Dave Karger: Okay, you get one word to describe how you feel before your first show with Janet Jackson.
Lance: Um, nervous? I wasn't nervous until like maybe an hour ago
when were starting to go over what we needed
to do for the sound check. But it's a good nervous.
Dave K: How did you know whether to call her "Janet" or "Miss Jackson"?
Lance: [laughs] Everyone on the tour calls her Janet, so I guess we're supposed to call her Janet too
I guess we'll find out first time we meet her.
That'll be tonight.
Dave: You guys got the name 'N Sync from
the last letters of your first names or nicknames, right?
Lance: Actually, we figured that out after we
chose the name. That's how I got my
nickname, Lanston. The last letter of my real
name didn't fit in 'N Sync. So Justin was making
a joke about it and calling me Lanston,
and it kind of stuck.
Dave: You guys cover Christopher Cross' 1980 hit
"Sailing" on the album. Did you even
know who he was beforehand?
Lance: Christopher Cross as an artist wasn't very popular with us,
but the song "Sailing" was. It's just one of those songs
that you've always loved, but if you tried to name
the artist you probably couldn't. We didn't know
who sang it when we first decided to do it. Our manager
came to us with the idea and of course all of us had heard it.
And we were like, "You know, that would be a great,
vocally challenging song, just to do all the parts
." So we did it almost two years ago and it's been our baby since.
It's been like our pride and joy.
Dave: What would you say is the biggest difference
between you and the Backstreet Boys?
Lance: Our personalities.
We like to just go out and have fun.
We totally have fun at whatever we do.
We just goof off and act like immature kids.
And then I guess our shows are a lot of action.
Every song is choreographed.
You never know what we're going to do on stage.
It's a very action-packed, wild show.
And then our big forte is our harmonies.
That's the reason we chose 'N Sync as our name, because we love to
do everything a cappella
. If we can't sing every song that we do a cappella,
then we're not gonna do it.
Dave: Do you wish people would quit comparing you?
Lance: Actually it's died down a lot.
We've been doing this for two and a half years now.
And when we first released in Europe, it was the same way.
It was a group called Take That.
And you had to compare somebody to somebody,
so it was always about Take That.
And then when we came to America
we knew we were going to be compared to the
Backstreet Boys. But it only lasts for the first few months
and then you get your own name, and then
they're comparing somebody else to you.
It goes like the history of music.
Dave: So how good does it feel to be No.
1 ahead of BSB on the MTV show "Total Request"?
Lance: Shows like that are very satisfying
because those are voted on by the people.
To know that they like your video from...
what's that video, like, two years old?
For them to really like the song and the
video that much to keep you at No. 1
for that long, it's just amazing. We
know that we're doing something right.
That's the only way that you can tell that the
fans are really liking it.
Dave: Do you go on the Internet much?
Lance: Yeah, we all do. We're actually going to be doing six
Yahoo chats during the Janet tour.
And I've got a computer that I use to go online
at least once a week and say hello to all my
friends. We always get in a chat room and I
get to talk to like 50 of my friends at the
same time, which is a lot easier on the cell bill
. And I go into 'N Sync chat rooms, and of course
they never believe it's me.
Dave: How do you try to prove it?
Lance: I'll say, "Well, ask any question
and I'll know it." But they still won't believe it.
They're like, "Well, anybody could know that."
Dave: Have you seen all the dozens of
'N Sync websites that your fans have made?
Lance: I haven't seen all of them.
I'll go to AOL Netfind and type in 'N Sync
and it'll say 14 out of however many thousands,
whatever, so I'll pick the first 14 and visit those.
And then next time I go online I find 14 new ones.
Dave: Do you leave your mark there too?
Lance: The ones that have guest books I'll sign my name:
"Thanks for your support, blah blah blah
." And of course again they won't believe it's me.
Dave: What other sites do you like to visit?
Lance: I go to Billboard or any entertainment
magazine and just see what's new.
It's a perfect way to just find out everything.
Dave: Did your fans really choose your
next single by voting on your official site?
Lance: That's the way. RCA was going to go with
"For the Girl Who Has Everything." And I noticed
that during the concerts, "God Must Have Spen
t A Little More Time On You" was everyone's favorite.
So I started asking around, which song do you like best,
and 99 percent of the people said "God Must Have Spent.
" So I was like "Obviously, it's the wrong choice to go with
'For the Girl.'" And I told RCA and our media company and they said,
"We'll start a contest and see which one everyone likes.
" And 90 percent of the people said "God Must Have Spent,"
so because of the fans it definitely changed and we're releasing
"God Must Have Spent."
Dave: The five of you are from completely different
places [New York, Mississippi, Memphis, Washington,
DC, and Pittsburgh] but you all thank God first on your album
sleeve. Was that a requirement for joining the group?
Lance: It's definitely a coincidence.
All of us came together not because
of religious ideas or anything like that.
Just vocally. We all are Christian, and
we all were raised very well.
Dave: Two of you started on the Mickey Mouse Club,
while two others acted in Universal Studios' Beetlejuice's
Graveyard Revue. Which was the better training for
being a pop star?
Lance: [laughs] I wasn't one of either, so I'm non-biased.
The Mickey Mouse Club has done wonders for us
because Disney has really helped us and supported
us so well. The Disney Channel special we did definitely
broke us here in America. But both were great.
Dave: You hit it big overseas first. What is it about
European fans that makes them more receptive to
bands like you, the Backstreet Boys, and the Spice Girls?
Lance: In Europe there's just an abundance of
groups and soloists. They have maybe four times
as many of everything. They have four Mariah Careys,
four Backstreet Boys. And they love everybody.
That's why everyone kind of goes to try out new stuff.
Even now, Michael Jackson and Madonna release
their material first in Europe before they bring it here,
just to kind of see what it's going to do. And also the
reason we stayed over there so long is because America
wasn't ready for pop to come back in yet. And so now
that it's ready, we're full force comin' in.
Dave: Oftentimes your female fans will name their favorite
'N Sync member. Is there any friendly competition over
who gets the most shout-outs?
Lance: We totally think it's funny. It's not even a friendly
competition. We always bug Justin 'cause I guess he
gets most of the girls. So we always tease him and he
gets embarrassed a lot because he gets a lot of signs.
But none of us are competing for the best. In fact,
I wouldn't want to be the favorite. That's the big job.
Dave: What's the one goal you want to achieve next?
Lance: No. 1 would be nice. But any artist's
all time goal is to win a Grammy.
That would be wonderful maybe this year to win
New Artist of the Year. That would be my goal.
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