Interview: Aaron Carter on Stardom, Growth and How To Properly Throwback a Thursday
By Xavier Veccia, Managing Editor
Aaron Carter didn’t just live in the ‘90s, he practically defined it. The era filled with boybands and child popstars was a perfect time for the rise of someone like ten-year-old Carter. The singer may not be at the top of the charts anymore, but he’s still chasing his goal of being a musician. Through frequent touring, side projects and embracing his #tbt status, Carter hopes to be back at the top in no time. He discussed all of this and more with ACRN.
You’re on tour again. How does it feel to be back at it?
Aaron Carter: It’s surreal. I don’t know, man. I don’t even know how to explain it sometimes. It’s almost like achieving the impossible or something and being able to tell people about it. I think it’s really amazing. I'm really happy to have all the fans on the tour around. It means the world that I made such an impact in these people’s lives, that they’ve hung around and they still check out what I’m doing and all the music that I’ve had already. So, like, right now they're all still hanging out, still supporting me. So I’m going to have to release some new music and take another shot at this.
How has your live show changed as you got older?
I guess it’s just changed now that I have a relationship with my musicians and the band that I play with. It’s just our chemistry on stage and how we react to each other.
Obviously with child stardom there’s a lot of ups and downs. How would you say your early stardom has shaped you?
Like, I mean people hear the term “child star” loosely and I think to really understand what it means to actually be a real child star--there are people who start when they’re 13 or 14 or 12 and stuff like that and, I mean, that is a child--but me, I started when I was six years old. So, you know, I don’t really look at my life like it’s just careers because I have had things happen, it’s just my life and you kind of have to go with the flow of things. And just like anybody, if someone gets hit in the head with a baseball while they're playing catch with their dad, well, the moral of the story is that you should probably maybe shift your glove so you don’t get hit in the face next time someone’s throwing the ball at you. So it’s just like I kind of put it in perspective like that and it makes me feel like I’m actually normal, versus just having a career and having the ups and down of my career.
There’s been ups and downs and I haven’t always been the best at with handling the industry. They do their own thing, it reflects on me and stuff like that, you know, but I’ve grown with my life like it’s a normal life. Sometimes it’s hard. You can’t do it and weird, weird shit happens and it changes the whole dynamic of life.
How do you manage to be both a “#tbt” and also the person you are now, especially while performing?
I mean, I just embrace it and I perform all my songs still. I do a kick-ass job at it. I mean I have my live band that does it with me, so it’s not like I’m a completely different little kid playing track records or anything like that. I have a live, really solid band behind me. They’re not young guys, they’re like older cats--really, really experienced musicians. And when you see my show you see something... you’re never going to see something like my show. I mean you’re going to see a weird dynamic with a little white skinny dude, me, up there with three black funk musicians behind me, and an Italian guitar player and we’re just crazy together. I mean I just go and try to embrace the songs that I’ve done and that’s it. I mean it’s no different than when my brother (Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys) goes out and he sings “Backstreet’s Back” or “I Want it That Way.” [The Backstreet Boys] still sing those songs. People love them. I still sing my songs and hopefully all the people will continue to love them as we do them. And it’s really coming together. We’re starting to play really big shows. It’s pretty exciting. I just need to focus on my music and really just get some stuff out there for people to hear.
Over the years, you’ve managed to do a lot of other projects from Broadway to Dancing with the Stars and television shows. How have these projects helped shape you as an artist and as a person?
It’s bringing meaning to this performance that I know. Dancing with the Stars has helped me with my dancing and the whole technique and tactics. And it also helped me being able to see how I look in the public eye a little bit and how i'm being perceived by various different people. So it’s kind of a good way to dilate that kind of thing. It’s fantastic and really really hard. I don’t know, I’d have to say it’s helped my work ethic to show up on time and have people depend on you. When I did The Fantasticks it kind of taught me how to like--even though maybe I’m doing my own show and I might be the only guy up there singing and doing my songs--there’s still people that depend on me. Well, with The Fantasticks, well I was down with the ensemble and the cast so I had people depending on me to get the show up on time and be there so that we could all do the show together and all be able to get paid. So it’s like a very good whole-thing-type of situation and understand ethics of being a professional and that sort of thing.
Overall, how would you say you’ve changed as a musician over the years?
I change all the time as a musician. I mean, as a performer and an entertainer I try to stay one person and not really change very much. I like to sort of do things that maybe add a different style and add to a different aspect vocally on stage. As a musician I try to just explore my options. I like to listen to different kinds of music. I like to hear more stuff in the world and maybe its something I can pick up on. Or maybe if I can pick up on a different style of music or something and someone wants to just do music with me I can work with them.
What are your plans for the future? Any new music or side projects in the works?
No new side projects, it’s just new music straight ahead. So, new music, new music videos, that kind of stuff. I did release a little side project about a month ago called 1987, that’s the year I was born, and the album is called Nyctophobia, the clinical term for being afraid of the dark, because I’m afraid of the dark. And I produced some music and stuff like that so I put together just like an instrumental beat album, so people can go check it out and listen to it with their friends, whatever they want to do with it. And it’s track beats that were 100% made by myself, so it’s pretty cool. And then now it’s just focusing and putting all the focus and attention into the album. It’s coming out pretty good. I’m really pleased with how it’s coming together.
When do you think that will be out?
You know, it’ll be out this year. It needs to be. So, yeah man it needs to be out this year. I don’t know what’s all going to happen next year. It’s an asterisk. But I got to get music out. It’s been awhile, so yeah it’s going to be out this year. Probably late in the year, but putting it together and everything it takes time. You need music videos, you need to launch a campaign, a marketing campaign.
Reminisce and rediscover Aaron Carter, performing on South Green on Thursday, April 24.
