The chatter is growing louder after E! News reported that Joe Jonas is now writing songs off on his own, with other musicians that don’t share his last name. However, the man the brothers refer to as “The President” told me exclusively on “The Ralphie Radio Show” that his brother Joe did recently talk shop with one artist – U2 front man Bono.
“The main thing that Bono was saying, was to just be honest with your music,” revealed Nick on his second-hand account of the conversation. “Yunno, when you write your lyrics, write things that are real to you. And don’t be afraid to be too honest.”
It seems the youngest of the 3 musical brothers already picked up on those traits though. Nick wrote a bunch of honest songs – and honestly believed they weren’t for the Jonas Brothers. He told Joe and Kevin how he honestly felt. Now Nick has an honest chance of breaking the stereotypes of an artist cultivated by the Disney machine and to be perceived as well, an honest musician.
Jonas offered up, sorry last time here, honest answers during our conversation, which lasted over 10 minutes. Apparently, the inspiration behind “Stay” – a song written after the initial recording process of the new album – is quite authentic.
“I actually wrote that song in (Washington) D.C. on a day off that we had, a couple weeks ago,” said Jonas. “I was going through some things in my life and that kind of inspired the song and it’s always good when you can pull from real inspiration and real stuff in your life.”
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Part 1: Influences - Prince, Stevie Wonder, U2's Bono
Part 2: President Obama, Blackberry, "Jersey Shore", "Stay"
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Nick seemed equally surprised and impressed that fans already know the lyrics simply from YouTube videos of the live performances. Jonas said the band recorded a studio version of the track recently in Boston, and that it will see the light of day somehow – possibly in an album repackage or as an iTunes bonus.
It’s also been reported that at one show recently – fellow Disney star Selena Gomez was crying as Jonas played the song. The two were recently photographed together in Chicago and ended up on the front of TMZ.com. I reminded Nick that while I’m sure he’d like to keep his personal life just that, he should still be happy that he’s relevant to the point where people care.
“Well, thank you – that’s very, very nice of you to say,” he responded with a chuckle. “Yunno, it is what it is.”
The conversation did not stray from music-related topics often, but the TV show “Jersey Shore” did come up. The Jonas clan was raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Nick heard of the MTV show, but has not seen an episode.
“I did see the YouTube video of Snooki, I believe it is, getting punched in the face,” he admitted. “For me personally, I feel like, coming from New Jersey, and going from that area, which, if you’re from that area, you just know that that’s kind of what it’s like. And so for people across the U.S., they’re thinking, ‘Wow, this is crazy, I’ve never seen this.’ But for me, it was like, ‘Man, that’s home.’”
Jonas still has a couple friends from Seaside Heights.
That album by the way, Who I Am, hits stores February 2. Jonas is in the midst of a 22 date-tour – a trek that he admits is much more scaled down in venue size and production from the massive schedules he embarked on with his brothers. Nick says it’s not a coincidence – as the group tries to center each performance on the music itself.
“This project in particular for me was about just being able to express myself as an artist and as a musician,” he said. “Hopefully, people will respond well to it.”
