photo credit: Jo Sinclair
DNCE are the latest cover stars of FAULT Magazine.
The band, made up of Joe Jonas, Cole Whittle, JinJoo Lee and Jack Lawless, are hot property right now. Their debut single ‘Cake By The Ocean’ is still dominating the charts globally, and they are preparing to continue their world takeover with new single ‘Toothbrush’.
As well as appearing on the cover of FAULT, lead singer Joe spoke to the magazine about about being in the band and growing up in the public eye.
On the birth of DNCE, Joe said that the band’s initial aim was just about creating the music, however, he is pleased with how people have reacted to the band. He said: “At first, we had a bit of a writer’s block and we couldn’t quite figure out the vibe that we wanted. And finally, we worked with new producers from Sweden and kind of just broke the mold. It all happened very quickly and we’re really thrilled with the reaction and how things have happened so far.”
The band are renowned for having great chemistry together, and Joe acknowledges how important it is for a band to be friends. “Chemistry is very important. You’re sharing every moment with that person and you want to be able to feel comfortable with them, wherever you go. Sometimes you’re traveling internationally, you’re sharing a tour bus. Not to mention the overall vibe about performing on stage. You want to feel comfortable. I’m very lucky to say we get along,” he said.
DNCE have already released an EP, but we are eagerly anticipating their debut album which is due in October. Whilst the tracklist is unknown as of yet, Joe told FAULT about an unreleased track that he really loves. He said: “There’s a song called Almost that I wrote with our producer, Nolan, and a few other writers in LA. Almost is a personal song and I feel like it’s really fun to share those with the world.”
When you can really pull from personal experience and find a way to showcase it in a relatable way, it’s always a rewarding feeling. If you’re going through stuff and have any sort of creative outlet, you might as well put it into good use.
Joe spoke about dealing with Jonas Brothers comparisons, and said that he doesn’t mind “some comparisons here and there.” We all know that his brother Nick is busy with his solo career, whilst Kevin is a family man and entrepreneur. Joe stated that they’re “really supportive of each other’s individual careers, so it makes it all a lot easier.”
The singer also spoke about his solo project beforehand. Whilst there are a lot of similarities between working solo and in a group, Joe said that he preferred playing in a group. “There are obviously things that you do when you’re traveling and touring with your brothers that are nice, because you’ve got your family with you at all times. And then, there’s also the element of playing with friends. It’s a fun vibe. But I do prefer playing in a group. There’s something special about our band.”
Having grown up in the public eye, Joe also had a lot to say on how to deal with the pressures. “Some people handle it differently. I grew up around it, so it hasn’t always been an easy thing for me, but you learn to adjust and adapt to how you’re comfortable. Ultimately, there are things that you’re gonna be cool with and things that are gonna be tough to get over.”
He added, “But at the end of the day, if you remember where you come from and how it can all go away so easily, it makes it a little bit easier to handle.”
DNCE will be back in the UK at the end of the month for a string of shows. Their headline gig at O2 Academy Islington on August 19 is sold out, however, you can also catch them at G.A.Y (August 20) and V Festival (August 20/21).
Issue 24 of FAULT Magazine is available to pre-order now.