Bill: The last tour you did a solo song. Do you have more plans to do solo work?
Howie: Definitely. Each of us, as I was telling you, all came from solo backgrounds. We all have dreams and aspirations to still continue working on that. Obviously for us Backstreet Boys is first and foremost, but also during our down time we allow each other to spread our wings and have our space and still work on our individual projects. Nick and Brian have released their solo records already, and AJ's about ready to release his record right now in Japan first. Mine would probably be the next one. I've been working on and off on it for the past four years. For me I've always believed that timing is everything. I've never wanted to come out and do something half-hearted. In order for me to feel like I'm going to be able to give my 100% to workin' on that I should have a little bit more time on my hands. For me I don't want anything to interfere with Backstreet Boys so when there's the next break we have I'll probably at that time be releasing my stuff.
I definitely want to go in a Latin-English direction. My mom is Latin, Puerto Rican. I've always had a calling to that music. The rhythms. I've always known when I've gone to South America and Puerto Rico, Mexico and Spain there's something, a fan following I've really been able to connect with. I definitely want to make a worldly record that everywhere around the world can still enjoy, but have just a little bit of that Latin influence part and a little bit different from what anyone else in the Backstreet Boys is doing.
Bill: You're also working with a new artist, Dan Talevski?
Howie: I sure am. I'm actually working with this new artist that I've signed. Me and my partner CJ, we have a company called Three Street Management. Dan is our first project on that. He's a very, very talented 21 year old kid who Polow Da Don signed....We're working on his record with the intention for it to come out probably the latter part of this year or early part of next year. He's just an amazing kid. Polow found him and discovered him on YouTube. He had like over 14 million hits on his site on his MySpace. He's just a really really talented pop R&B kid that I think is definitely gonna make some ears turn.
Bill: You personally have a new baby? How is it being a father?
Howie: I do. Actually I'm a proud father of a little baby boy who I actually have on here with me right now in New York with my wife. This is the first time he's actually been out with Daddy on the road. It's great. It's an amazing feeling. I used to always think before when I was younger, and when I first started with the group that for me getting married and starting a family was something that I always felt like I wanted to do when I had the time to really dedicate and focus on that and not really be distracted. I figured it was probably going to be later on in life when either the Backstreet Boys took a break or we had some major time off or whatever, but I don't foresee that happening any time soon. So I adjusted my thought process, and I'm very proud to have made the moves I've made in my life, and this is an extra chapter that I have going on here. It's really balanced me out with my career and my love and my family.
Bill: That's all of the questions that I have. Is there anything else we should know of what's currently up with the group?
Howie: We just released an album this week here. We're getting ready to go on tour. Right now we're in the midst of tour rehearsals. We're kicking off the tour in Europe first. It's going to be October 30th in Lisbon, Portugal. We're taking the tour all the way across, Europe, the UK, Russia. Going to Dubai and ending in Beirut...Then the plan is to take the holidays off and kick the tour back up in February over in Japan and go into Southeast Asia, Australia and India. Then the plan is to try to get back to the states and Canada in spring or summer time. We've got an amazing show put together with us, four dancers, and a couple of extra surprises that we don't want to give away yet. I think it's going to make people think they're seeing what Backstreet Boys are really known for.
