Backstreet's A.J. McLean has been busy making a new name for himself--- Johnny No Name, to be exact. Under that mysterious moniker, A.J.'s alter ego headlined a solo tour across the United States this spring, convering heavy tunes by Rage Against the Machine and Stone Temple Pilots as well as the usual swoonworthy Backstreet Boys ballads. Here, A.J. reveals his plans for two new solo projects and his future with Backstreet Boys.
What can you do as Johnny that you can't as A.J.?
Do you think Johnny No name's fans are any different from A.J.'s?
A.J.: They're raunchier. On stage at Backstreet Boys shows I usually get teddy bears, candy, and flowers thrown at me. Johnny gets panties and bras.
How did you come up with Johnny No Name, and why does he speak in a British accent?
A.J.: Our drummer had bought me this cool velvet jacket, and the label read, "Johnny Suede, Dressed to Pimp." Then, on the last tour, people caught on to the Happy Gilmore alias I use in hotels and I had to change my code name. I started going my Johnny Suede when I was playing small shows with BSB's backing band. Johnny Suede just evolved into Juhnny No Name, 'cause he's an "every guy" type. As for the accent I just wanted him to be different from A.J.
You make jokes about BSB in your show. How do they feel about that?
A.J.: It's all in good fun. Johnny disses everyone in the intro to the song "Bad to the Bone" and talks about how their nicknames are stupid. Brian's is B-Rock, so Johnny says stuff like, "Why would you want to be a rock? You get stepped on wherever you go, run over, and dogs poop on you!"
All jokes aside, is it rough not having the rest of the guys on tour with you for support?
A.J.: The first couple of shows felt really weird. I'd turn around thinking Brian would come sing his part, Kevin would tell a story, or Howie and Nick would do a dance. Without them, I really have to rely on myself. As you can tell by my [scratchy] voice and the hot tea in my hand, it's killing me!
How will the Johnny No Name album in the works be different from the A.J. McLean solo album your planning.
A.J.: As A.J., I want to do more of an R&B pop thing, like D'Angelo. Johnny's will be more like Limp Bizkit, with a hip-hop feel. There will even be a difference in the pictures inside each album. Oh Johnny's, I'm thinking the band will be sitting on a white furry couch, with a black carpet going up in flames in front of us. They'll be dressed, but I'll be naked, holding a pillow infront of my crotch! A.J.'s will be more conservative. I'll just wear a cowboyhat and have crazy hair.
Which album will you record first?
A.J.: Probably Johnny's, because it's easier to write rock songs, which are more about getting people pumped up and jumping around. It's harder to write R&B songs, because they're more spiritual and from the heart.
When can we run out and buy them?
A.J.: It'll probably be a while. Backstreet Boys will be in the studio---in New York, in Sweden, or at home in Orlando---until the end of August. Then, in September or October, we'll probably release the first single and launch our world tour, which will lsat through December 2001. So it would be after that before I'd be able to do anything on my own.
What's the vibe going to be like for the next Backstreet album?
A.J.: We're going to the Bahamas for ten days to start writting and producing it. It will be interesting to see what we come up with without our girlfriends, fiancees, and security around. We'll be moving away from the computer-generated stuff. Nick is really adament about playing live drums, and Kevin would like to play the piano more, so we'll probably all pick up instruments this time around. We'd like to try to beat Millennium, but its more about the quality of the music than just wanting to sell 15 to 20 million albums.
Do you feel any preasure to sell more records than N*Sync did with No Strings Attatched?
A.J.: I know it bothers some of the other guys more than it bugs me. I do hope we beat their record, but I dont want anyone to think it's Backstreet Boys against N*Sync. There's suttle competition between us, but behind the scenes we're all friends.
When it really comes down to it, I think the Backstreet Boys stand alone in our singing ability, and our next album going to blow everyone away. When it comes out all the other groups are going to go bye, bye, bye!
Which BSB member do you think will be the next to do a solo project?
A.J.: Probably Nick, 'cause he likes the spotlight as much as I do. He really loves Nirvana and other rock acts, but I don't know if he'd do the rebel thing or go the more mature route.
Speaking of maturity, do you think that Kevin's and Brian's upcoming marriages will mellow the group?
Ofcourse getting married will change their perspectives. It might have an impact on out style, but we'll still be the same group. We want to settle down, have families, and just be normal. I'm not ready for that yet, but I do have a girlfriend.
Rumor has it your shopping for a ring, too.
A.J.: That's what everyone's saying. It started in Tampa [where Nick lives], so I blame Nick for that one!
If your solo career takes off, would you abandon the Backstreet Boys?
A.J.: I do some solo stuff and everyone thinks I'm qutting the group! I love those guys, and I love what we do. I'd never leave the Backstreet Boys.
