If you were screaming, crying, and throwing up when you found out Big Time Rush was reuniting, then you may be entitled to financial compensation for an intense emotional high. We here at THP HQ, who grew up with the iconic boyband, were over the moon when we found out and when we first heard their new music? Instant. Obsession. That holds true for the first time we heard ‘Waves’ too. So if you’re like us, you’re 100% in the right place.
Us at 10 years old 🤝 us at 25 years old
freaking out about Big Time Rush
From the TV show moments to bops like ‘Boyfriend,’ ‘Any Kind of Guy,’ and the titular ‘Big Time Rush,’ we spent a lot of our younger years with the hockey players from Minnesota who fulfilled our boyband dreams IRL too. It’s been really special to not only have them back in our lives making music for our grown-up selves but also to have a full circle moment in getting to interview them! BTR was kind enough to take the time to chat with us about music, touring, and their new single ‘Waves.’ If you want to find out what the band has in store, keep on reading. Oh, and don’t forget to stream ‘Waves.’
Thank you all so much for talking with us! Can you take us through the moment you guys knew it was time to come back together as a group and continue making music together?
We started the process of writing new music and establishing the new team at the end of 2019, but Covid really solidified the need and excitement for this reunion. We made a cover of our song ‘Worldwide’ early on in lockdown, which was the first time we all sang together in years, and the fan reaction to that really confirmed that we were doing the right thing.
The dynamics within groups have always fascinated us, how has the bond between you guys changed over the years?
We became close quickly, having experienced some of the most insane moments together early on in our career, but of course, that bond grows and compounds as time goes on. After so many more years together, and so many more of these moments, from selling out Madison Square Garden to having our own day named after the band, it’s safe to say that the only people who will ever truly understand what we’ve been through are the other 3 guys. While so much about each of us has changed, that shared bond has kept us together.
In an interview, Neil Patrick Harris equates the television industry and fame to surfing and catching that next big wave. There are periods of stagnancy, before getting up and catching a wave, and then that wave riding out until you paddle up for a new one. What’s been the mindset that has enabled you to keep striving when out in the shallow ends, especially with a comeback of this size?
I like that analogy! It’s true, there is never a guarantee in Film/TV nor touring/music that you have another season or another tour. It’s scary each and every time you conclude one, however the love and passion for what we do keeps us moving forward and taking risks. The love and support from our fans is a huge part of why we feel compelled and excited to continue.
‘Waves’ feels like a whole new sound for you. Is this the vibe we can expect out of the upcoming album?
It’s certainly a taste! We are four people into four different kinds of music, with four very different voices and that’s what makes this band quite unique. To that point, our album will have a variety of sounds and vibes that are tied together by the same four voices and production elements that we’ve carefully crafted into a throughline of the album. Yes we’ll have a few more upbeat dance songs like Waves, but expect some chiller mid tempos and a couple beautiful and emotional ballads as well. After all, we are a boy band.
Can you talk us through the concept of ‘Waves’ and how it fits into your upcoming album?
‘Waves’ is about taking chances and doing what you want to do. From the get-go, this was a front-runner for our single, both because of concept and tempo. We’re taking a big chance with our first album in so many years, and it’s incredibly exciting! Then our friend and producer Will Ventres took the production to a whole new level, and it was a no-brainer.
What did the creative process for ‘Waves’ look like, and what made you want to release it as a single?
Logan and Kendall wrote this one with Tyler Shamy and Will Ventres. When they played the demo for the rest of the band, it was an instant hit. Like most songs, it went through a journey of changes from production elements to vocals, etc., but very much ended up right where we want it.
What is a song found on a previous album of yours that closely matches the vibe of this album and, therefore, could easily fit into these selections of songs?
That’s such a difficult question to answer! Not only has music changed during that time, but so have we as artists and people. I suppose several songs could be tweaked and maybe work, but we’re so proud of this new music we wouldn’t want to go backward.
With nostalgia being so huge right now, have you found it difficult to balance your newer sound with the older sound a lot of OG fans were used to hearing from you?
Luckily we love playing the old music so it’s not too difficult. We also reproduce any old songs we perform live so that they fit with our newer music. We have such a catalogue of old music, and now we’re building the catalogue of new; it’s really a challenge of song selection. We will always play a few of the biggest hits, but we also like to throw in less popular old songs, including some that never even got released!
The teaser for the ‘Waves’ video already has us feeling like this will be one of our favorite music videos of yours. Tell us a bit about where the vision and vibe for the music video came from.
We had a few loose ideas based on a very “maximalist” concept that we felt would tie into the album and the Can’t Get Enough Tour and then asked some music video directors to submit their take on it. Jade Ehlers’ concept immediately popped to the top. Not only was it cinematic and colorful with a hint of old-school boy band flair that we wanted, but several of us had worked with him before and knew his attention to detail and professionalism was unmatched.
In the final frame for the ‘Waves’ preview, a hand reaches out to the television so it sinks into the screen. We’re thinking that’s to represent the blurred lines between your fans and the band itself, almost as if they’re in the band. Can you remember a time when you’ve done something, whether that’s writing a song or making a decision during a tour segment explicitly catering to them?
First of all I love your interpretation of that and am excited to hear what other fans think! We think of and cater to our fans at almost every step of the business. From song concepts that will resonate in an authentic way to how we interact with them in our shows…the fans are the number one reason we do what we do and we constantly want to create art that they truly love. One live example is crowd interaction. We know that our fans love it when we go into the audience so we try to include that in a new and fun way at some point in every tour we build.
For over a decade now, you’ve been making ‘Waves’ in fans’ lives worldwide! What has it been like for you to grow up with your fans and get to make so many more memories after all these years?
We have the best job in the world. The fact that we’re still able to make music and tour for a living and have so many caring and supportive fans at every turn is wild, humbling, and downright awesome. It’s especially cool when we interact with a fan who went to a concert 10+ years ago and is back now as an adult enjoying the band and the experience in a whole new way!
All the singles since your comeback have been outstanding, but we were just having a boogie to ‘Not Giving You Up,’ and it got us wondering, what’s one thing in each of your lives that you could never give up?
James: Breakfast burritos.
Kendall: Golf.
Carlos: Family adventures.
Logan: Living by the water.
With the release of ‘Waves’ and your upcoming summer tour, we can’t help but ask what’s your go-to summer activity to keep you busy when you’re not working.
We all have individual favorites, but collectively I think it’s fair to say that our favorite summertime hobby is getting out on the water and hanging on a boat. Tour life in the middle of the summer is hot and sweaty so anytime we’re near a lake or ocean we’re searching for some way to get on the water and cool down.
You’re hitting the road this summer! What sneak peek can you give fans about what to expect from the show? How do you go about making each tour different from the last?
The Can’t Get Enough Tour is going to be bigger and better in every way. From screens, to insane lights, to new old music and new new music…it’s going to be a party unlike any we’ve created before.
What is a goal you guys want to achieve in this era of BTR?
We’re very excited to put our new album Another Life out and are eager to see the world’s response. We hope that this body of work can set the stage for BTR music to compete at the highest levels.
A huge shoutout to Big Time Rush for taking the time to talk to us. We love ‘Waves,’ and we’re so excited to hear the rest of the album. It truly has been a pleasure getting to grow up and experience BTR at two different stages of our lives, which many of you probably have as well, and we can’t wait to see them continue to flourish.
Let us know your thoughts about BTR’s comeback in the comments below or drop us a line on our socials! Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, we’re always buzzing about something! We also have more amazing interviews that you should definitely check out 🙂
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