Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: The Jonas Brothers on Teen Stardom, New Music, and Fatherhood

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It's been four years since their last album, Happiness Begins, and now, Nick, Kevin, and Joe are back with the album, and they're here to break down everything from their key influences to their creative process to how their dynamic has evolved over the years. Plus, they're talking about what it's like to return to their musical roots with a modern take on a nostalgic sound, and the style direction they're each excited to showcase on tour. It's all coming up on Who Up Where. ♪♪♪ Hi guys, how are you? Good, how are you? I'm good. I feel like it's been forever since we were in that set on Jim. I don't know if you remember me, but I was there running around. Well, yeah, that's right. I'm not wearing my camp rock shirt today. I'm very sorry. That's why we didn't remember you when you jumped on camera. I know, because I didn't have it. Yeah, that's beautiful shirt. That's dry cleaning. Okay, so I listened to the album. I love it. Thank you. And I wanted to know, first, how would you describe the difference between the album and your 2019 release, Happiness Begins? I felt like a different direction listening to it, so I wanted to know what kind of direction you took this time. Yes, I think for this album, the intention was to lean into our influences from our childhood and all the music our dad raised us on. The Bee Gees, Stevie Wonder, Beatles, that 70s sound, and work with a producer who we've never worked with before to build an album that is uniquely Jonas Brothers and touches on those influences, talks about our stories over the past couple years, and the journey we've been on as people. I think it's the album we're most proud of, because it really represents kind of where we are now and the journey we're on. So how would you think it reflects how you are as a band and even like individuals today? For the first time, we're really talking about a lot of things that we haven't really talked about in our music, whether that's fatherhood, brotherhood. You know, in the past, a lot of our inspiration came from relationship-based songs, which it definitely has on this album. But this album specifically focuses on where we are today, and speaking in those moments. And I think it's true to who we are in this exact time. Since there were six years between lines, Vine and Trying Times and Happiness Beens, that obviously felt more of a comeback album, but did you feel there was more pressure on that one versus this one? In some capacities, maybe. Being gone for so long, not making music together, the music came back pretty naturally. I mean, we originally started in a unique setting where Nick was in one room with familiar producers that he's worked with. I was in another with some great people that I've worked with in the past. And then we kind of like brought everyone together and we started writing, recording, and brought the best of to the table. So that way we had the strengths of our individual sounds that we worked on when we weren't touring and playing music together. And a lot of growth period in that season, and you know, Ryan Teder helping us along the way to name just one of the great people we worked with on this project. He was a champion in that setting and it was really important. So there was less pressure this time. Like it felt like you guys were already together and flowing. Well, I think that, you know, on the last album, it was important that it worked. And that people cared. They did. Well, thank you. Yeah, I mean, and so I think that was the foundation for a more sustainable career and settled lived in career. So happiness begins and that album doing what it did and having the impact on our lives and our fans lives that it did was incredibly meaningful. And I think it helped us approach this next chapter with an ease. There's always urgency when you're creating because as a songwriter, as a musician, you care deeply about what you're bringing into the world. You know, each song has real meaning for you. And there's a lot of effort that goes into the whole process, which is why we waited four years to release a new album. We had a bunch of songs that we had written earlier in the process. Of the album making that just didn't feel quite right. And so we took our time to get it right. And obviously there were other factors that played into the decision to wait this long between albums. But you know, I think where we're at now is that we're incredibly inspired to get out and play shows for our fans with this new music. But also, you know, think about getting back in the studio quicker. So there's a shorter turnaround time between albums and we can just continue to deliver for our fans listening to the album. I felt how much you guys put into it. And I wanted to know now that you guys live very different lives, what does that writing process look like for you in terms of having a timeline creating music? That's a great question. It really comes down to finding time to get together because we're all living in different places. But emotionally and what we're actually going through is similar, you know, where our fathers now, we're finding each other in a similar place personally, which makes the writing process a little bit easier than past albums before it was one of us was going through something emotionally that the other could not connect with. And you end up all bringing ideas to the table and then too many cooks in the kitchen, it felt like. So this time around, we're actually like able to work together quite well. And I think it's really essential to have a fourth voice in the room, similar to John Bellian, who worked with us on this new album that's coming out and being able to say, all right, cool. Like, let me look at it from my bird's eye view. What are we missing from all of these different things? What other ingredients do we need to add for this big pot? You guys have come a long way, musically, in genre from, you know, classic, more punk days. And then this album, like Nick Sudd is inspired by 70s and grounded in Americana and Laurel Canyon inspired sounds. Since this is the kind of music you grew up listening to, is this always the kind of music you wanted to create? Because it is very different from where you started. I think that the journey we've been on musically has led us to this point back in the early days of our career. I think that the pop punk emo punk was in vogue for sure, and something that we loved listening to and, you know, also growing up in New Jersey, that was such a big thing in the Northeast. And so it made sense that that was part of our sound. And then as we evolved and discovered older music that was new to us and then new music that was influential in our sound, the sound evolved. And when we look back at this moment in time, we feel that the kind of music that we're making is reflective of the music we listened to a movie younger and our dad played for us. But it's totally fresh and, you know, got a modern sound to it as well. And that was really important. You know, Joe coming out of DNC, me from my solo stuff, we brought different things to table musically. And we feel like between the last album and this one, we've really been able to find a blend of all those sounds, which is such a fun challenge for us. Because in a lot of ways, we're three individual artists who make up this band. And it's, I think, something that kind of sets us apart and is really inspiring to me. And knowing it's something that is special for us. Yeah, it seems like a great take for you guys individually and as an album. Thank you. Obviously fans have grown up listening to you. They're familiar with certain sounds. I mean, you played a few shows already. What do you think has been the reaction? It's been really nice to play these songs before this new album. You know, the reaction, thus far, has been nothing but supportive. It's really fun to watch, which songs they fall more, I guess, in love with Quaker. It seems like walls has been kind of a fan favorite. It's the last song we play on the album. And it's the most dramatic song live. So I think that's probably why a lot of people are loving that one. We've saved a few that we haven't played live. We just feel like they are better suited to listen with big headphones on and sit in your room alone and get to know those records. But we usually wouldn't play music before it was released. So this is a change for us even. But we're glad we've done that. And it's fun to play these songs. And people are singing along with the new music. I think my favorite of the album has to be Sail Away. And I was told that that one went through 21 versions before landing on the final date. It did. There was a time we almost didn't use that song for this record. And same with walls. It was just not in a place where we felt like it matched to the other songs. And it was elevated enough. And Sail Away was one of the first ones we worked on. I think as the record matured, some of which you just kind of put on the back burner. And you're like, I'll get to it later. But then it's like we need the album by the end of the week. So it's like, all right, let's figure it out. Can we make this happen in time? Are there a few songs that came together like no problem? And is this the one that really only felt like it was taking forever? Yeah, I think most of the record really kind of fell into place pretty quickly. The sound, you know, musically is fairly simple. And as far as like the instrumentation goes, you know, it's a live band sound, but with some modern elements in there as well. And so it was a really natural fit and just kind of clicked in. But there was a few songs that it's just about fine tuning and naturally like anything. If you care really deeply about something, you're going to overthink it. But then you end up usually just going back to the original and saying, okay, well, it's pieces of the overthought version of it. And now, you know, what we have. And so that was true for Sail Away. But it's also one of my favorite songs on the album. And one that live has been really popping off. I hope to hear a live one day because it's one of my favorites. And I know that for a band that's been around as long as you, and then also for other artists who have worked with Disney, it's easy for old lyrics to feel dated or immature. But for you guys, I personally feel and a lot of conversation is that how your lyrics, even back then from a young age have managed to convey such intense and deep emotion that still carry over for people today. And they still connected today. I mean, I know you say your personal relationships have changed, evolved over time. But how do you think it's different than and how did you manage to convey those emotions then versus now? Well, I think that our lyrics in the early part of our career were age-appropriate for the experiences that we were having. And even the language that we use in certain terminology and even technology that can feel dated somehow fits that capsule in time that we're speaking about. And in a similar way, I think that our lyrics are reflective of our experiences now. So they're also age-appropriate and kind of tell a different story. But somehow, and this is something that I think has been really fun for us to kind of be experiencing in real time, is that between the Broadway residency that we did with the Five Albums over Five Nights and then recently announcing the tour being Five Albums One Night, walking down memory lane with our fans is more meaningful now than it ever has been. Not because we're living in nostalgia necessarily, but because we've all grown up together. And so it feels like one big party where you can celebrate the journey that got you to where you are now. And our fans are our age going through similar life experiences, which is why I think the shows themselves have been a really wide range of people and ages at the audience because you've got parents who used to bring their kids when they were teenagers who are now grandparents of the person bringing their kids. And so it's really covering a whole different set of generations. And being able to celebrate the journey that got you to where you are with the people you love is what life's all about. And I think this album is a perfect combination of those experiences and where it's gotten all of us. That's why you have a song called Celebrate. Exactly. Totally. Perfect time together. And then Nick was saying that obviously you're a fan of your older, but then you also are reaching younger audiences. I've had friends be like, oh, my younger sister was like, do you know the Jonas Brothers? And she's like, do I know the Jonas Brothers? Yeah. Just reaching new audience. Is that something you're factoring into like your recent exploration and collaboration on TikTok? Or has that just been like a fun personal thing for you to do? And how has it acted as a strategic marketing tool? I think we see the value in it also like it is fun. I think it's so easy to hate on TikTok or it's so easy to hate on the new social media. But we started with MySpace being like a thing. And we had a hundred dollars on MySpace. We're like, we did it guys. We can retire. We made it. But as we've seen these social media, like different things come along the way, we always try to find a way to engage as much as possible. And it's been really fun to work with all these other different social media influencers and be on their channels and they pitch ideas and they're creators at the end of the day. We get to collaborate with them. Before this interview, we were just working with a friend of mine, Nick, who's a chef from Boston. And he does really fun videos and he has a lot of creative ideas. And so it's just like we would never be doing that traditionally, like doing a cooking video, but we're doing stuff with waffles. So it makes sense. So it's like fine. Clever ways to do it. And it does reach a younger audience. But I think also like Disney Plus was a huge factor when that launched. They had so many episodes and films that we didn't think we'd ever see again. But a lot of young people are discovering for the first time. So there's that avenue. And then yes, I think, you know, it's streaming as well. It opens up so much for young people and new listeners to discover your music. And we look at some of the songs that are getting listens. And you were just like, whoa, he never would think that would be a thing, especially a song that would never be on radio. Or we never pushed it to radio. So there's a lot of different things now in 2023 that we did not have in 2009. Do you ever see like an old clip? And you're just like, I did not remember even ever doing that. Oh, yeah. That happens all the time. My girls discovered because of Disney Plus, our shows, and there was full episodes and moments that I don't ever remember even filming or recording. But you know, I think that's not that we blacked it out or anything. It's just that we were moving so fast in those years. And so many things happened so rapidly that it's hard to remember all the moments. And I think that that's something we're doing now is we're really trying to enjoy taking and celebrate the wins and, you know, work on the losses as well. So like it's just all the above. I love that you guys are able to do that and explore new social and, you know, work with other creators. I think it's an amazing thing. Thank you. Your fan base has seen you through various ages of life. And you said that they've also grown with you. You know, teenage boys are married with children. Not only that, but you've also been a part of their lives through their own stages. I mean, just giving an example. You did the video with Haley Lou Richardson. She was with you out of me angry. And now she is on the white lotus and in your music video, she was a super fan. Now she's a TV star. How does it feel to have that kind of connection? I think somebody said it the other day. They're like, I hope to see a Jonas Brothers fan, US president, like, it's just crazy to think about the reach that our fan base, like Haley. Yeah, she's a fantastic actor and shared her time with us to be in our video. But also, she has a lot of stories of being at shows and meeting greets and things like that. And so I think for us, it's just really fun to see just like we're fans and actors and musicians. I remember listening to Keene's album growing up. That was such an inspiration and to think about meeting them would be amazing. So I think it's nice to see. Nowadays, there are a lot of viral hits that can sometimes be fleeting, but you guys have so many songs that have almost transcended time and have been carried through a large part of fans lives. I mean, I found a tweet that I tweeted like 2012. This is after way after it came out. And I tweeted that love plug is the greatest love song of all time. Fantastic. And then two years ago, I got married and I chose love bug as my Kate cutting song. So just knowing that these songs transcend time, is that ever something that even imagined all writing older songs? And is it something you take into consideration when creating these songs now? Certainly hope that the songs you write will have impact for many years. And I think your point about some of the songs that trend and seem kind of fleeting, you know, there's just a new way to approach the songwriting process and releasing music. So there's nothing wrong with those songs that have their moment and really move culture in that way. And in fact, it's amazing for artists that have those kind of songs breakthrough. I think for us, we've been really fortunate to have a career where songs that we wrote in our teens and early 20s had meaning for us them, but even deeper meaning now, part of the fabric of people's lives, part of their most formative moments. You're talking about your wedding and that's the dream as an artist. You really want to be with people on their journey by way of the music you create. And I think about songs for my life that have had real impact at various stages and how special that is. So it's a real incredible feeling and we hope that we'll continue with this album. I think it will. Just a way that you guys sing about fatherhood and just the relationships. I think it will. Thank you. Thank you. You guys have been a band for over 20 years now. What do you see happening next for you three? Is there a specific milestone you want to reach within the next 20 years or is that like too far-fetched out? Well, we definitely have a bucket list items. We're big Giants fans. So performing in Giants Stadium is definitely up there. But I think it sounds cheesy, but it's the truth. I think if you asked just 20 years ago, oh, you're going to be doing this for 20 years. We'll be like, what? That's crazy to think about. So I just would say if we're still making music and we're still able to do what we love for a living in 20 some years, pinch me. That's just awesome totally. In terms of family relationships, how are you handling your relationships as brothers and a band differently than you did before getting back together? I think that we're far more mature in the way that we handle our work life balance with the need for obviously time with our nuclear families. And also with the way that we approach our working relationship with each other. I think a lot of things used to get bottled up and kind of stay inside. And now we definitely share more freely frustrations along the way. Listen, we're brothers at the end of the day, and we also work together. It's a lot to unpack on a daily basis. But we found a good balance, and I think that's because with time and with age and maturity, you just find a way to make it all make sense and enjoy the ride. Life is certainly too short to not enjoy it. And this one that we're on is pretty incredible. So that's a long-winded way of saying we've figured it out for the most part, but there are still bumps in the road and days that are a challenge. But we all have a life outside of this band now. So it's really nice to be able to step away and be with the people we love and come back inspired and reinvigorated to go out and bring some joy into the world. I love that. I mean, regular people and families spend years figuring it out. So 20 years is nothing to figure that out. I wanted to ask, how has fatherhood changed your perspective on aspect of a music career? Whether it's writing or touring schedule. This is for myself, I'll kind of answer this, but it's the number one driver. The reason I am who I am today is because of my kids. So whether that is figuring out how to get home sooner, even thinking about them when we're writing, it's ever-present. They're your children. They're the most important thing in your life or at least in mind. And so to me, it can't escape it, right? It's going to be a factor for everything. And I think that that's why it's a part of this album as well. Makes sense. And it's been three years since you guys came back with happiness begins. What has just been like your biggest lesson such takeaways since then? I think the biggest lesson is related to the experience that we've all had collectively by way of COVID shutting things down and people's lives being affected in various ways. And I think the clarity that I have as a person is just to be really present and grateful in the moment. It's crazy to look up and to see 20, 30,000 people at a show when just a couple years ago, that was so far from a possibility. And I'm very grateful that things feel like they're somewhat back to normal and just want to be as present as possible and kind of really live in that moment. It's an enormous responsibility as a performer to bring joy and goodness into people's lives. And we don't take that lightly. It's something we, where's a badge of honor. And so for us, our heartbeat is always in that desire to get out there and bring something good into people's lives. And so really grateful that we're able to do that again. And that things feel like they're moving the right direction. I'm curious because you guys said as a band, you guys are inspired by references like the Bee Gees and Eagles. I'm curious, do you each have your own personal artists that you like to channel or take inspiration from? Yeah, I think there's definitely different musicians or bands that individually we all love, or even genres. And it kind of blends together sometimes. Right now, I've been listening to a lot of the 1975, but I know these guys have to, you know, like stuff like that. I really like to listen to what comes out new music Fridays on Spotify or whatever streaming service you listen to, like the new artists that are creating stuff. Because there's also like, there's our band, there's DNC, and then I also DJ. So it's like, you kind of have to keep up to date with what people are listening to. Yeah, I saw when you did the DJ of the succession theme song. It was a moment. What you think is like the must listen song to the album. I know that's a trick question, but if you had to. Tracks one through 12, I think. It's very difficult to say, but I think right now, I would say make sure you take some time to listen to walls. Walls is definitely a very powerful song. The SNL performance was phenomenal for that one. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I'm gonna say walls and one more, which is summer baby. Love that song. I'm gonna add vacation eyes in there. It's one of my favorites. And I know it's a personal one to you, Kevin. Yeah, it is. But it's just an all around feel good song. I just want to talk a little about your style. Cool. Because I know even on set, like Joe, you asked if like a certain thing was like, bo-dy, you guys are very in the know of like style. And a lot of people have actually been talking about how your looks recently have just been so good and creative and personal to your each look, but also they work collaboratively together. I wanted to know, cause your style has evolved so much from your first album. Do you three work closely with your stylists as a collaborative effort? Or you guys are all solely giving your own take? We work very closely with our stylists. I mean, style is obviously an individual thing for everybody. And for us going back to the thing of us being kind of three individual artists in this band, I think we've always made an effort to make sure we have that individuality and that we feel like we can kind of be ourself amidst the collective. And so, you know, we work with a great stylist who helps us achieve that. And it's about combining aesthetically what we want to say with the sort of campaign and the bigger idea, but also what's totally organic to us and making sure that we feel as confident as possible stepping into whatever situation we're in. And I think that's just about being true to yourself and what feels good to you. And so for me personally, you know, I'm a big fan of classic men's silhouettes, you know, and tailoring really good fabrics and leather and creative ensembles that sort of have one complete story while also embracing trends that feel authentic and useful to me, both emotionally and physically. And I think that that is the key. It's not like any one sort of designer or trend or box feels right. It's actually just whatever in that moment makes me feel like I'm telling a complete story. And it's been really fun to be able to do that with somebody who has a great vision themselves and brings something completely unique to the table. Since you guys have been doing this for so many years, you've done lots of different red carpet events, you know, so many press tours. I'm sure this is like your bajillionth interview ever and gone through different phases. How do you view fashion through your work for each event and like your relationship with it as you've been doing it for so many years? I think for myself now, I revert to finding staple pieces that make me feel good and rebuilding off of that. That's just who I am and still explore new, of course, but when I find a style for a time that I like, I kind of stay within his own and it just makes me feel like I'm kind of heading in a clear path, but that's just for myself. I find myself in that world living in that space for a while and then I'll go outside of it and then it's a new one. Joe, you were saying that you are always on the new songs and looking at new artists and even on set, you're being very collaborative with the stylists. Are you doing the same with fashion, like looking up new designers, new brands? Yeah, I definitely think so. It kind of just comes to me, I guess, when I'm like scrolling through Instagram or TikTok even. It's really who you follow too. Like what are you inspired by? I feel like fashion is such an opportunity to present yourself and your personality and naturally so is your music. So it's like tying those two together and being adventurous. Obviously, you look back 10, 15 years ago and you go, can't we even wear that or I can't do my hair like that? But you have to take risks, you have to have fun with it and show off who you are and your personality and be daring. Your older albums, including Happiness Beands, you guys talked about those colorful suits. They involve kind of uniform dressing. When you look at older albums and the outfit you're wearing on tour, this time it feels like each of you have more so tapped into your own personal style. So how has that journey been for you shifting from dressing together versus dressing as just each one of you? Well, I think it's specific to the album and the story we want to tell. I think with Happiness Begends and specifically that tour, we just felt like that was right and worked closely with Berluti to do the suits for the first half of the show and then Boman for the second half. It was a really fun collaborative experience with designers and design teams that we love and feel like helped us accomplish the mission for that specific chapter. With this one, I think it was more about leaning into classic Americana and more vintage playing with some statement pieces but grounded with really good vintage or simple silhouettes and looks. That's been a fun thing to play with and I think within that it was just about finding ways to sort of have that individuality within an overall ballpark that we're playing in. And when we approach this next tour, we're going to be really intentional and thoughtful about what that looks like. The other part of it too is when you're on tour, there's so many shows and you're moving a million miles a minute. So doing looks for that many shows. Sometimes it's more simple and creates a look for the show that encapsulates that moment if you do one look and it's sort of that for the rest of the shows. So we're playing with a lot of ideas and we haven't locked in on exactly what we're doing but it's really fun to have that extra outlet for us to be able to play with, to showcase who we are and what we want to say as a band. Yeah, like you said, the vintage. I noticed that you have a lot of more vintage style silhouettes and looser, flowy silhouettes. So I think that really ties back to the feel of the album, which is all cohesive. Thank you. And lastly, I just want to ask what do you think will surprise people about this album? I think the thing that will surprise people most about this album is how open we're being about certain topics and themes. Little Bird for instance is one of our most personal songs ever. You know, we live this very public life, all of us, and that's kind of been our reality for a long time. But we also try to keep a lot of our life very private. And so our music becomes our outlet to speak about things that are relevant to our daily lives. And so whether it's themes of fatherhood or Waffle House being about family and even acknowledging that there are moments that we butt heads and that are challenging, these are all things that I think give people a real look at who we are. And that's the goal and kind of open that window for them to be a part of our experiences in the same way that we hope to be a part of theirs. I know. Kevin, you said Vacation Eyes was a personal song for you. Joe and Nick, do you have any songs that personally are really close to your heart? It's tough to pick one. Vacation Eyes is also personal to me. I think Little Bird probably just won them like fighting back tears every time I have to sing it. I'm like, okay, here we go. Yeah, Little Bird is obviously, and you know, even something like Summer in the Hamptons is a vibe that I think is personal and shows a totally different side of the mosaic of this album. It's nice to have that range to be able to go from songs that are about love and sexuality to things that are about other meaningful relationships and the weight that they carry in your life. And that's kind of exactly where we are today. Well, thank you guys so much for sitting and talking with me about everything. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. A huge thank you to Huwah Ware's Associate Fashion Editor, Yousra Sadiqi, and to Huwah Ware's Make Cover Stars, Nick, Kevin, and Joe Jonas. Make sure to subscribe to our show wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode. And while you're there, I'd also be so grateful if you would rate and review us. If you have any guest suggestions or any other feedback, drop us a line at podcast at huwah ware.com or you can find us on social at huwah ware. See you next Wednesday on Huwah Ware with Hillary Kerr. This episode was produced by Hillary Kerr and Olivia Capoletti. Editing is by Natalie Thurman. Our audio engineers are at Treehouse Recording in Los Angeles, California, and our music is by Jonathan Leahy. Thank you to eBay for sponsoring today's episode. eBay Authenticity Guarantee is all about making sure you never get faked over. eBay's authenticators are leaders in their field with meticulous eyes making sure your pieces, whether they're sneakers, watches, handbags, or jewelry, arrive as authentic as your style and worthy of your collection. As experts, they know the true difference between a real and a fake. Real carries that rare, distinguished feel, the weight of pure platinum, exquisite scent of togo leather, the tight stitching on a pair of dungs, the brilliance of real diamonds. So rest assured, your Rolex moves just like a Rolex should, and that colorway on your Jordan Royals will always be on point. The details, inspected, the fakes, rejected. Ensure your next purchase is the real deal with the eBay Authenticity Guarantee. Everyone deserves real. 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