In rock Magazine

Translation of intv in March '07 edition of In Rock Magazine:

-Are you calling from the studio?
Yes. from the studio in Nashville.

-you're coming to Japan soon for the concert. How it's gonna be like? is it same as the concerts you did in the states?
It'll be the same. the fans will enjoy it. I'll play almost all songs from my solo album and some of bsb songs. I hope they'll enjoy it. I'll play acoustic guitar and I'm so excited. I want them to know who I am. and I hope I could visit Japan with bsb too.

-you said you want them to know who you are. what does that mean?
coz we already know who you are.LOL. means more personal. when I tour with the bsb it's much more huge so it's hard to see who we are. but this time it's gonna be a little bit different. I'm a man, father and husband.... I'm not just a musician songwriter or singer. So I want them to know those sides of me. We're playing Welcome Home video and planning some more wonderful stuff. It'll be real energetic and I hope they enjoy it so that they get my album after the show if they don't have one yet.

-will you come with your own band?
Yes. I've been playing with them for a long time

-and your family?
I'll come with Leighanne and Baylee. They really enjoyed it last time we visited Japan. Baylee seems like he can't wait to visit. He's like "Daddy, we're not coming to Japan for a while."

-I remember the last time you came here that Baylee got more attention than you.I know. He's like a super star. LOL

-He's so cute.
Thanks. he looks like his mom.

-Do you have any plan to have some more baby?
well LOL I don't know. I don't really talk about it with Leighanne... But we're ok with only child. If we will have a baby in the future, it'll be great too. But now, Baylee is enough for us. LOL

-I was surprised to know about what happened on Dec. 10th in IL.
I know. in Chicago.

-After the show, the promoter suddenly told you to meet and sign 300 fans who bought golden tickets? Did he try to use you?
I didn't know anything about golden ticket before he told me on the very that day. it was like only 5 min. before I go on to the stage. I was so disappointed and hurt when I knew that my fans paid a lot of money to see me. I had really good relationships with fans and I'd like to keep it. Coz that's why BSB is tied strong and here today.

-Bsb is big and strong, but when you become a solo, there might people who try to use you. coz you're very nice person.
I'll take it as a praise. Thank you LOL But you're right. It's different whan I do as a solo artist. I have to be more conscious. As the bsb we're working with same people from all over the world for a long time. and we really like our faithful relationships. But if we put some new people in it, then something unexpected might be happen. It's just like what happened in Chicago.

-I hope he will refund those 300 fans.
I do hope so too. I was hurt and those fans were hurt too. I'm so upset about someone try to get money by using my name. On the internet like Myspace, there's bunch of people who pretends me or bsb and try to take advantage. i hope he'll refund. It's the only fair resolution.

-You said it's like working with devils when you're in the entertainment? You always have to fight against those big temptations.
It's not that I feel so all the time. When we started bsb, it was like that. However as i get to know who I really am, it became different. Young people all over the world, they fight against temptations. Temptations that one face as they grow up and temptations for the man the one wanna be. But I always found comfort in my family and my faith. I want my fans to know I'm a ordinary man and in that way, I can change other peoples' life through my solo music and bsb music. They might recognize me as a backstreet boy when I'm doing solo, but it's fine.

-You said you're in studio with bsb. What are you doing right now? Finishing the album?
We'll be finished the recording by the end of Jan. recording here in Nashville will be done by tomorrow and we'll recording 2 more songs in LA. and after that we'll choose which songs will be on the album. We'll have 18 songs by the end of Jan. I'm really excited. the album gonna be a mixed with old bsb, current bsb and the direction we're going in the future. Pop rock, euro dance.. both of them which we had a big success with in 90's. LOL as time goes by, the music has changed and we've changed too. with "millennium" and "Black and Blue" we played big show and that was the important thing for us. we valued dance more. so we had to work out. LOL

-Who are the songwriters of the coming album?
Us LOL

-I know you guys are great songwriters but most songs from the last album were by other songwriters.
Yes, we're writing with other songwriters this time too. songwriters from NY, Cali, Nashville. We're working with Dan. We've been working with 9 songs so far, we'll be recording his song today and tomorrow. We're co-writing. I think this coming album will be the one that we're involved in the most.

-in the beginning, you worked a lot with popsong writers from Sweden like Max Martin. How about this time?
Well... not this time.

-But they wrote you lots of great songs for you?
Yes that's true. We worked with Max every album. to tell the truth, we emailed and called him but no one was able to get in touch with him. we called him but he didn't call us back. I swear to god. he doesn't reply. It's about 2 or 3 months ago, we tried to contact him to ask him if he has any good songs or wants to work with us. However, I think he's great. he's a great songwriter and producer. We have no idea why he doesn't call us back.

-I know he has his own rock band...
Yeah and he's touring with his band.

-I guess he want to retire as a songwriter?
I don't think so. He's still working on. I think he currently wants to work with solo artists not with group. If he wants to, I'm ok with it. We've learned so many things from him and we now know what we're good at and we're not good at. So I think we'll be fine if we do what we good at LOL

-But i was disappointed in him. He should at least respect the one who made him famous as a songwriter. He became famous after he worked with bsb.
well bsb was not famous before we work with him either. It was very long time ago, he was a substitute. After Dennis Pop passed away because of cancer in 90's, Max substituted him. he's really talented as a songwriter..... I don't know why he doesn't want to work with us. But we enjoyed working with him.

-Well I think you can forget about him. he's just a man who doesn't have courtesy
No no he's a nice guy. I'm not mad at him. I just want to know why he doesn't interested in working with bsb. I just want him to explain. Coz we don't know why.

-Do you miss Kevin when you are recording or writing a music?
We've never experienced recording without Kevin before so it's different. But we're trying hard to concentrate and making best album. We still have great relationships with Kevin. When I back home in Kentucky during Christmas holiday, I saw Kevin and we talked about life and so. Kevin and Kristin, they're expecting a baby

-WOW! When will the baby born?
I'm so excited too. I don't know when it's due but I'm sure she's got pregnant and they both are so excited. Kevin let me know about it soon but I'll keep it a secret. LOL Coz there's the news that you can share and you can't share with others. yeah so seeing Kevin during holiday was fun too. The recording process is different this time but we were able to concentrate to make the best album. we're enjoying the process and we're looking forward the tour which will be scheduled this summer. we hope to travel around the world.

-What is Kevin doing now?
I think he's writing music and producing.

.-for the other artists?
for many artists. he has a studio and production company in Cali. producing the other artists is what he's wanted to do. The other stuff what he wanted to do is what he's currently doing. having a baby and start family, and doing broadway musical. I think he's just finished his performance in Toronto. He's keeping busy. I don't know he's as busy as us but He's keeping busy LOL

-how's other bsb member doing?
They're all doing great. we're checking our vocal wether it's recored well. other guys seems looking forward to back to LA but I'm looking forward to back to Georgia tomorrow and see Leighanne and Baylee. I've been away from home for 2 weeks and I can't wait to go home.

-A.J. was in a unstable situation before but how was he now? Is he happy?
He's very happy. very. He's been sober for 4 years now and he looks really great. the next time we come to Japan and the fans see him, they will find him so different. He cares about himself now which he didn't do before. and he became much more great man. I want to stick around with these guys they're like my family.

-it's been a while since he broke up with his fiancee, has he found someone who makes him happy?
LOL A.J.'s single now LOL "A.J. is single!" that's what a lot of INROCK readers would like to know! LOL

-Have you watched Nick's reality show "House of Carters"?
No

-Is that popular in the US?
I don't know. why don't you ask Nick the next time we come over there? I've never watched it so I guess I know as few as you know about the program. LOL But if you ask nick now, he would say he's so excited about going to studio and recording. That's all he would say I guess.