August 5, 2025 • 22 mins
This week, Tommy is joined by international pop star Nick Carter who rose to fame in the Backstreet Boys, the best-selling boy band in history. The Backstreet Boys ranks as one of the world’s top-selling music artists of all time. Nick’s 30 year entertainment journey has extended far beyond sold-out arenas, encompassing a range of diverse projects in television, film, philanthropy and publishing. Nick is currently selling out the Las Vegas Sphere with his fellow Backstreet Boys in their “Into The Millennium” residency. Because he’s not busy enough this year, he also dropped his most recent solo album, “LOVE LIFE TRAGEDY,” which upon release debuted at No. 1 on the Worldwide Top Albums chart. Today, Nick opens up about what it was like being leaders in the pop renaissance that exploded in the 90’s, why he turned down the Mickey Mouse Club for a shot with what would become the Backstreet Boys, how the guys curated their set list for their Vegas residency, the songs he is always most psyched to perform, what Backstreet Boy song he can’t get out of his head, the meaning behind the powerful title of his latest solo album, what he attributes to his longevity in the music business, one of the greatest life lessons he’s learned over the last 30 years of his career, his exciting new vinyl project, if that white cat represents anything, something he has never said before, and so much more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy Di Dario. Growing up, I always pretended that
I was in a boy band. So my millennial heart
is bursting with joy because pop Music Royalty Nick Carter
of the Backstreet Boys is on my show today. The
Backstreept Boys are hailed as being the best selling boy
(00:23):
band in history and rank among the world's top selling
music artists of all time. Nick Man, he has been
an artist bringing so much joy for decades, and he's
at it again with his into the Millennium Residency at
the Las Vegas Sphere, which is running right now. Oh
and he also had his most recent solo album called
Love Life Tragedy, released earlier this year, hit number one worldwide.
(00:47):
Nick Carter has proven time and time again that he
is here to stay. So let's see if today we
can get Nick to say something that he has never
said before. Nick Carter, how you doing, my man?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Very good? Thank you so much. Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Oh, I'm psyched to have you. I know you have
a lot going on which we're going to talk about.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, a lot to talk about. We're sorry, I'm really
been super busy. They've been doing a lot of baseball
and spending time with my kids now that they're on
summer break, so and then obviously doing work here in
Vegas on Spear So it's been been busy but really awesome. Ryan. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, Well we're going to celebrate all of that because
there's a lot to get into, but I guess to
kick off this conversation, it's to kind of, you know,
celebrate you for a minute. I think it's so cool
because when I think about you and your career and
what you've done. You know, the Backstreet Boys were they
kind of birthed this like golden era of the pop
renaissance so to speak, right, Like you guys came before
in singing and Brittany and Christina and then everyone kind
(01:55):
of came out. So I feel like you were the
blueprint in many ways of what pop music should and
what the vibe is in the style of Like do
you kind of feel that way too?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I mean, I think that we were definitely a part
of a very special moment in time when it came
to the kind of music that we were doing with Britney,
back Street and Sync ninety degrees, like all these guys
that were you know, in late nineties, early two thousands,
(02:27):
and it was a special time because technology really atn't
even been introduced, you know, things, we didn't even have
cell phones really, you know, the kind that we have
nowadays where you could just capture things, you can capture video,
you can you know, be on social media. So everybody
had to go to a concert. Everybody. Things were tangible.
(02:49):
You were buying CDs, you were you know, hanging out
with your friends, you know, going to those concerts and
enjoying like things in the moment. And I think that
what happened was, you know, I think what's happening now
is that people are are kind of reliving that in
a lot of ways through their families, through their kids, genera, generationally.
(03:12):
That's why they're coming to these uh to sphere and
and it's very nostalgic for for for people and they're
and we're seeing it's kind of in a way of
bringing a lot of people together. You know, things are
crazy in the outside world, you know, and our concerts
are are they're an escape, you know, from the you
(03:33):
know that outside insanity sometimes and and so yeah, it's
I'm very proud to be a part of a very
special uh place in time with what we do. And
you know, if you want to say that we kind
of pioneered it and we were you know, uh, I
like to also say that we're like one of the
last people that still do what we do at that time,
(03:54):
like with Brittany and stuff, unless Brittany goes on tour
and you see her or in sync or whatever. You know,
We dance, we sing, We you know, were performers, were
entertainers first and foremost, and you know people appreciate that
when they come to our concerts and listen to our music.
So yeah, it's a it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, you guys put in the work and and I'm
always fascinated, you know, kind of where where life takes
you and like the choices you make that could change everything.
And I know when you started out, you kind of
had this option to do the Mickey mouse Club or
go down this direction of going with the guys, and
you chose something that wasn't a guarantee. Like Mickey mouse
Club was popping off. It was hot, people loved it,
everyone wanted to be on it, and you were like,
I'm going to go try this. Like that took some
(04:34):
you know balls to do.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, yeah, I know it was. It was risky.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
I'm always been, I guess, risky and a sort of
a gambler in that regards, you know, I kind of
like I mean, that was at the age of twelve
when I had that opportunity when my mother would be
taking me to auditions and stuff like that, and you know,
we had auditioned for the Backstreet Boys, which was not
(04:58):
a guarantee at the time, and I got the contract
from Nickey mouse Club, which was I mean, they offered
money at the time, and you know, my family we
didn't We really didn't have a lot of money or
anything like that.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And I was given the choice. You know.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I remember having a conversation with my mom and she's like, well,
you can do this or you could do that, And
I said, well, let's try the back to Boys. It
seems like it might be fun. And then about a
year later, the Nickey Mouse Club went off the air.
You know, obviously some of those kids made it out
where it was Ryan Gosling or Britney Spears or Justin
Timberlake or Jacus Chase and all these people. I might
(05:37):
have been a part of that story, but I wasn't
and I ended up at backs people A and you know,
I think it worked out for the best. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I love that story because you just you never know
where life can take him if you're brave enough to
take a risk. I mean, the seemingly impossible can happen,
which is pretty cool. All right, you mentioned this residency.
It's like flooding my social media. Everywhere I look it
is videos of you guys just crushing it. So when
you do something like this, such a big show, how
do you go about selecting the songs in the set list?
(06:07):
Are you like, well, what well the fans like? Or
what do we enjoy performing?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
What's that like? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, it started with the Millennium album, and I think
we wanted that to be the core of, you know,
the show. We had this idea for to do almost
like a Millennium two point zero and just basically take
it on a world tour.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
This was way before.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
We had the opportunity with US Sphere and we we.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Were gearing up, We were gearing up for that.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
This was years ago, and you know, things got busy
and things changed a little bit, and we just decided,
you know, it wasn't the right time, and so Anyways,
what I'm saying is that, you know, the core of
Millennium two point zero, the core of the album was
going to be for the show, and everything else was like, okay,
(07:00):
well we have to do HiT's, you know, so thrankfully
we have a lot of records that very grateful for
that that we have a lot of hit records and stuff.
So we just built it all around the Millennium album.
And really we wanted to just give the fans their
money is worth, you know, and what they came to see.
(07:22):
So it was like, you know, a show, show first
and foremost, and it's got it has to be a
show on top to bottom. When they leave that and
they you know, they feel like they got their money's
worth and they and they had an experience and they're
brought back to that great time and like, you know,
nineteen ninety nine, two thousand, two thousand and one, when
you know, I like the same music was really the best.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Maybe I'm biased, No, I'm like totally, I'm Milaia and
thirty nine. I'm totally at the age where like new
music comes out and I'm like, you know what I
like to hear the things I grew up with or
like the artists I grew up with releasing their music,
you know, like it's it's there's something to be said
for sure. Is there a song in this residency that
just always you know, you're hyped up to perform every
single time?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Oh God, I think the.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Songs that stand out and our front to performance Siberia,
which is a deep cut on one of our records
that a lot of people don't know, but there's some
great visuals that go with it. I really like this
section that we do where we because Backshit Boys was
influenced a lot by R and B music, you know,
so I thought there was a lot of great R
and B music, you know, in the nineties and you know,
(08:33):
early two thousands and so this and so. On the
Millennium record, there was you could hear that, you know,
whether it was the cover that we did from Joe
and there there's also no one else, well that's no
one else comes close. And then there's also a song
that Kevin had written. So there's this section that we
(08:55):
do like about four or five of those songs and
they weren't singles, weren't hits or anything like that, but
they were on the album and that's a fun section
to do because we're just doing like a little do
lot dance kind of thing, little vocal harmony, and we're yeah,
it's it's it's awesome because we have not performed those
songs in so long and the fans really really like it.
(09:19):
But yeah, there's Spanish Eyes, there's no one else comes close.
There's back to Your Heart, there's a perfect fan and
and those songs right there are really great. There's also
another song too. We put out this new record, the
Millennium two point zero, which has like a.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Lot of.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Unreleased tracks, I mean, the Histure, the original Moon, and
then also a new single called Hey, and that one is.
I actually was hating on the song a little bit.
I was like, man, I don't know if we should
put this song on the show. But it turns out
that it's a really magical moment that people like, so
(09:59):
I'm not happy to perform that.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Well, yeah, you have such a collection of great songs,
is there. I'm so curious, is there a backstret voice
song that gets in your head the most where you're like,
oh my god, it's always in my head.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Oh god.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
A actually recently has been getting in my dale but
I think Spanish ized and I love that record My
Money Andrew from he wrote that one. And obviously there
was a song that fans liked, agy Tonight, which I
(10:36):
was sort of featured solo on that on the Millennium album,
and I hadn't really performed it in its original format
in so many years, which was the original track, and
I was like eighty I was hating on that a
little bit too, because I was like, oh my gosh,
Like you know, I never really necessarily liked the version
(10:57):
that was on the record, but we performed it on
the Millennium tour way back when and fans liked it.
And now that we're doing it, it's kind of retro sounding,
and I think it really embodies like the.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Sound of that time, you know what I mean that,
Like whether it was the.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Sonic sounds on the record, the snares, the kicks, the
the different ads that were used, you know in the song.
I feel like those things but have only been used
at that time, and now that we're doing and I'm like, oh,
that kind of sounds kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I'm alright with it now.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
You also have a your most recent solo album, which
shot to number one worldwide upon its release. People are
loving this album and are continuing to love this album
that came out earlier this year. Of course, Love Life
and Tragedy. A Love Life Tragedy, I should say, which
is such a powerful name. What do you attribute to
(12:05):
your staying power? Man? Because to be able to shoot
to number one like that after being in the game
for a while is no easy feat.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
I didn't expect it at all.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I was shocked, you know, when that happened, because I'd
been working on that album for three years.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I did a solo tour called Who I Am Tour.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
I was originally going to name the album who I
Am or whatever, and I was just writing songs and
it became a kind of a safe space for me
to kind of share a little bit of things that
I have been going through in my life for the
past three years four years, and so I just kept
(12:50):
Whenever I got inspired by something or I felt like, okay,
like I want to say something, I would call up
my producers and we would jump in the studio, I
write a song or and record it. And and so
as time went on, I kind of was creating a
collection of stuff that meant a lot to me.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Almost to the point.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Where I I was like, I don't even know if
I'm ever going to put this thing out, you know,
I didn't know if I wanted to necessarily.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And then it just hit me one day and I
was like, I think maybe it was the title.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
I couldn't get my mind around the title of the
album and being like, well, there's the sound of the
there's just a lot of different types of songs, you know.
I'm I feel like, oh, I gotta we we as
artists sometimes we feel like, oh, we got to like
conform to you know, like this has to be what
represents me or whatever. But then I was like, well,
you know what, I might have a song that has
(13:50):
a little country influence on it, because I was feeling
like country at the time myself. I have a song
is a little more R and B. I might have
a song a little more dance. I might have a
song that a little bit rock or whatever, or maybe
an eighties feel. I was like, well, let's not make
it about it has to be something. Let's just make
it about the songs and the stories the songs are
kind of telling along the way. And that's when I
(14:13):
came up with the idea well, what does it mean?
And I was like, well, there's a lot of love
in my life. There's a lot of tragedy that I
have gone through, and that's just like everybody else out there,
you know, Like I'm no different than than anybody else
out there, you know, just because I'm an artist or
(14:34):
a singer.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
You know, I'm still a father, I'm still a human being,
you know, and.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You know I feel Yeah, So the title of the record,
when I came up with that, it made it to
where I felt comfortable to put it out. And then
I get these calls, people are like, hey, it's going
number one. I'm like what, you know, Like that wasn't
the purpose of this record was for notoriety or success.
I didn't care about that. It was it was really
almost like a diary for me and and so people.
(15:03):
It resonated with people and they liked it, and I
guess I guess that's really what being an artist is about.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, And when you when you can pour so much
truth into something and it still is received so well,
those are the stories that I love the most. I
think it's the most interesting and rock on that You've
got to do that and put that out in the world.
So from from growing up in this group to becoming
a father and a husband, and you know, I know
you poured so much of kind of these life themes
into this music and into this album. But what would
(15:32):
you say is one of the greatest life lessons you've
learned along the way.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I guess that that is that you know, life is hard,
you know, and it's you know, not easy.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Uh, There's going to be peaks and valleys, There's there's
going to be things you go through, and you just
you got to just handle it and and understand it.
There's always going to be a light at the end
of the tunnel, whatever that's going to be, you know.
And I think that's what I've I've learned, is is
(16:06):
that patience. And you know, I'm definitely connected, you know,
with what's most important to me. I am grateful for
this spear.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Show.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
I'm grateful for you know, the love like tragedy, record success,
I'm grateful for all those things. But if it goes tomorrow,
you know, if it's taken away from me, as long
as I have my family, as long as I have
my kids, as long as I have you know, my
health and and you know, I've been doing this for
thirty something years. I started when I was twelve years
(16:42):
old in this in this industry, and you know, I've
dedicated my my whole life.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
To to that.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
But and I've I've been I've been grateful for that success. Okay,
say hi, my daughter Susha, I had I have to
bring them like. So that's the other thing too.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
It's like when.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
When we are doing what we're doing and I get
off that stage and i'm performing, you know, I'm thinking
about taking my kids to practice, taking them, you know,
spending time with them, you know, and that's most important
to me.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And for everybody who can't see U,
see you know, your kids are in the background, they're
playing baseball. Like it's cool to see you, you know,
putting on your dad hat after walking off one of
the biggest stages in the world and doing your job.
And I think that's what's cool. It makes you so
relatable to many people in this business for sure. And
you're always coming out with something. I know you have
a vinyl project. We're kind of in the middle of
(17:48):
the release. I want to make sure you have a
minute to touch on that. So tell me about that.
What's been exciting about that?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Uh yeah, I'm kind of a nerd when it comes
to comics and hard collecting, and you know, so we
had this idea of doing like a collectible series along
with this Lovelife Tragedy album, and so it's a vinyl
you know, it's limited on.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Each song has a comic book that is attached to it.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
It's through good tunes, and it's been it's been really great.
I think it's just like I like tangible stuff, you know,
I like to be able to collect things. And I
think our fans are the kind of of the same
generation and people you know, you know, they want to
touch it and stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
One of the one of the most burning questions I've
seen on social media is does the white Cat represent
anyone or anything?
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah, it's all metaphorical.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I guess you can say. I don't necessarily know.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I had partnered with them and we I approved it
all and created it with them, and you know, so funny,
maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
You know, you never know, all right, playing a little choy.
I like your style, give the give the fans something
to keep wondering about. Nick Man. I could talk to you.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Forever because it's such a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
But as we wrap up, the name of the show
is called I've never said this before, And I cover
a lot of red carpets for work and junkets, and
you get like two minutes with somebody, and I'm a
Jersey Italian that loves to talk about real stuff. And
I just feel like you don't always get the opportunity
to say something that's on your mind, or say something
that means something to you, or just share something you've
never really said. So as we begin to wrap up,
(19:40):
is there something you've never really said before through all
the decades of press that you can think of that
you want to say today?
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, I'm gonna say this. I I never wanted fame.
I never wanted fame. I just wanted I wanted to
to uh perform, entertain and and take care of the
ones that I love.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
And that's why it probably came to you, right, And
I imagine not wanting it, it was kind of weird
to receive it.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah, I I just.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Wanted I think airing with that. I always wanted to
just be a normal kid. I just wanted I was
doing what I was doing because I was providing for
my family. I was taking care of the ones that
I love. And but I I I really in the
back of my mind, I always just looked at myself
(20:40):
like a normal person, just like everybody else out there.
I've been, you know, blessed with this, and I do
what I I can with that. But yeah, I never
I just wanted to be normal. I wanted to go
to high school. I wanted to I never did. I
wanted to play baseball, never did, you know. So I
(21:01):
live kind of vicariously through my kids. So yeah, I
never wanted fame. I just wanted to be normal. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, Well it's nice that you've created as normal of
a life as possible with your family unit now and
being so present in hands on, which is really really awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Nick, is such a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Man. I grew up rocking and rolling with you guys,
and you know, you're part of pop culture history forever,
so I look forward to seeing what's next. You're always
surprising us.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
I appreciate you. Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
I've never said this before. Is hosted by me Tommy Dederio.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
Never Said this Before is part of the Elvis Duran
podcast Network on iHeart Podcasts for more, rate, review and
subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(21:52):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Dederio
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Two
Hey guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy Di Dario. Growing up, I always pretended that
I was in a boy band. So my millennial heart
is bursting with joy because pop Music Royalty Nick Carter
of the Backstreet Boys is on my show today. The
Backstreept Boys are hailed as being the best selling boy
(00:23):
band in history and rank among the world's top selling
music artists of all time. Nick Man, he has been
an artist bringing so much joy for decades, and he's
at it again with his into the Millennium Residency at
the Las Vegas Sphere, which is running right now. Oh
and he also had his most recent solo album called
Love Life Tragedy, released earlier this year, hit number one worldwide.
(00:47):
Nick Carter has proven time and time again that he
is here to stay. So let's see if today we
can get Nick to say something that he has never
said before. Nick Carter, how you doing, my man?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Very good? Thank you so much. Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Oh, I'm psyched to have you. I know you have
a lot going on which we're going to talk about.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, a lot to talk about. We're sorry, I'm really
been super busy. They've been doing a lot of baseball
and spending time with my kids now that they're on
summer break, so and then obviously doing work here in
Vegas on Spear So it's been been busy but really awesome. Ryan. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, Well we're going to celebrate all of that because
there's a lot to get into, but I guess to
kick off this conversation, it's to kind of, you know,
celebrate you for a minute. I think it's so cool
because when I think about you and your career and
what you've done. You know, the Backstreet Boys were they
kind of birthed this like golden era of the pop
renaissance so to speak, right, Like you guys came before
in singing and Brittany and Christina and then everyone kind
(01:55):
of came out. So I feel like you were the
blueprint in many ways of what pop music should and
what the vibe is in the style of Like do
you kind of feel that way too?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I mean, I think that we were definitely a part
of a very special moment in time when it came
to the kind of music that we were doing with Britney,
back Street and Sync ninety degrees, like all these guys
that were you know, in late nineties, early two thousands,
(02:27):
and it was a special time because technology really atn't
even been introduced, you know, things, we didn't even have
cell phones really, you know, the kind that we have
nowadays where you could just capture things, you can capture video,
you can you know, be on social media. So everybody
had to go to a concert. Everybody. Things were tangible.
(02:49):
You were buying CDs, you were you know, hanging out
with your friends, you know, going to those concerts and
enjoying like things in the moment. And I think that
what happened was, you know, I think what's happening now
is that people are are kind of reliving that in
a lot of ways through their families, through their kids, genera, generationally.
(03:12):
That's why they're coming to these uh to sphere and
and it's very nostalgic for for for people and they're
and we're seeing it's kind of in a way of
bringing a lot of people together. You know, things are
crazy in the outside world, you know, and our concerts
are are they're an escape, you know, from the you
(03:33):
know that outside insanity sometimes and and so yeah, it's
I'm very proud to be a part of a very
special uh place in time with what we do. And
you know, if you want to say that we kind
of pioneered it and we were you know, uh, I
like to also say that we're like one of the
last people that still do what we do at that time,
(03:54):
like with Brittany and stuff, unless Brittany goes on tour
and you see her or in sync or whatever. You know,
We dance, we sing, We you know, were performers, were
entertainers first and foremost, and you know people appreciate that
when they come to our concerts and listen to our music.
So yeah, it's a it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, you guys put in the work and and I'm
always fascinated, you know, kind of where where life takes
you and like the choices you make that could change everything.
And I know when you started out, you kind of
had this option to do the Mickey mouse Club or
go down this direction of going with the guys, and
you chose something that wasn't a guarantee. Like Mickey mouse
Club was popping off. It was hot, people loved it,
everyone wanted to be on it, and you were like,
I'm going to go try this. Like that took some
(04:34):
you know balls to do.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, yeah, I know it was. It was risky.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
I'm always been, I guess, risky and a sort of
a gambler in that regards, you know, I kind of
like I mean, that was at the age of twelve
when I had that opportunity when my mother would be
taking me to auditions and stuff like that, and you know,
we had auditioned for the Backstreet Boys, which was not
(04:58):
a guarantee at the time, and I got the contract
from Nickey mouse Club, which was I mean, they offered
money at the time, and you know, my family we
didn't We really didn't have a lot of money or
anything like that.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And I was given the choice. You know.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I remember having a conversation with my mom and she's like, well,
you can do this or you could do that, And
I said, well, let's try the back to Boys. It
seems like it might be fun. And then about a
year later, the Nickey Mouse Club went off the air.
You know, obviously some of those kids made it out
where it was Ryan Gosling or Britney Spears or Justin
Timberlake or Jacus Chase and all these people. I might
(05:37):
have been a part of that story, but I wasn't
and I ended up at backs people A and you know,
I think it worked out for the best. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I love that story because you just you never know
where life can take him if you're brave enough to
take a risk. I mean, the seemingly impossible can happen,
which is pretty cool. All right, you mentioned this residency.
It's like flooding my social media. Everywhere I look it
is videos of you guys just crushing it. So when
you do something like this, such a big show, how
do you go about selecting the songs in the set list?
(06:07):
Are you like, well, what well the fans like? Or
what do we enjoy performing?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
What's that like? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, it started with the Millennium album, and I think
we wanted that to be the core of, you know,
the show. We had this idea for to do almost
like a Millennium two point zero and just basically take
it on a world tour.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
This was way before.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
We had the opportunity with US Sphere and we we.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Were gearing up, We were gearing up for that.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
This was years ago, and you know, things got busy
and things changed a little bit, and we just decided,
you know, it wasn't the right time, and so Anyways,
what I'm saying is that, you know, the core of
Millennium two point zero, the core of the album was
going to be for the show, and everything else was like, okay,
(07:00):
well we have to do HiT's, you know, so thrankfully
we have a lot of records that very grateful for
that that we have a lot of hit records and stuff.
So we just built it all around the Millennium album.
And really we wanted to just give the fans their
money is worth, you know, and what they came to see.
(07:22):
So it was like, you know, a show, show first
and foremost, and it's got it has to be a
show on top to bottom. When they leave that and
they you know, they feel like they got their money's
worth and they and they had an experience and they're
brought back to that great time and like, you know,
nineteen ninety nine, two thousand, two thousand and one, when
you know, I like the same music was really the best.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Maybe I'm biased, No, I'm like totally, I'm Milaia and
thirty nine. I'm totally at the age where like new
music comes out and I'm like, you know what I
like to hear the things I grew up with or
like the artists I grew up with releasing their music,
you know, like it's it's there's something to be said
for sure. Is there a song in this residency that
just always you know, you're hyped up to perform every
single time?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Oh God, I think the.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Songs that stand out and our front to performance Siberia,
which is a deep cut on one of our records
that a lot of people don't know, but there's some
great visuals that go with it. I really like this
section that we do where we because Backshit Boys was
influenced a lot by R and B music, you know,
so I thought there was a lot of great R
and B music, you know, in the nineties and you know,
(08:33):
early two thousands and so this and so. On the
Millennium record, there was you could hear that, you know,
whether it was the cover that we did from Joe
and there there's also no one else, well that's no
one else comes close. And then there's also a song
that Kevin had written. So there's this section that we
(08:55):
do like about four or five of those songs and
they weren't singles, weren't hits or anything like that, but
they were on the album and that's a fun section
to do because we're just doing like a little do
lot dance kind of thing, little vocal harmony, and we're yeah,
it's it's it's awesome because we have not performed those
songs in so long and the fans really really like it.
(09:19):
But yeah, there's Spanish Eyes, there's no one else comes close.
There's back to Your Heart, there's a perfect fan and
and those songs right there are really great. There's also
another song too. We put out this new record, the
Millennium two point zero, which has like a.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Lot of.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Unreleased tracks, I mean, the Histure, the original Moon, and
then also a new single called Hey, and that one is.
I actually was hating on the song a little bit.
I was like, man, I don't know if we should
put this song on the show. But it turns out
that it's a really magical moment that people like, so
(09:59):
I'm not happy to perform that.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Well, yeah, you have such a collection of great songs,
is there. I'm so curious, is there a backstret voice
song that gets in your head the most where you're like,
oh my god, it's always in my head.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Oh god.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
A actually recently has been getting in my dale but
I think Spanish ized and I love that record My
Money Andrew from he wrote that one. And obviously there
was a song that fans liked, agy Tonight, which I
(10:36):
was sort of featured solo on that on the Millennium album,
and I hadn't really performed it in its original format
in so many years, which was the original track, and
I was like eighty I was hating on that a
little bit too, because I was like, oh my gosh,
Like you know, I never really necessarily liked the version
(10:57):
that was on the record, but we performed it on
the Millennium tour way back when and fans liked it.
And now that we're doing it, it's kind of retro sounding,
and I think it really embodies like the.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Sound of that time, you know what I mean that,
Like whether it was the.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Sonic sounds on the record, the snares, the kicks, the
the different ads that were used, you know in the song.
I feel like those things but have only been used
at that time, and now that we're doing and I'm like, oh,
that kind of sounds kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I'm alright with it now.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
You also have a your most recent solo album, which
shot to number one worldwide upon its release. People are
loving this album and are continuing to love this album
that came out earlier this year. Of course, Love Life
and Tragedy. A Love Life Tragedy, I should say, which
is such a powerful name. What do you attribute to
(12:05):
your staying power? Man? Because to be able to shoot
to number one like that after being in the game
for a while is no easy feat.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
I didn't expect it at all.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I was shocked, you know, when that happened, because I'd
been working on that album for three years.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I did a solo tour called Who I Am Tour.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
I was originally going to name the album who I
Am or whatever, and I was just writing songs and
it became a kind of a safe space for me
to kind of share a little bit of things that
I have been going through in my life for the
past three years four years, and so I just kept
(12:50):
Whenever I got inspired by something or I felt like, okay,
like I want to say something, I would call up
my producers and we would jump in the studio, I
write a song or and record it. And and so
as time went on, I kind of was creating a
collection of stuff that meant a lot to me.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Almost to the point.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Where I I was like, I don't even know if
I'm ever going to put this thing out, you know,
I didn't know if I wanted to necessarily.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And then it just hit me one day and I
was like, I think maybe it was the title.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
I couldn't get my mind around the title of the
album and being like, well, there's the sound of the
there's just a lot of different types of songs, you know.
I'm I feel like, oh, I gotta we we as
artists sometimes we feel like, oh, we got to like
conform to you know, like this has to be what
represents me or whatever. But then I was like, well,
you know what, I might have a song that has
(13:50):
a little country influence on it, because I was feeling
like country at the time myself. I have a song
is a little more R and B. I might have
a song a little more dance. I might have a
song that a little bit rock or whatever, or maybe
an eighties feel. I was like, well, let's not make
it about it has to be something. Let's just make
it about the songs and the stories the songs are
kind of telling along the way. And that's when I
(14:13):
came up with the idea well, what does it mean?
And I was like, well, there's a lot of love
in my life. There's a lot of tragedy that I
have gone through, and that's just like everybody else out there,
you know, Like I'm no different than than anybody else
out there, you know, just because I'm an artist or
(14:34):
a singer.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
You know, I'm still a father, I'm still a human being,
you know, and.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You know I feel Yeah, So the title of the record,
when I came up with that, it made it to
where I felt comfortable to put it out. And then
I get these calls, people are like, hey, it's going
number one. I'm like what, you know, Like that wasn't
the purpose of this record was for notoriety or success.
I didn't care about that. It was it was really
almost like a diary for me and and so people.
(15:03):
It resonated with people and they liked it, and I
guess I guess that's really what being an artist is about.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, And when you when you can pour so much
truth into something and it still is received so well,
those are the stories that I love the most. I
think it's the most interesting and rock on that You've
got to do that and put that out in the world.
So from from growing up in this group to becoming
a father and a husband, and you know, I know
you poured so much of kind of these life themes
into this music and into this album. But what would
(15:32):
you say is one of the greatest life lessons you've
learned along the way.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I guess that that is that you know, life is hard,
you know, and it's you know, not easy.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Uh, There's going to be peaks and valleys, There's there's
going to be things you go through, and you just
you got to just handle it and and understand it.
There's always going to be a light at the end
of the tunnel, whatever that's going to be, you know.
And I think that's what I've I've learned, is is
(16:06):
that patience. And you know, I'm definitely connected, you know,
with what's most important to me. I am grateful for
this spear.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Show.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
I'm grateful for you know, the love like tragedy, record success,
I'm grateful for all those things. But if it goes tomorrow,
you know, if it's taken away from me, as long
as I have my family, as long as I have
my kids, as long as I have you know, my
health and and you know, I've been doing this for
thirty something years. I started when I was twelve years
(16:42):
old in this in this industry, and you know, I've
dedicated my my whole life.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
To to that.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
But and I've I've been I've been grateful for that success. Okay,
say hi, my daughter Susha, I had I have to
bring them like. So that's the other thing too.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
It's like when.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
When we are doing what we're doing and I get
off that stage and i'm performing, you know, I'm thinking
about taking my kids to practice, taking them, you know,
spending time with them, you know, and that's most important
to me.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And for everybody who can't see U,
see you know, your kids are in the background, they're
playing baseball. Like it's cool to see you, you know,
putting on your dad hat after walking off one of
the biggest stages in the world and doing your job.
And I think that's what's cool. It makes you so
relatable to many people in this business for sure. And
you're always coming out with something. I know you have
a vinyl project. We're kind of in the middle of
(17:48):
the release. I want to make sure you have a
minute to touch on that. So tell me about that.
What's been exciting about that?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Uh yeah, I'm kind of a nerd when it comes
to comics and hard collecting, and you know, so we
had this idea of doing like a collectible series along
with this Lovelife Tragedy album, and so it's a vinyl
you know, it's limited on.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Each song has a comic book that is attached to it.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
It's through good tunes, and it's been it's been really great.
I think it's just like I like tangible stuff, you know,
I like to be able to collect things. And I
think our fans are the kind of of the same
generation and people you know, you know, they want to
touch it and stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
So yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
One of the one of the most burning questions I've
seen on social media is does the white Cat represent
anyone or anything?
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah, it's all metaphorical.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I guess you can say. I don't necessarily know.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I had partnered with them and we I approved it
all and created it with them, and you know, so funny,
maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
You know, you never know, all right, playing a little choy.
I like your style, give the give the fans something
to keep wondering about. Nick Man. I could talk to you.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Forever because it's such a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
But as we wrap up, the name of the show
is called I've never said this before, And I cover
a lot of red carpets for work and junkets, and
you get like two minutes with somebody, and I'm a
Jersey Italian that loves to talk about real stuff. And
I just feel like you don't always get the opportunity
to say something that's on your mind, or say something
that means something to you, or just share something you've
never really said. So as we begin to wrap up,
(19:40):
is there something you've never really said before through all
the decades of press that you can think of that
you want to say today?
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, I'm gonna say this. I I never wanted fame.
I never wanted fame. I just wanted I wanted to
to uh perform, entertain and and take care of the
ones that I love.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Mm hmmm.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
And that's why it probably came to you, right, And
I imagine not wanting it, it was kind of weird
to receive it.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Yeah, I I just.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Wanted I think airing with that. I always wanted to
just be a normal kid. I just wanted I was
doing what I was doing because I was providing for
my family. I was taking care of the ones that
I love. And but I I I really in the
back of my mind, I always just looked at myself
(20:40):
like a normal person, just like everybody else out there.
I've been, you know, blessed with this, and I do
what I I can with that. But yeah, I never
I just wanted to be normal. I wanted to go
to high school. I wanted to I never did. I
wanted to play baseball, never did, you know. So I
(21:01):
live kind of vicariously through my kids. So yeah, I
never wanted fame. I just wanted to be normal. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, Well it's nice that you've created as normal of
a life as possible with your family unit now and
being so present in hands on, which is really really awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Nick, is such a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Man. I grew up rocking and rolling with you guys,
and you know, you're part of pop culture history forever,
so I look forward to seeing what's next. You're always
surprising us.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
I appreciate you. Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
I've never said this before. Is hosted by me Tommy Dederio.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've
Never Said this Before is part of the Elvis Duran
podcast Network on iHeart Podcasts for more, rate, review and
subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(21:52):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Dederio
Speaker 2 (22:01):
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