Gay Twins Search for Stardom in "Nemesis Rising"

AE: Is it intimidating being marketed as an openly gay group? It’s a groundbreaking decision. There must be a lot of expectation.
Jacob: It’s just better to do it and be who you are. Joshua and I are very strong people. … In some ways we have the Truth to thank for that. I’m not OK with pretending to be someone I’m not so that people will like me.

AE: The glam rock group Scissor Sisters, which has openly gay members, has found greater success in Europe than in the U.S. Do you think Europe will be more accepting of an openly gay group?
Joshua: I don’t want to say that, because when you say things like that then you make it true, and I don’t believe that that is true. I think we can have a lot of success in the States, and already I see things ramping up in a way I didn’t expect, and that makes me very happy.

AE: Are there plans to release your first album in Europe?
Joshua: It’s being talked about heavily right now. I know for sure some people are hoping it will be for sale in Europe the same day it will be for sale here at the end of October.

AE: How supportive has the music industry been?
Jacob: Recently, very supportive. The music industry itself, as far as I’m concerned, has always been supportive. I have never heard one single bad word about Josh and I being out as artists. From day one they have been nothing but supportive. There was one person, one of our managers, before the one we have now, who thought it might not be a good idea to be out, and maybe we should try to cover that up and be mainstream. But that is the only person who has even mentioned it.

AE: Is it getting easier for gay artists to get contracts?
Joshua: We weren’t out when we got our record deal, and we didn’t discuss it with anyone until later. They signed us on the merits of our music.

Jacob: And they didn’t investigate it either. I mean, Josh and I … are just regular men … who were trying to get a record deal in Nashville … performing, like everyone else in town, and they came and saw us and signed us to a record contract. Our sexuality was never discussed until later, when we got ready to release the record and started talking about marketing … then it came up.

AE: How do you decide on the subjects for your songs?
Joshua: Most of my songs are written about people who have impacted me. Jacob writes songs more broadly, and — he made a funny face so I guess he can describe the way he writes, not me.

Jacob: I think we both write from the heart … whatever it is we have on our minds we write about. I write sappy love songs when I’m in a lovey mood, and I write songs about … the world in broader, more general terms, if I’m, you know, whatever.

AE: Your video for “#1 in Heaven” has been No. 1 on Logo’s Click List for the past few weeks.
Jacob: I know! Three weeks in a row.

AE: Do you think this popularity will transfer easily to the larger public?
Joshua: Well, it’s playing on MTV Hits now regularly; we’re interviewing with VH1 and MTV later on this afternoon; we did The Tyra Banks Show last week; we’re doing TRL the day after the show premieres. We’re getting a ton of really, really major mainstream press. So, so far, so good.

Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising premieres on Monday, Oct. 16, 2006, at 10 p.m. EST on Logo. Get more info at nemesisrising.com.