On October 22, 2002, Sandy Lo got to interview one of her idols for the first time.  Being a huge Backstreet Boys fan and being able to interview them several times over the years is such an honor for Sandy.  BSB fans have been some of the biggest supporters of StarShine Magazine, so we thank you!  Enjoy this old interview.

Your editor, Sandy Lo had a chat with Nick Carter by phone last Tuesday about his solo album, the future of the Backstreet Boys and being sexy…

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): So first I just want to say congratulations on your solo album!

Nick Carter: [laughs] Thank you.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): You’re welcome. So Now or Never is exactly one week away…

Nick Carter: Mmm-hmm…

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Are you nervous? [laughs]

Nick Carter: I’m a little nervous, but I’m so excited that…[laughs] it’s like a mixture of both…nervousness and excitement and all that great stuff. I’m lovin’ it.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Cool. Your first single, “Help Me” is really–I’m being honest–it’s such a great song. I love it so much!

Nick Carter: Oh, you like it?

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Yeah, I love it.

Nick Carter: Thank you.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Um, it’s more on the rock side as the rest of the album is…

Nick Carter: Actually…have you heard the album?

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): They sent me a press kit, but they didn’t send me the whole album…they just sent me “Help Me”, but I’ve heard–

Nick Carter: The album’s a little more rock actually.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Yeah, I’ve heard clips because um, I have Aaron’s [Carter] album too, so I’ve heard clips from that and I’ve heard some on the internet and everything.

Nick Carter: Mmm-hmm. Okay.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): So since it’s more rock, do you think when people hear like “Help Me” or the rest of the album they’re like “That’s Nick Carter?”

Nick Carter: Ummm, I think they will. I hope they will. I mean I think honestly from the beginning this is just my preference in music. People are gonna–in the beginning probably be a little bit scared to–or maybe like uh, you know interested to see what it’s gonna be like because you know they’re so used to see me doing pop music and stuff like the Backstreet Boys, but I think the cool thing is that they’ll really be able to um–hopefully, it’ll be a good shock, you know? A nice surprise hopefully for them.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Well, it seems like everyone’s taken to it so far. I mean I’m the editor of my magazine so…

Nick Carter: Mmm-hmm.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): …And I get tons of e-mails saying–like once I mentioned you were going to be in the magazine, they were all like–all these comments saying, “Oh my God, I can’t believe Nick Carter’s going to be in it.” And they were so excited. [laughs]

Nick Carter: I’m like…I’m honestly…I’m just shocked at the support. I really am. I’m just like–it is amazing to me. Uh, I really…I didn’t expect it and I still don’t expect it with all like the stuff that’s going on right now. I mean it’s just–I’m just happy. I’m SO grateful for all of the support.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Well, you know since the fans–they’re pretty supportive, but you know they’re still kind of worried about the whole Backstreet Boys not together thing. So I just wanted to clear that up. Can you give them any kind of clarity on the status of the group?

Nick Carter: Well, this is how clear it was…I mean I had a meeting with all the guys the other day and we’re still together, you know? So um, we’re talking about doing another album like middle of next year, after I do my album and everything and that’s where we are right now.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): So everything’s great with that then?

Nick Carter: Mmm-hmm.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): And they don’t have to worry. [laughs]

Nick Carter: Nope.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Do you miss the guys at all? I mean you’re all on your own now.

Nick Carter: Yes, I miss them to a certain extent. I mean all the other guys have kind of started their lives and stuff like that. Like Brian’s married, he’s about to have a baby and you know AJ’s going to get married and um…you know, it’s like I miss them, they’re my brothers, but at the same time I’m like so…so excited about what’s going on. [laughs happily] And like excited to start a part of my life and that’s you know, the solo stuff.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Yeah. Actually, that brings me to my next question. [laughs] What’s it like to be alive in a sense that it’s all up to you and to be able to do what you want with your music?

Nick Carter: Umm…well, it’s amazing to be able to–to do what I want to do because I get a chance to let it all out, you know? Let everything out inside and really just have a lot of fun in it because I came to a decision like where I’m at right now…I really have to have fun doing what I’m doing and you know, I love–I love being in the entertainment business. I love doing music. I love rock music so I wanted to slowly, but surely enter into the rock world. I know it’s going to be really weird for people at first, but um, I got a long way to go and I got a long career hopefully ahead of me…and I…got a lot of work to do. [Nick and Sandy laugh]

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Okay so let’s talk a little bit more about the album…you’ve written a lot on it. Has song writing always come easy to you or was it something you had to work on a little more?

Nick Carter: Writing is…I have to be very inspired to do it. I feel like–that’s the way I am in everything. Until like fate has to sort of kick me in the butt and show me what to do and what to write. That’s the way I’ve always written and I love–writing has never been too easy for me, but when I’m inspired then it is easy. So a lot of the songs on the album are very personal–not necessarily personal situations, but just they’re human emotions–they’re things that come out of people and I’m a person so it came out of me.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Which song would you say is the most personal to you? Like that you feel is the most in touch with your life.

Nick Carter: Um, probably “I Stand For You” because “I Stand For You” is a uh…it’s a–like a breakout, freedom song–like rebel-like just I wanna be young…I wanna have fun and basically what I’ve been telling you. You know, the words are like if I wanna have a tattoo, I wanna have it. If I want to say what I want to say, I’m gonna say it. If I want to ride across the country on a Harley or something like that, I’m gonna do it, you know? [Sandy laughs] The fact was that’s everything that it was. So I think that’s why that song is very personal to me. It’s a very American song. [laughs]

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): [laughs] Yeah. Do you plan on touring for the album soon?

Nick Carter: Yeah, I’d love to. I’d love to get on tour. I think the one thing that’s gonna be cool about being a solo artist is that I get a chance to really get close to fans again. And like um, I’m almost starting from the ground up again so if there are fans out there who have been wanting to be close to us and stuff, well now is the time because I’m going to go to small venues and play like places that are very intimate–maybe like 2,000 seat places and just get REALLY close to the fans and they can see me sweat, they can see me play instruments, you know…I’ll sing to them, all that kind of stuff.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): That’s really great because I mean not a lot of artists want to do that again…want to start from the beginning.

Nick Carter: I do. Big time.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): [laughs] Well, good. I’m sure your fans really appreciate that.

Nick Carter: Thank you. I really think they deserve it, you know? After all those years of playing big venues and being far away from them and stuff…so now, you know–come and check it out…come and check out the concert because honestly…[laughs] they’re gonna rock. I’m gonna put one hell of a show on.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): I’m sure you will.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): I’m sure you will. You’re Cosmo Girl’s sexiest guy in the world…how does that feel? Do you consider yourself sexy?

Nick Carter: No, not really. I don’t know what I’m like. I guess I’m just normal. I’m who I am. You know, I don’t try to be anybody that I’m not. I’m the kind of guy who would really walk out in jeans and a t-shirt and not really just worry about how I look at certain times…I just–I’m a guy. I’m the kind of guy who would be–you would catch me working on an engine or you know, driving boats or just you know driving a car–like a corvette or something like that, you know I never came from a clean family–I was kind of always dirty myself. [Sandy laughs] You know I was always the kind of kid who would be in the dirt and rolling around in it. I’m just a…I’m one of those…I wouldn’t say roughneck Americans, but I guess I am a little bit in a way. [laughs]

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Okay, so as the sexist guy in the world, the girls want to know…what are you wearing right now?

Nick Carter: What am I wearing? I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Okay. Simple enough. [Nick laughs] So I know you’ve probably been asked this so many times and I apologize for asking it, but in my magazine, we don’t like any rumors at all…

Nick Carter: Mmm-hmm.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Like we try to keep everything true and just get all the garbage out. So maybe you can clear this up…are you involved with Britney Spears in any way?

Nick Carter: No, not at all…Nope.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Okay. I didn’t think so because I thought it would be too typical, you know?

Nick Carter: Yeah, I know. I’m not typical. I’m not easy to predict. [laughs]

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Yeah, but everybody’s been like–because I try to get close to my readers so everyone’s been telling me all this kind of stuff, so I’m like “Uhh…I’ll ask him.” You know? [laughs] So everyone knows you’ve had some trials and tribulations in your lifetime personally and career-wise, but let’s talk about the lighter side of things…what was the funniest thing to ever happen to you?

Nick Carter: The funniest thing…I would say is…God, I know I’ve had some really fun times. I’m just trying to pick them out. I’ve…you know what was a funny time? [laughs] Me and my dad, we went sailing for the first time and it was on like a catamaran boat and um…we went out and the funniest thing was–like ’cause these catamarans, you can tilt them to the side and they can ride on one part too and um…[laughs] We tilted over and we’ve never done that before and we just fell off! [Sandy laughs] And like the boat tipped over, but then we, you know you gotta get back on and pull it over. So that’s what we did, we pulled it over, but then the boat TOOK OFF on us!

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): [laughs] Oh God…

Nick Carter: And the wind picked it up and it sailed…so it sailed like a hundred yards away from us and this was down in the [Florida] Keys.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): So were you guys stranded there?

Nick Carter: We were cracking up! Because we were…thank God the thing actually flipped over like about fifty to a hundred yards. It was just really, really so funny. It was the hardest I laughed in a long time.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): [laughs] Okay, so the music business is what you’ve always known and being in the public eye is just a part of your life. What kind of effect does that have on you as a person and in finding your true identity?

Nick Carter: Well, I’ve always been the kind of person to be very secluded to do my own thing. Keep my friends close to me. Keep my people around me. And not really get too involved in that whole spotlight drama crap, you know? So that’s what I’ve basically have done and you know, I stay normal. I stay true to myself. You wouldn’t really catch me doing all that crazy Hollywood stuff too much, you know? That’s how I stay normal and you know, I don’t like to go too far away from that. I’ve always been really–I’m the kind of guy–people who know me…if you ever ask them questions about me, they’ll just tell you, “Trust me, he’s Nick.” [laughs] There ain’t nobody like me, you know…I’m just very normal.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Mmm-hmm. You’ve accomplished so much in your music career already and you’re only twenty-two, what’s next for you?

Nick Carter: What’s sexy?

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): [laughs] No…

Nick Carter: What’d you say? I’m sorry. [laughs lightly]

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): It’s okay. What’s next for you? Like what’s the next step?

Nick Carter: What’s the next step…um…gosh. I want to really get much better as a musician. I just started playing guitar like about a year ago and I’m getting much better at it. So I wanna all around…I wanna do another solo album, hopefully. I wanna do another Backstreet album. I want to grow as a musician. I want to play even more instruments. I wanna develop into like maybe a like Madonna or a David Bowie type of person. You know?

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Wow. Yeah, best of luck with that. And here’s your chance to speak to your people…the fans in StarShine Magazine…what would you like to say to them?

Nick Carter: Well, I just want to say thank you for all the support you know, it’s been a very scary situation and time for me because you know, this is a whole new world for me–the whole solo thing and people supporting and the fans supporting me and really showing love all over the place and on…even just voting on TRL and all that stuff, it’s just been overwhelming and so like amazing and I just want to thank them for that because they’re making it more comfortable for me and they’re making my dreams come true and I just thank you.

Sandy (StarShine Magazine): Okay, I just wanted to say some things for me. [laughs] I’m a big fan. I’m a big fan of the Backstreet Boys and you and I just want to say that it’s an honor to do this interview with you and thank you so much for speaking with me. Nick Carter: Thank you for having me.