clear: When Filo & Peri are behind the decks, not a soul in the club is standing still. Just ask global DJ Armin Van Buuren; once Van Buuren got his hands on Filo & Peri’s first record ‘Elevation,’ he played it for weeks on his ‘A State Of Trance’ syndicated radio show.
Growing-up, Filopei was a huge fan of ’80’s and ’90’s heavy metal and rock bands, and he counts Poison, Guns N’ Roses, and Motley Crue among his old favorites. Six years Filopei’s junior, Pericic came of age with Kraftwerk, Underworld and Orbital in his home, as his father was and still is a lover of electronic dance music. As a production and DJ team, Filo & Peri’s divergent musical interests balance each other out and create a unique sound all their own.
The renowned DJs and producers are once again displaying their muscle and combining forces with illustrious talent to create nirvana in ‘Nightplay’, a truly unstoppable album. VANDIT´s New York boys offer something for every listener and know how to keep the hits coming. So without further delay, we present Unmixed with Filo & Peri:
CD: With hit after hit, one would think you’ve know each other for at least a decade, but you met in 2003, where did you guys meet?
F&P: We met through a mutual friend on the website trance.nu. She introduced us via AOL Instant Messenger and we spoke for a few weeks. At the time, the studio in the Bronx was under alot of renovation and so we had to wait before we could start making music together. But once that was finished we met in person, and in less than two weeks time, we finished and signed our very first release on Armada Music called ‘Elevation’. Bo actually got the news on his 18th birthday, so that was a really nice gift for him!
CD: Within 4 years, you guys experienced an early career success with the release of “Anthem”. What doors did this open for you?
F&P: I think it opened up doors for alot of people including ourselves. It’s one of the only trance records in the last five years to crossover into the UK Top 40 which was an accomplishment in itself. It opened up alot of doors for us in Europe. Our fan base increased dramatically as a result too. It also showed alot of people that multiple genres could be combined successfully and respectfully.
CD: You are signed to Paul van Dyk’s label Vandit Records, quite an achievement in a short amount of time. How did that feel when you were first contacted?
F&P: We became a part of the vandit team almost by accident as we like to put it. Originally, we began speaking with Alexa Gerth who works in the office. After a few months of casual conversation, we sent her some of our unfinished material. One of them included a very early version of ‘Ordinary Moment’. We noticed a few weeks later that Paul played our “rough” version of the track on his radio show and then asked if Vandit might be interested in the track. From there, the rest is history.
CD: Congratulations on the release of your debut artist album “Nightplay”, on November 6, 2009; can we expect a world tour?
F&P: I believe the tour is expected to start in 2010.
CD: Bringing back vocalists Eric Lumiere (Anthem) and Fisher (All I Ask) in this album is a welcomed treat; will we see guest appearances at your shows?
F&P: We are planning to bring some of them on tour.
CD: Working as a duo with different musical backgrounds, how different are your personal producing styles?
F&P: They are quite different. We came from very different backgrounds musically and used different programs to make music. But the beauty of this team is that there was no challenge for us to make music together. We simply combined our strengths and supplemented each other’s weakness. Most of what you hear in our music is a mix of our musical backgrounds and that is why we think the music is a bit different from alot of the other producers out there.
CD: You are both from the East Coast, do you see a difference in production style from one coast to another?
F&P: From coast to coast, we can’t say we see much of a difference. Every producer has their own unique sound and that reflects from the individual vs. their location! At least, that’s our observation.
READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW, SEE VIDEOS AT http://www.clubdistrict.com/blog/95
Jeff Timmons began what was originally a low-key solo career after a phenomenal run with the “boy band” 98 Degrees. He was the founding member of the group, and they produced multi-platinum records (11 Million sold), 8 top ten singles, and a Grammy nomination. He then released his first solo album, Whisper That Way; the album that gave him Top 20 hits on both the Billboard and Radio & Records charts, while having the lead-off single with the same title as the most added single at radio every week leading up to its peak position. The album also produced 3 more chart-topping singles worldwide.
While writing and producing his much awaited second Album, Jeff is also set to launch a new, massive multi-media distribution company called iamMedia. iamMedia will utilize traditional ways of promotion and distribution, and various non-traditional methods to bring brand awareness not only to his album, but a myriad of other artists, genres of music and other mediums of entertainment. Jeff is set to release his new album to everyone completely free between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Anyone who registers at www.jefftimmons.com can receive the entire album!
CD: When
I think “boy band” I think of ‘O-Town’, or manufactured groups created by MTV. You guys actually formed, struggled and broke out on your own. How did 98 Degrees start?
JT: I started the group in college at Kent State University in Ohio. My friends and I were trying to impress some girls at a party, so we started singing the song “My Girl” in four part harmony. We thought it sounded better than we expected. I felt that we might have had something special, so I quit school the next day to focus on it full-time. We left for California later that summer to pursue the dream. After about 6 months the other three members became homesick, quit and went back to Ohio. I struggled to find other members, but eventually was introduced to Nick through a high school friend of his in Los Angeles. I convinced Nick to come out and join the group in Cali. Drew and Justin eventually followed, and that group became 98 Degrees.
CD: How did you guys finally manage to break out? Is there a cool story behind it?
JT: We were singing everywhere we could for food and money. We eventually sang our way backstage at a Boyz II Men concert and got discovered there by our future manager.
CD: What’s great about ‘98 Degrees’ is that you, Nick & Drew Lachey and Justin Jeffre actually co-wrote a lot of your own tracks. Was there any track in particular that you had a larger role in?
JT: We had a lot to do with the vocal production on most of our tunes. Many times we arranged our vocals ourselves. I co-wrote a song called “Yesterday’s Letter” with Drew. I’m pretty proud of that song.
CD: You hear the stories about how when you sign with a major label you sign your life away. Was this the case with Universal Records?
JT: I definitely think we could’ve had better deals. No question about that. At one point we had sold over 5 Million records with both Motown and Universal and hadn’t recouped. We still weren’t making money. We were like “How does that happen?’ I think when you’re young you just want to make it and live the dream, so you depend on your management, agents, and lawyers to have your best interests in mind. That doesn’t always happen. All in all, I wouldn’t trade anything because the knowledge I’ve gained from the experiences from a business standpoint is invaluable.
CD: Within 2 years of forming you experienced sudden fame and fortune, going from struggle to success, selling multi-platinum albums and performing for President Clinton at the White House. Was the experience what you expected it to be?
JT: It was a dream come true. We did everything imaginable. Things were crazier than I had ever envisioned it. We sang with legends like Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Little Richard, and Mariah Carey. We got to tour the world. It was a real blessing. Sometimes I think maybe we were so busy and grinding, that we maybe didn’t take a deep breath and enjoy it while it was happening as much as we should have.
CD: Are you still in contact with Nick, Drew, and Justin and are there any potential projects or reunions in the near future?
JT: I am still in contact with the guys, although not as much as I would like to be. I’m sure we will do something at some point, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
CD: After the breakup all of you continued on as solo artists; did being a member of ‘98 Degrees’ help with those later projects?
JT: Absolutely. We had the opportunity to learned from not only incredible artists, but top-end producers as well. I would sit in the studio and watch these geniuses craft songs from nothing. I loved watching how they worked, and implement many of their techniques in the music I create today. On the other side of things, I learned the radio, retail and marketing, and promotion sides of the business. I saw what worked, and what didn’t. Great experiences. Great lessons.
CD: In 2006 you participated in Vh1’s reality show ‘Man Band’ where you were grouped with 3 other former boy band members from NSYNC, LFO, and Color Me Badd, to form a new band called ‘Sureshot’. What became of ‘Sureshot’?
JT: Not much. We all sort of did the show for our own selfish reasons. We all have our own projects, and I don’t think any of us ever intended on being a group. The songs we did together were pretty kick-ass, though.
CD: You have a new album, “Emotional High” slated to release in Dec/Jan 2010; tell us a little about this album and the single entitled “Emotional High”?
JT: Yes. When 98 Degrees was first signed to Motown we lived in NY. I had a girlfriend that I was head-over-heels in love with. We broke up just before the group hit, and I never saw her again. 10 years later, I got to see her again in NY. We both have our own lives now, kids, careers, etc, but the feelings will always be there. The experience inspired the song. We are good friends now, but after reuniting we were always talking on the phone to each other. She said “My God, You’re like a drug!” I told her I was going to write a song about that, and did. She’s a good friend to have, and while there may never be anything more, I still have strong feelings for her.
CD: Being a solo artist and having full creative control, what have you done differently in producing and promoting this album versus what you learned in the past?
JT: Well, I know more about the business for one. More importantly, I’m comfortable creating all of the music from the ground up if I have to. I engineer, write, produce, and sing everything myself. I know what I want to sound like now as a solo artist. When I first went solo, I was trying to be 98 Degrees by myself. Now, my buddies and I get in the studio and just jam. Up-tempo, ballads, club joints, whatever. We just do whatever we feel… and that’s what music is about.
CD: Your entire album will be available to fans as a free download, all they have to do is register on your website; why free?
JT: I think it is the way of the future. Artists will have to use their music as a commercial for themselves, and figure out how to monetize it through sponsorships, touring, merchandise, whatever. I haven’t had a song out with 98 Degrees in 8 or 9 years. People are not familiar with me as a solo artist. I can’t expect folks to shell out 10 or 15 dollars for a CD. My goal is to get 1 million people signed up at my website for the free album. I’m about halfway there. I hope to re-energize the existing fanbase and excite people and gain new fans along the way.
Continued on http://www.clubdistrict.com/blog/93
Since the early 90′s, Grammy nominated remixer/ producer Richard Vission continues to rock dance floors around the world with his remixes of major artists like David Bowie and Lady Gaga (to name a few), as well as his hot new original release ‘I Like That’ with Static Revenger and Luciana on vocals. Over the last decade, Vission consistently ranks as one of the Top 30 DJs in the U.S. His label ‘Solmatic Records’ has grown from releasing some of the top underground bangers of the year to chart busting releases with a roster of high profile artists.
Vission has amassed an extensive résumé of remixes and original productions to his credit, many of which have charted well on the U.S. dance charts. In addition, he was a member of dance music acts ‘The Movement’ and ‘Pure Sugar’. Richard also co-hosts a weekly radio show in L.A. with Swedish Egil entitled ‘The Power Tools Mix Show’ on KPWR (Power 106). His accomplishments in the dance music scene seem endless; even with a hectic schedule, Vission was kind enough to let us unmix his past, present and future.
CD: Richard, you were solely responsible for introducing me to dance music back in the early 90’s. How did you first get introduced into this genre?
RV: I went and heard Frankie Bones in the early 90′s and that night changed my life. My mind was blown away with all this music I had never heard before. I went to the record store the next day and said, “I want some house music”. They gave me ‘I’ll House You’ – Jungle Brothers, ‘Can You Feel It’ - Todd Terry and ‘This Is Acid’ – Maurice Joshua.
CD: You were born in Toronto, Ontario and raised in the LA area, what were you into as a kid?
RV: I was a Bee Gees and Kiss fan. I’ve always had my foot in both doors. My mom, who is a piano and flute teacher, listened to a lot of Jazz, so I learned to appreciate artist like Miles Davis at an early age.
CD: You helped bring dance music to the LA airwaves with the introduction of Power Tools on Power 106 back in 1992; are you still
part of the line-up?
RV: Yes! yes! We do Powertools every week on Power 106 in Los Angeles. We are starting to syndicate it to a few different cities. I mix the first hour and we have guest DJ’s for the 2nd hour. Swedish Egil and I host the show.
CD: We’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of collaboration between hip hop and dance music artists lately; being in the mix, where did you see this collaboration start?
RV: This type of collaboration was happening in the early 90′s with artist like Jungle Brothers, Technotronic, Monie Love and Snap rapping over house beats. We are seeing a lot more of this now because I think there’s a great appreciation for dance music in the U.S. again, and thus peeps like LMFAO, BEP’s and Luciana are doing there thing now.
CD: As a Grammy nominated remixer/producer you remixed everyone under the sun from David Bowie to Lady Gaga. Who’s next?
RV: This week I finished Blackeye Peas – ‘Meet Me Halfway’, Lady Gaga – ‘Bad Romance‘, Aoki -’I’m In The House‘, JamX Beam – ‘Vace ‘Pressure‘ which is coming out on Solmatic.
CD: You have been consistently ranking within the Top 30 DJ lists for the last 10 plus years, what’s your secret?
RV: Honestly, I don’t really care about lists; they are not important to me. I love what I do. I work hard at what I do and more importantly, I care about what I do.
CD: Earlier this summer you released “I Like That” through your label Solmatic Records. You got to work with Luciana who was the vocal star behind Bodyrox – Yeah Yeah. How was it working with Luciana?
RV: Luciana is f#cking amazing! We’ve written a few other songs with her…she is sick! We might get her out to LA for 2 months and knock out another album.
CD: Who wrote the words to “I Like That”? Was it you or Static Revenger?
RV: I had written a few ideas that I thought weren’t very good and sent them over to Static Revenger and he keyed in on one of the phrases and said, “this is it”! I thought he was f#ckin with me – after I heard how he wanted to use it, it was cool. If it wasn’t for him, we could’ve had a song called, “why did you give her your number” – not as cool.
CD: How much acclaim has this single received by the not only the dance community but the industry?
RV: It’s crazy how peeps have responded to it. It’s being released by EMI Europe in 23 different countries and by Vicious in Australia. We have some sick remixes coming from Angger Dimas, David Garcia and Ant Brookes. It will be on a major label in the U.S. come January 2010.
CD: The video for “I Like That” is fun, what were you going for in the direction of that video?
RV: Static Revenger directed the video. It was all his vision. He is an amazing director. He just did a killer video for my artist Vassy as well. What’s cool about the ‘I Like That’ video is that it was shot here and in London. We never met Luciana til she came to LA a couple months ago, after we had done a song and video. It’s almost like having sex with someone and then an hour later saying, “whats your name?” Weird, but kinda cool.
CD: What would your dream performance be?
RV: I think playing at a small club while having U2′s Bono sing over some of my beats, Prince playing his guitar over the breakdowns and Gene Simmons stand next to me, sticking out his tongue every time I mixed. This could happen…hellooo
CD: What can we expect from Richard Vission in 2010?
RV: There will be a follow up to ‘I Like That’ – possibly a whole album. I have a few singles I’ll be releasing as well called: ‘Never Be Alone’, ‘Get Down’ and ‘Far Away’. I will also be producing and co-writing Vassy’s album (myspace.com/vassymusic) which is coming out on Ultra records…thats more on the pop tip. I’m sure there will be a couple of remixes sprinkled in there somewhere.
Jeff Timmons began what was originally a low-key solo career after a phenomenal run with the “boy band” 98 Degrees. He was the founding member of the group, and they produced multi-platinum records (11 Million sold), 8 top ten singles, and a Grammy nomination. He then released his first solo album, Whisper That Way; the album that gave him Top 20 hits on both the Billboard and Radio & Records charts, while having the lead-off single with the same title as the most added single at radio every week leading up to its peak position. The album also produced 3 more chart-topping singles worldwide.
While writing and producing his much awaited second Album, Jeff is also set to launch a new, massive multi-media distribution company called iamMedia. iamMedia will utilize traditional ways of promotion and distribution, and various non-traditional methods to bring brand awareness not only to his album, but a myriad of other artists, genres of music and other mediums of entertainment. Jeff is set to release his new album to everyone completely free between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Anyone who registers at www.jefftimmons.com can receive the entire album!
Photo Credits: Jenn Hoffman | Interview by ClubDistrict.com | November 22, 2009
CD: When I think “boy band” I think of ‘O-Town’, or manufactured groups created by MTV. You guys actually formed, struggled and broke out on your own. How did 98 Degrees start?
JT: I started the group in college at Kent State University in Ohio. My friends and I were trying to impress some girls at a party, so we started singing the song “My Girl” in four part harmony. We thought it sounded better than we expected. I felt that we might have had something special, so I quit school the next day to focus on it full-time. We left for California later that summer to pursue the dream. After about 6 months the other three members became homesick, quit and went back to Ohio. I struggled to find other members, but eventually was introduced to Nick through a high school friend of his in Los Angeles. I convinced Nick to come out and join the group in Cali. Drew and Justin eventually followed, and that group became 98 Degrees.
CD: How did you guys finally manage to break out? Is there a cool story behind it?
JT: We were singing everywhere we could for food and money. We eventually sang our way backstage at a Boyz II Men concert and got discovered there by our future manager.
CD: What’s great about ‘98 Degrees’ is that you, Nick & Drew Lachey and Justin Jeffre actually co-wrote a lot of your own tracks. Was there any track in particular that you had a larger role in?
JT: We had a lot to do with the vocal production on most of our tunes. Many times we arranged our vocals ourselves. I co-wrote a song called “Yesterday’s Letter” with Drew. I’m pretty proud of that song.
CD: You hear the stories about how when you sign with a major label you sign your life away. Was this the case with Universal Records?
JT: I definitely think we could’ve had better deals. No question about that. At one point we had sold over 5 Million records with both Motown and Universal and hadn’t recouped. We still weren’t making money. We were like “How does that happen?’ I think when you’re young you just want to make it and live the dream, so you depend on your management, agents, and lawyers to have your best interests in mind. That doesn’t always happen. All in all, I wouldn’t trade anything because the knowledge I’ve gained from the experiences from a business standpoint is invaluable.
CD: Within 2 years of forming you experienced sudden fame and fortune, going from struggle to success, selling multi-platinum albums and performing for President Clinton at the White House. Was the experience what you expected it to be?
JT: It was a dream come true. We did everything imaginable. Things were crazier than I had ever envisioned it. We sang with legends like Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Little Richard, and Mariah Carey. We got to tour the world. It was a real blessing. Sometimes I think maybe we were so busy and grinding, that we maybe didn’t take a deep breath and enjoy it while it was happening as much as we should have.
CD: Are you still in contact with Nick, Drew, and Justin and are there any potential projects or reunions in the near future?
JT: I am still in contact with the guys, although not as much as I would like to be. I’m sure we will do something at some point, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
CD: After the breakup all of you continued on as solo artists; did being a member of ‘98 Degrees’ help with those later projects?
JT: Absolutely. We had the opportunity to learned from not only incredible artists, but top-end producers as well. I would sit in the studio and watch these geniuses craft songs from nothing. I loved watching how they worked, and implement many of their techniques in the music I create today. On the other side of things, I learned the radio, retail and marketing, and promotion sides of the business. I saw what worked, and what didn’t. Great experiences. Great lessons.
CD: In 2006 you participated in Vh1’s reality show ‘Man Band’ where you were grouped with 3 other former boy band members from NSYNC, LFO, and Color Me Badd, to form a new band called ‘Sureshot’. What became of ‘Sureshot’?
JT: Not much. We all sort of did the show for our own selfish reasons. We all have our own projects, and I don’t think any of us ever intended on being a group. The songs we did together were pretty kick-ass, though.
CD: You have a new album, “Emotional High” slated to release in Dec/Jan 2010; tell us a little about this album and the single entitled “Emotional High”?
JT: Yes. When 98 Degrees was first signed to Motown we lived in NY. I had a girlfriend that I was head-over-heels in love with. We broke up just before the group hit, and I never saw her again. 10 years later, I got to see her again in NY. We both have our own lives now, kids, careers, etc, but the feelings will always be there. The experience inspired the song. We are good friends now, but after reuniting we were always talking on the phone to each other. She said “My God, You’re like a drug!” I told her I was going to write a song about that, and did. She’s a good friend to have, and while there may never be anything more, I still have strong feelings for her.
CD: Being a solo artist and having full creative control, what have you done differently in producing and promoting this album versus what you learned in the past?
JT: Well, I know more about the business for one. More importantly, I’m comfortable creating all of the music from the ground up if I have to. I engineer, write, produce, and sing everything myself. I know what I want to sound like now as a solo artist. When I first went solo, I was trying to be 98 Degrees by myself. Now, my buddies and I get in the studio and just jam. Up-tempo, ballads, club joints, whatever. We just do whatever we feel… and that’s what music is about.
CD: Your entire album will be available to fans as a free download, all they have to do is register on your website; why free?
JT: I think it is the way of the future. Artists will have to use their music as a commercial for themselves, and figure out how to monetize it through sponsorships, touring, merchandise, whatever. I haven’t had a song out with 98 Degrees in 8 or 9 years. People are not familiar with me as a solo artist. I can’t expect folks to shell out 10 or 15 dollars for a CD. My goal is to get 1 million people signed up at my website for the free album. I’m about halfway there. I hope to re-energize the existing fanbase and excite people and gain new fans along the way.
CD: For others with the same passion for music and dreams of being signed by a major label, what’s the best way to get noticed?
JT: Be confident and believe in yourself. There will be a million people that will tell you you can’t do it, but it only takes one yes to make your dream come true. Sing or play for anyone and everyone you can. Always have your music ready. Most importantly, stay humble and thank God or the universe in advance for your success. Always work hard and treat everyone you meet with tremendous respect no matter who they are.
CD: And now for my one useless question, the “98 Degrees Board Game”, do you have one?
JT: My mother has one in the box with the wrapper still on it. When my daughter was two, she played mine and threw all of the pieces all over the place. It was a silly game anyway. Kind of like the music business.
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