LIKE every other kid in the country, all the Jonas Brothers want is a summer vacation to soak up some sun.Unlike every other kid in the country, the JoBros are prepping for concert tour and a shooting TV series. If they can’t sunbathe, they are making do with what they have: outdoor TV sets.
The stars of the Disney Channel’s “Jonas LA” — the new name for the half-hour comedy series “JONAS,” which premiered in 2008 — are giddy recounting the joy at being released from the dungeon of a movie-lot studio for season two of their show.
“For the first time, we were coming back home at night with suntans or sunburns and people were like, ‘Whoa!’” says Joe Jonas, 20.
Spending so much time outdoors brings “a whole new element” to the series, he says. For one thing, it is a way to give LA itself a role in the show since “we’re shooting in places that are really famous, and we’re really shooting on the beach.”
In the show, the brothers play highly caffeinated versions of themselves — New Jersey high-school dudes dealing with parentally-imposed trash duty, even though their humble garage band has turned them into international stars overnight.
While the first season came off with a “Monkees” vibe, this season feels like a G-rated “Entourage.”
The reason for that is simple. What the JoBros want, the JoBros usually get.
Before production began, the brothers sat with series executives “trying to think of what we could do for the second season, to change it up a bit,” says Joe. “We all wanted the band to get out of the house.”
They talked about setting a season on a tour bus or galloping around New York. Finally, it was decided to move the show from a fictional New Jersey town to glitz-and-glam LA.
“LA seemed like the right fit right now because all three characters are doing different things,” Joe explains. “My character wants to act, Nick wants to produce and Kevin wants to direct. One major place to be able to do all of that is Los Angeles.”
In many ways, the new attitude “has a much more realistic feel,” says Kevin Jonas.
“I’m 22. Joe’s going to be 21 and Nick’s going to be 18. It feels much more like where we are in our ages. We’re hanging out, we’re driving cars down Hollywood Boulevard. It’s something that people will definitely be able to relate to.”
What’s hard for viewers to relate to is the brothers’ treadmill-like existence. Most people their age would be recovering from spring semester at college, not prepping for a 45-city concert tour.
“We do have breaks!” Kevin insists, adding that they’re part of a balanced schedule.
In the past year, the brothers have ventured off alone more often. Kevin got married. Joe appeared as a guest judge on “American Idol” and Nick went on tour with his own band, Nick Jonas & the Administration.
Somehow, being off on their own lately has made it easier to return to the Jonas Brotherhood, they say.
“We know that the band comes first,” Joe says. Working apart “brings even more musical influences to the table and we have so much more to write about this year.”
Plus, says Nick Jonas, “We’re all individuals who can take care of themselves. But we look out for each other. We’ve got each other’s backs. We really do care for each other.”
No comments:
Post a Comment