Interview: A.J. McLean (of the Backstreet Boys)

Date of Interview: 04/22/2010

Although A.J. McLean is well-known for being the most out-spoken member of the Backstreet Boys, the most intimate side of his musical life would not be revealed until 2010, with the release of his first solo project: Have It All. Venturing beyond the “safe” confines of his “boy bad” experience, McLean was able to experiment with rock, funk and dance in ways that he had never done in the past. And thankfully, these new musical paths did not interrupt his membership with the Backstreet collective or progress on the band’s seventh studio album, This Is Us.

As part of a promotional campaign for the Backstreet Boys’ eight concert tour, A.J. McLean managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on his mother’s influence, working with T-Pain, and the band’s successful blending of pop and R&B.

Interview: Miguel Jontel – Singer, Songwriter and Producer

Date of Interview: 04/09/2010

The music of Miguel Jontel is genre-defying.  And when one considers his ethnic background, as an Afro-Mexican singer, then his penchant for blending and mixing socio-cultural elements is immediately understandable.

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Miguel’s claim to fame initially came from his songwriting and production talents.  Working behind the scenes, he has placed several tracks on Usher Raymond’s past two albums.  In addition, he contributed to Musiq Soulchild’s GRAMMY-nominated single, “IfULeave,” which featured Mary J. Blige.

Such massive successes led Miguel to release Mischief: The Mixtape, in order to whet the sonic appetite of his long-time followers. Additional singles, like “Sure Thing,” have made their rounds on the Internet as well. To date, the aforementioned single has received over four and a half million MySpace plays – validating his international appeal.

Miguel’s full-length debut will be released in the Fall of 2010 under the Jive imprint.  The album’s name-sake and current buzz single is “All I Want is You” – featuring J. Cole.  Upon the release of All I Want is You, Miguel managed to squeeze some time out his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the “McDonaldization” of the music industry, his appreciation of musical diversity, and his admiration of Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and Dianne Warren.

Interview: Dan Black – Singer, Songwriter and Producer

Date of Interview: 04/05/2010

Like most young British artists, Dan Black possesses a love and appreciation for rap, rock and R&B that runs so deep that it spills incessantly into any music that he eventually creates.  Unable to contain his work within any genre-specific boundary, the hybrid byproduct of Dan Black’s labor fuses together musical inspirations that run from Bob Dylan to the Notorious B.I.G.  In fact, the latter artist would eventually be sampled on “Symphonies,” whose alternate American cut features up-and-coming rapper Kid Cudi.

This summer, Dan Black will be making several tour stops throughout the United States, as an opening act for Kelis and Robyn’s joint-headline All Hearts Tour, in addition to a prized performance spot at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Illinois. Before hitting the road, however, Dan Black managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the inspiration behind “Yours,” his unique marriage of visual art and music, and an unorthodox recording session in a New York hotel room.