Johnny Cash. Prince. Elvis Costello. Those aren’t the first acts that pop into your head when you think about the Jonas Brothers, the bubblepunk Disney Channel band that is currently making tween girls squeal as it tours across America. But Kevin, 20, Joseph, 18, and Nick, 15, insist those are the musicians that top their list of influences, along with some other unexpected names.
“Musical role models for us are bands that have been around for years and years always playing together like U2, the Police, the Rolling Stones, and of course the legendary Paul McCartney,” Kevin says. “And we’ve been listening a lot to Band of Horses.”
We thought of a few other acts that might have made an impression on the stars of
Camp Rock.
Hanson “MMMBop”Clean-cut teen brothers with boundless energy, real instruments, and a knack for fizzy power pop melodies? The Jonas Brothers are so used to getting comparisons to the ’90s sibling act that scored a hit with “MMMBop” that they sometimes take the stage introducing themselves as various members of Hanson. But that’s not to say they’re crazy about the connection. “We really wonder where that comes from,” says Joe. “I think it’s only because we’re brothers, because otherwise our music is very different.” Of course, they both owe it all to the Osmonds.
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The Strokes “Last Nite”Much like Hanson belatedly mimicked the great unwashed sensibilities of the rock icons of their era like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, the Jonas Brothers seem to have derived their style entirely from old Strokes videos. Check out the poofy hair, skinny jeans, and carefully studied rock poses. Now add a billion dollars and the resemblance is uncanny.
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The Monkees “Daydream Believer”You might think the original made-for-TV rock band paved the way for the Jonas Brothers. While it’s true that the New Jersey trio made it big after getting the endorsement of the Disney Channel, who in turn put them in heavy rotation and on the road with Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus, what people often forget is that the Jonas Brothers were signed to Columbia Records in 2005 on their own merits long before Mickey came along. “We would play for two people in rock ’n’ roll clubs all across the country,” Kevin says. They were dropped two years later.
Stryper “Honestly”Musically, the Jonas Brothers probably owe more to fellow New Jersey natives Bon Jovi, but it’s hard to think of too many other devoutly Christian rock acts that have managed to make the mainstream crossover on such a large scale. They may not wear the bumblebee spandex or shoot bibles at their fans out of cannons but Kevin, Nick, and Joe aren’t afraid to flaunt their spiritual values. All three wear purity rings, which according to Joe, “symbolize promises to ourselves and to God that we’ll stay pure till marriage.” Maybe Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” would have been a more appropriate choice here.
A-Ha “Take On Me”A major hit before any of them were actually born, this new wave smash by Norwegian synth-pop trio A-Ha has become a staple of the Jonas Brothers live set. They even performed the song during their appearance on
Dancing with the Stars. You’ve got to admit, it’s an improvement over their take on Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America,” rewritten as “Kids of the Future” for the soundtrack of
Meet the Robinsons.