Winona Waite
Hunk Headquarters
Winter 2000
Yes, Flint's hometown is a stone's throw from Orlando. Yes, the same Orlando that is home to two of the biggest teen phenomenons in the history of American music. But if you fear Flint followed Backstreet Boys and N Sync off the 'pretty boy' assembly line near the Magic Kingdom, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Blessed with the looks that make teen girls swoon and the hooks that have garnered the band critical raves, Flint is in the process of redefining the image of the happening Florida music scene. Quick to point out the differences between themselves and their neighborhood's boy bands, "We actually write our own songs and actually play actual instruments" guitarist Juwan Pilgrim insists, Flint's 1998 streetwise debut album White Trash Folklore was well-received by critics and has led to the band's headlining of a summer tour the past two summers throughout "mostly the confederate states of America" to use singer Cody Jackson's description.
Comparisons to the Backstreet Boys and N Sync are expected by Flint because of the common elements of geography and five boys in a band. They like to think that's where the similarities end. "A lot of our industry reps want me to write a song like 'I Want It That Way' to sell records", Jackson says with no sense of sarcasm. "I'm more interested in writing the next 'With Or Without You' or the next 'Born In The U.S.A.'... I'm just not interested in selling out."
Flint has been able to attract attention without 'selling out' but it hasn't always been for the music. The band is no stranger to controversy. A rumored dalliance with pop princess Britney Spears got Jackson a taste of the tabloids last spring while his sidekick, combative keyboard player Doug Cherokee faced the prospect of jail for rearranging the face of one photographer and threatening another one with an antique sword. Recent reports have surfaced that Flint's record label nixed the band's choice of 'Herpes' as the title for their second release.
"We thought it symbolized the theme of the album. Plus three of the five guys in our band have had herpes. I won't say which ones. I'll just say Juwan and I haven't." singer Jackson says with his trademark smirk. This yet-to-be titled album will be released on February 29, 2000.
Most fans hear Florida and compare Flint to the bands that have already climbed the pop-chart mountain but if you look deeper, this band may have more going for it than even they realize. Maybe you only want to see their videos but if you give Flint a chance on your CD player, you won't be disappointed!
(Note: transcriber could not scan magazine's cover photo)