Results tagged “exclusive interviews” from J-14 Magazine

J-14 was the only magazine on the scene as 750 Harry Potter fans lined up at the Hot Topic at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ, to meet the movie's Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton!

And he may play Harry's archenemy -- but there's not one ounce of evil in Tom! Check out our exclusive video interview where we chatted with him about everything from McDonald's Chicken Nuggets and Twitter to Twilight rumors -- and who he thinks would win a battle between Draco and Edward Cullen!

Do you agree with Tom about who would win the Edward Cullen vs. Draco Malfoy battle?! Tell us!

J-14's executive editor, Rachel sat down with David Archuleta and got him to spill the deets! Check out this awesome vid below where he tells fans how he warms up, what he does when he hears his song on the radio, Myspace posers and more!

You may not know Bayje yet, but the 19-year-old singer/songwriter from Syracuse is one cool chica you should be on the lookout for! She just finished a photo shoot for her upcoming album, and she stopped by J-14 to give us the first scoop on the record and her love of Hannah Montana!

J-14: How would you describe your sound for new listeners?
Bayje: I would honestly describe it as very positive and motivating. I always write about things that I've gone through and things that my friends have gone through. There are a lot of different variations -- there are happy/upbeat [songs], and then there are also songs that are deep and serious. But still, it's always a positive message. I'm always encouraging people to just be themselves.

J-14: What is the first single, "Find a Way," about?
Bayje: It could have two different meanings because sometimes I listen to the song, and I'm feeling sad -- I feel like I'm trapped or frustrated. But other times when I'm happy, I feel like I'm being relieved, or I'm breaking out of something. It's cool because no matter what mood you're in, you can listen to it and get something out of it.

J-14: Who are your biggest musical influences?
Bayje: I listen to everybody, so I can't really pick right now. When I was younger, I kind of went with everybody in school -- I was into Eminem. When I was much younger, it was Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. But now I just listen to everybody. I love all types of music. I listen to Hannah Montana. I haven't really gotten into the Jonas Brothers yet. I'm trying to ease into them, but I listen to everybody from Kayne West, 50 Cent, Eminem, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

J-14: Who would you love to work with in the future?
Bayje: I would have to say Hannah Montana, because I feel like she's always eating a bunch of candy and just running around hyper! I'm down for that. I could do that. I could chill with Miley... I would love to work with anyone, but I think Hannah Montana because she's really fun.

J-14: What was it like to co-write with Ne-yo?
Bayje: He had actually just come off a show. It was either a show or a tour, and he was so tired. He was in a chair spinning around in circles because he was so over-tired. He put 100% into, and I felt so bad because he looked so drained, but he was so much fun. He was sweet. He wasn't like, "I'm Ne-yo. I'm a big superstar." He was just like, "I'm Ne-yo. Hey, what's up? What are your feelings? What do you want to write about?" I told him, and we collaborated, and I got in my own little headspace and a wonderful song ["No Happy Endings"] came out of it.

J-14: If you could go back and give advice to your teen self, what would it be?
Bayje: Listen to every single adult you come in contact with. Seriously! I think one of the best forms of advice I'd give myself -- which is kind of stupid -- is don't dye your hair. I had a whole thing where I was like, "I'm a blonde! Yeah, that's me!" It didn't work out. That's a lot of the reason why I was awkward in high school, because my hair didn't look right. It looked really bad. It was like orange and red and brassy -- really bad. [But] I really had good younger years -- they weren't that bad. I would say stay out of the drama, but you can't really do that in high school -- there's no choice. If you're in high school, you're in high school for the long haul, and you have to deal with everything. I would not change the group of friends I had. I had a very generous group of friends. I had friends who were really super smart, who were going to off to Cornell, and then I had other friends who really weren't into school, and they didn't go everyday. It taught me a little bit, and each person I came in contact with helped me become who I am today. I wouldn't really change the peers that I had, although I would definitely listen to the adults more. I could have definitely avoided a lot of drama.

J-14: What coming up next for you?
Bayje: I'm just gearing up for my single to come out. It's nerve-wracking because I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I'm 19 -- this is crazy!" But it's fun! I'm actually enjoying it instead of being stressed-out and worried. I'm sitting back and enjoying it and looking forward to traveling and meeting new people.

You can check out Bayje's single and all of her updates on her official MySpace page.

If you've been missing the independent women of Destiny's Child, look no further! Michelle Williams, one third of the chart-topping girl-group, is breaking out with her third solo album Unexpected. She chatted exclusively with J-14 about heartbreak, Broadway and working with Flo Rida.

J-14: Where did the title Unexpected come from?
Michelle: My manager asked me one day, "If you could sum up the album in one word, what would it be?" I said Unexpected. The turn out of the album was a shock, and I was like, "This is unexpected." Nobody knows what to expect. Nobody expected me to do gospel, nobody expected me to do Broadway. So everything that I find myself doing is unexpected. My life these past eight years has been an unexpected journey.

J-14: What was your favorite song to record?
Michelle: "Hello Heartbreak." I heard the track, and then I heard what the writer, Rico Love, was doing. Every time I would go into the studio, I would be ready to jump in the booth. I love vocals and putting one harmony on top of the next. Put a lot together and you just get one beautiful song!

J-14: Was there anything from your personal life that made you connect with that song?
Michelle: Absolutely. Have you ever been in a relationship and thought, "Oh my goodness. It's too good to be true?" And then you walk around the corner and say hello to heartbreak, and you're like, "Oh! Hey there sadness, I knew I would meet you. I was sure you were on the way." That's exactly what the song is saying. I thought that it was a cleverly written song.

J-14: Is there one song from the album that you really enjoy performing?
Michelle: I've been in rehearsals, and lately, I've especially enjoyed "Hello Heartbreak" and We" Break the Dawn." I also enjoy performing a song called "Lucky Girl." "Lucky Girl" speaks about this girl who's just head over heals in love. She's excited because she's got a man that understands her. Even when she's not saying a word, he knows what she's feeling.

J-14: Have you had that feeling before?
Michelle: Absolutely. It's one of the best feelings in the world. It just didn't work out.

J-14: What is the meaning behind your single "We Break the Dawn?"
Michelle: It's like we're having so much fun. I don't want the sun to come out--just give me a couple more hours. That's what it means. I feel like it's just telling me to have fun, live my life and do the things I need to do, basically before the sun comes up. Don't let the day go by without doing what you're supposed to do.

J-14: How did Flo Rida get involved with a remix for the song?
Michelle: Max, my A&R for this project, knows his manager very well and thought it would be a great match. I talked to Flo Rida on the phone while he was in the studio, and I said "You know what? Do your thing. I trust you. I know you're going to kill it."

J-14: What do you think of the outcome now that it's done?
Michelle: I like it a lot and I'm happy that the fans liked it. It's a bunch of bologna if artists don't care what the fans think. I do. They're the ones buying the record. I want them to like what it is that they're going to eventually purchase.

J-14: Do you have plans to do Broadway or TV again?
Michelle: Absolutely. Every two years, I want to do a Broadway show.

J-14: Which one would you love to do?
Michelle: I would love to do Beauty and the Beast. I know Dream Girls is coming on Broadway. That would be a fun one, but we'll see. I feel like that might be corny--Beyoncé did the movie, so I probably shouldn't even touch the Broadway one! We try to do everything we can to separate ourselves, individually. I want to make sure that I show that I can stand up on my own. I know I have love and support from my girls, but this album is standing [on its own]. I want people to know me. Instead of them saying, "Oh that's the girl from Destiny's Child," I want people to say, "Ok, that's Michelle."

J-14: Do you hope to get back with them to do another record?
Michelle: Absolutely! You don't have to worry, absolutely.

J-14: So there's plans for Destiny's Child to reunite?
Michelle: Oh, there are no plans. But, you know, if we sit down and say, "Hey listen, let's do it again," we'll do it.

Michelle's album comes out on October 7. Check out all the deets on her MySpace page!

Looking for a future love? You've come to the right place! Varsity Fanclub's Thomas Fiss, Jayk Purdy, Drew Ryan Scott, Bobby Edner and David Lei Brandt stopped by the J-14 office to explain why you should love them and how they're no average boy band.

J-14: Where did the name Varsity Fanclub come from?
Drew: We just needed to figure out a name, so we all sat around at a table and threw around ideas. Varsity sounded really cool, and then we added Fanclub because we wanted to be more connected to the fans.

J-14: The band was formed from a nationwide search. How have you bonded since that experience?
Thomas: Well, we actually live together, so if that doesn't do it, I don't know what will!
David: When we had the first audition, there was a time span because they were still traveling doing auditions. Jayk, Drew and I had met the first day. We all kept in contact, and then when we met up for the final callback, Thomas and Bobby were there. We all seriously clicked that day, and we all just happened to make it. Going into it was pretty cool because we all had at least an established relationship.

J-14: What is it like having five guys in one house?
Thomas: Loud.

J-14: Who's the cleanest?
All: Jayk!
Jayk: I have an OCD thing going on.
David: Jayk also has a bulldog, Winston, so he's cleaning up after him a lot.
Thomas: That dog slobbers, but I love him.

J-14: Who takes the longest to get ready?
All: Drew!
Drew: I'll rearrange the room after I get ready. I don't know! I was the last one out yesterday.

J-14: Which songs means the most to you?
Jayk: I really like a song called "Bad Habit." It's so hard to pick because it changes constantly. It just depends on what mood I'm in.
Drew: There are so many different genres all put into one, and there are so many different types of songs on there, so I think everybody can connect with something that's on the album.

J-14: You have a song called "Complicated Girl." Who was it written about?
Drew: Actually, I think it should be called Complicated Guy. We're all pretty complex! I think I was talking to someone at the time, and I was the complicated one!

J-14: How do you feel about comparisons to 'NSync and Backstreet Boys?
David: Those groups--in their time--were amazing, so to be compared to them is actually pretty cool. Really, it's an honor and flattering.

J-14: How much training goes into all of this?
David: We've been in serious boy-band boot camp for two years. Dance rehearsals from 10 to 10, recording for the past year. Our days for the past year have been completely jam-packed, whether it's working out, dancing, singing, photo shoots...
Jayk: It takes a lot. Honestly, my perception of boy bands before I came into one was, 'Oh, wow, it's a cake walk! Just stand there and be pretty.' But it is ridiculous! It is a lot of work, and you have to be extremely dedicated and be focused and you really have to know what you want.

J-14: What's the coolest thing about your fans?
Thomas: We haven't gotten too many outrageous gifts, but the coolest thing were these little teddy bears that a girl made for us. They were custom made to fit our personalities! Mine had a little surfboard.
Drew: Mine was green.
Jayk: Mine had a trucker hat on.
David: Mine had a glove and a fedora.
Bobby: [Mine] had a basketball.

J-14 was the only magazine at their first-ever arena show. You can check out all the deets on our MySpace page. Their debut album drops January 13.

You may know him as the loveable Seaweed from the blockbuster musical Hairspray, but 20-year-old Elijah Kelley is ready to be known as just Elijah. The R&B singer is breaking out with his first solo record, Love Letters, and has already been featured on the Sex and the City Volume 2 soundtrack and DisneyMania6. Check out what the Georgia boy had to tell J-14 exclusively about his new album, his life after Hairspray and his friendship with Zac Efron!

J-14: Tell us about the album.
Elijah: The album takes you from like the '70s to the year 2050, all an hour, basically. You get all types of different music. It's exciting. It takes you on a ride. I wrote the whole thing, and it's basically about this one girl--falling in and out of love, the courting process, breaking up, making up and all that good stuff.

J-14: Do you have a favorite song from the album?
E: There's a song I think is my favorite because it's just been around for so long. It's one of the songs that we originally did like two years ago when I was not even that serious about the music, just cutting demos and not even having this big thing in sight. It's called "Tell Me," and it's basically an acoustic song--it's my voice and an acoustic guitar. It's just telling a girl, "You don't have to be that way. You don't have to hate me. You don't have to ever talk to me again. I just need to know if you still love me or not." On the more upbeat side, there's a song called "P's & Q's" that is pretty great.

J-14: What did the girl who you wrote the album say when she read the lyrics and found out the songs were about her?
E: I went home over Christmas, and there were a couple of songs that I played her that she knew it. It's funny, because when you're so close to somebody, it hurts that much when you do stupid stuff. There were some times that I would just be stupid and naïve and prideful, and we wouldn't talk for a week. It got to a point one time where I did something really stupid, and there was a big misunderstanding and we didn't talk for like three months--at all. It happened on senior year spring break and for the duration of the school year, we didn't even talk. We were supposed to go to the prom together! She was supposed to take me to her school's, I was going to take her to my school's and it was just a big misunderstanding. One of the things I regret is that I didn't apologize.

J-14: What made you finally decide to talk to her?
E: This is super dramatic, but the night before I left for California, I went to her parents' house. Her parents knew what was going on--they knew something had happened. And I was like, "I really, really need to talk to her because I'm leaving tomorrow." I was saying I was leaving to go to California since I was like 12, but this time it was for real, so I had get it right before I left. So I sat there, and we talked for hours and we got it right. The next morning, I was on a plane to California.

J-14: How are you two now?
E: She's like my best friend! For a long time I couldn't tell a girl I loved her and be for real about it, but I can tell her how. I'm like, "I love you to death. I don't know if we'll even be together, but I love you."

J-14: What were you like then, during high school?
E: I did everything in high school--I played tennis, I played basketball, I was in chorus, I was in the band, I even did the mascot senior year... I went to the football games and at half-time I went across the field, met all the cheerleaders and got their numbers! The same year, I won prom king!

J-14: Do stay in touch with your Hairspray co-stars?
E: Yeah, I stay in touch with everybody! I text Zac [Efron]. I talk to Amanda [Bynes]. I haven't called Nikki [Blonsky]--I gotta call Nikki because I'm in New York, and she's a couple minutes away! I talk to pretty much everybody.

J-14: What was it like working with Zac?
E: It was the worst. He was a diva. Just kidding! He was the most down-to-earth dude ever. He's my boy. I don't really like befriend a lot of people, but he's one who was like really genuine and down-to-earth. He recognizes real people and real friendships, so we really had a good time. We were like Ebony & Ivory 2008!

You can check out Elijah's first single, "I Got It," on his Myspace page.

Couldn't get tickets to Push Play's Rocks the States '08 Tour? Can't wait to see photos of the boys performance at J-14's first ever InTune event in our October/November issue? Don't panic! The boys--who are working hard to get their new album, Found, out to you in December--will be at the 2008 Arthur Ashe Kid's Day in New York City on August 23! J-14 sat down with Derek, Nick, CJ and Steve to find out what it's like being on tour and what's up next for the band.

Q: What's coming up next for you guys?
Steve: As of now, we are currently in the process of writing new songs, and we are going to re-record the entire album Deserted as well as add a few new songs to the new release.

Q: What music are you guys into? Who are your biggest influences?
Nick: Definitely Brand New. They are a local band from Long Island, but they're very established now. I have been listening to them since I was about 11 or 12 years old, and they have really inspired me to continue with music. Just knowing another band got big and is now well-known really inspires me to do the same.
Steve: I listen to a lot of Raging Against The Machine and Incubus. Somebody may not expect that coming from Push Play, but that's what I grew up with. Those are the songs that we try and bring in there--it's a good mix between CJ and Nick liking the pop music, and Derek and I liking more of the rock end. It blends nicely.

Q: You're just out of high school, so how does your music sound like you've been playing for years?
Derek: We practice a lot, and we have all taken private lessons and have in someway mastered our craft. We spend a lot of time in what we do, and it really means a lot to us. We put our time and effort into it. We put our T.L.C. into it!

Q: Can you tell us about why you chose to perform for different causes?
Steve: We all come from very fortunate backgrounds. It was almost necessary for us to give back and it's something we have always wanted to do. We were hoping that other bands would look up to us and start a chain reaction.

Q: How has MySpace helped Push Play?
Nick: It is the biggest tool we use for marketing. It does everything for us. It's how we got majority of our fans--it's just the best thing ever. We have our private chat that we can use to talk with our fans. It has our music on it. It really does everything. I don't think we would be where we are without it.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't playing?
Nick: I love hockey. I used to play on a team for my school, but I had to quit because I really didn't have enough time. When I'm not with the band, I am definitely playing hockey a lot.

Q: What is your favorite song to perform?
Steve: My favorite song to perform is "Plastique," because it's the easiest to rock out to on stage. I love what we do with the drums. We can do a drum solo at the beginning or at the end of the song--or even during! I really like that a lot.

Q: Have you ever had a crazy fan encounter?
Derek: A fan bought us a star--in the sky. A legitimate star. It was called "Starlight Addiction" after one of our songs. I thought it was pretty cute.

Q: Any final words for our J-14 readers?
Nick: I love them, and they have to come to a show and buy my music wherever they can!