"As long as you like my music, buy the record, come to the shows, fact of the matter is, if you see us, you'll know we're not a boy band," asserts Brad, adding, "It's a racist term. Is Boyz II Men a boy band? No. Is Jodeci a boy band? No. But are the Backstreet Boys and LFO boy bands? Yes. Because there are three to five white guys singing and not playing instruments. When people use it as a negative term it bothers me."
Rich is also quick to stress that LFO is not just a pop act, but a "fusion of hip-hop, rock, college rock, and R&B, heavily....We just take all of those things, roll it up in one ball, and it seems to be working."
Indeed it does. LFO's "Summer Girls," an affectionate and undeniably catchy tribute to the "girls who wear Abercrombie & Fitch," was one of 1999's biggest top 40 hits, and the group's popularity continues to rise in the year 2000, particularly among the young, female fans who made LFO's peers the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync such phenomenally successful sensations. Read this exclusive interview with these Lyte Funky Ones to find out what makes them tick--and what ticks them off, too.
LAUNCH:
How did LFO get together?
BRAD:
I was working with Lou Pearlman in Orlando. Rich knew Lou, we were trying to do the same thing musically, and it all came together.
RICH:
The way it happened was, I was dong my own solo stuff in Boston. I ran into a guy named Brian who said, "I know this guy in Orlando named Lou Pearlman. Let's drive there, knock on his door, and see what happens…" We drove there, knocked on the door--who opens the door but Brad? We said, "We want to talk to Lou." Gave him our demo, he said he likes it but says we need another guy. Brad was our age, doing some work for Lou, and we hung out together while we were there. "Why don't you be in the group? Lou, we found our third guy, it's Brad." Brad was working for Lou, but Lou had no idea that Brad was even into doing this. Lou liked what he saw. [So] I moved from Boston to Orlando.
LAUNCH:
And then what happened?
RICH:
Brian left the group and we needed someone else, so we got Devin. Right after he joined the group, we had our first hit. It was one of those three-years "overnight successes."
DEVIN:
They were a group prior to me entering. I came on after they'd been together three years. Great opportunity!
LAUNCH:
What was the first sign that you had "made it"?
BRAD:
Our first big break was having Clive Davis [from Arista Records] sign us. Before that, we struggled a lot. He made our dreams come true. There were a lot of people who worked really hard for us, and Clive is someone we thank God for.
RICH:
Then the single just started taking off on its own. There were so many signs. Big radio started jumping on it--without us pushing it. Sales the first week were good and then it got more, more, more. Sales just snowballed on that song. You can't expect that on every song.
LAUNCH:
How would you describe your musical style?
RICH:
That's hard, because we fuse so much styles of music. Definitely we're pop. Basically our music is just a fusion of hip-hop, rock, college rock, and R&B, heavily. But I wouldn't say we're one of those things. We just take all of those things, roll it up in one ball, and it seems to be working.
BRAD:
The best way for someone to describe our music would just be to say it's good. We're not copying anybody's sound. It's just LFO's sound.
LAUNCH:
Describe each member of the group, and how you fit together. What do you each bring to the group?
RICH:
When it comes to the guys in the group, I'm like guy next door, totally normal, very collegiate--I'm into going to frat parties and hanging out with my friends in school. Brad is more the model type--people look at him and think, "He must do something in showbiz!" He's got that look, that air, about him. He's a cool kid, though. Devin is definitely someone who is totally focused on music and nothing else. Devin is the total, total, total artistic performer. I am the guy next door, and Brad is the heartthrob. I guess that's what the magazines would classify us as.
BRAD:
Personality-wise, Rich is more the moody guy. You learn to stay away from him when he's in a bad mood. He's also one of the funniest people I've ever met. And he's a really good storyteller. He's got a great imagination and is a very talented songwriter. Devin is a real goofball. He walks on walls. You never know what he's going to say. He's like a 10-year-old kid. In Wal-Mart the other day, he was buying Transformers! He's simple in a way; he doesn't go for computers and nice cars. He just wants to sing in his room, draw and play. Like a kid. I envy him in that way. I want a nice truck, the nicest computer. I'm just a regular guy. I don't know...just regular.
DEVIN:
I bring the soul, you know--Stevie Wonder, Jodeci, Brian McKnight. Coming from R&B, I bring the soul. I'm the one who dances. Rich is true hip-hop. For a white dude, he's a great rapper. He can write songs, incredible--different vision than most people expect. Brad, he just brings edge to the stage. Girls just love him.
LAUNCH:
So, now that LFO has become a heartthrob group, have your love lives improved since getting a hit?
RICH:
Girls that didn't want to have anything to do with me, now I'm getting the phone calls: "Remember? I'm the one that loved you then..." And I'm like, "Yeah, you also dumped me then!" And if LFO falls off, they would never call me again. Those who thought they were through with me want a second chance.
BRAD:
It can go either way. It's hard because you don't know why people like you. This girl didn't know who I was and that was cool, until we got in the car and I was on the radio. The DJ called me on the car phone to do a live interview and she was there. It was weird.
LAUNCH:
Speaking of being heartthrobs, what are your feelings about being called a "boy band"?
RICH:
I think the term is so stupid. The term "boy band" is three to five white males who get together and sing. You have to be white and you have to sing or rap. It doesn't matter--if there's three to five of you, and you're white, you're a boy band. It's a racist term. Jodeci, Boyz II Men are not boy bands. But, you take five white kids and they're a boy band. It's also a term with an expiration date--once the fad is out, you can't be popular anymore. The other thing about boy bands: there can only be so many of them. The Backstreet Boys come out: "Look at them, they want to be New Kids On The Block..." But no, they emulate the Stylistics, the Platters. They grew up with this music, they love it. Then 'N Sync comes along--more talented kids--"Oh no, not another boy band!" But how come there can be a million Garth Brookses, Clint Blacks...how come there can be 20,000 single country vocalists? A million grunge bands? But when it comes to this, no one wants to see it? It's a racist term.
DEVIN:
To be called a boy band? I don't really care. You can call us three amigos. I grew up differently. I am not about "pop." I can say what I am, a decent-looking man, but I don't care about looks. If someone says, "You're fine," I'm like, "How about my voice?" Because I built that. I didn't build this [referring to his body]. But I guess I'm pop. If that's what you want to call us, go ahead.
BRAD:
I don't care what anybody says as far as "You're a boy band." I'm totally over that argument phase. Whatever. As long as you like my music, buy the record, come to the shows, fact of the matter is, if you see us, you'll know we're not a boy band. It's a racist term. Is Boyz II Men a boy band? No. Is Jodeci a boy band? No. But are the Backstreet Boys and LFO boy bands? Yes. Because there are three to five white guys singing and not playing instruments. When people use it as a negative term it bothers me.
LAUNCH:
Who do you like currently in music?
RICH:
The person I most admire is Wyclef from the Fugees, because he plays a lot of instruments. He sings, plays a lot of instruments, he's an incredible rapper and producer. I like his approach to music. I like a lot of people, though. Garth Brooks--he's so successful and so down-to-earth. And I respect people that can be like that.
DEVIN:
Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Jodeci, Silk, even Aerosmith.
BRAD:
Before LFO, you'd see Bone Thugs, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Snoop [in my CD player]. I like all kinds of music, anything from the Hot Boys and Juvenile to the Dave Matthews Band. I just bought the Faith Hill CD--country. I just love music.
LAUNCH:
What kind of music inspired you when you were younger?
BRAD:
I never had any...I was into sports as a kid. I wanted to play baseball as a kid. I listen to so many different types of music, you know? I was really into Lauryn Hill for a while. Right now, I'm just X-ing out things she's said in the media, but as an artist, she's the most amazing.
DEVIN:
The first music I can recall hearing, but not singing, is Cinderella, Def Leppard. First group that turned me on to singing was Color Me Badd, then on to Boyz II Men.
LAUNCH:
Things are happening so quickly for you now, you must not have a lot of time to relax. What do you do in your spare time, to have fun?
DEVIN:
I'm a big kid. What I do for fun--I go to movies, to the gym all the time. Practice singing. I have a fear and phobia if I don't practice. It's all fun to me. I don't need to go outside and break windows to have fun.
BRAD:
When I'm not doing music for LFO, I'm doing LFO business. Otherwise, I'm at the gym, at the movies, watching All In The Family--and sleeping.
LAUNCH:
What would you like to say to your fans?
RICH:
To the fans, thanks for sticking with us. You are LFO, and we are just three guys who represent those initials. The more of you that there are, the harder you stay behind us, the stronger and bigger we become. Without you, we're nothing. We love you.
DEVIN:
I'd like to say thank you for making me who I am, for letting me be here talking to you.
BRAD:
We appreciate you. That means more than anything else I could say. Thank you.
