OG boyband Big Time Rush is still living it big time, and it’s all thanks to how much they believe in the music and the magic they make together.
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In 2009, the story of four young guys coming together to form a boy band hit our screens in the form of Nickelodeon TV show Big Time Rush, and the rest was history. Over the years, Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos PenaVega grew as close in real life as their goofy onscreen counterparts were, and developed such love for the magic they made as a foursome—so much so, that here they are, 15 years (with a seven-year hiatus in between) later, making new music and still bringing joy to people’s lives.
Big Time Rush the series had a pretty successful run that mirrored that of the band’s in real life. The music slayed, the comedy ate, their chemistry was undeniable. As it went on, the line between ‘Nickelodeon show band’ and ‘real-life band’ got more and more blurry, but one thing’s for sure: Kendall, James, Logan, and Carlos had faith in each other as a team right from the beginning. From getting Halfway There to acknowledging that This Is Our Someday, the first run of Big Time Rush was loads of work, and loads of fun, both onscreen and off.
Then the show ended, and things got harder and harder due to burnout and butting heads with the network, management, and record labels, the band went on hiatus in 2014, with the members going their separate ways to focus on themselves, their families, and their solo projects.
But in 2020, during lockdown, as many old castmates, bandmates, and friends were wont to do, the four reunited for an Internet-breaking virtual musical collaboration as they performed a stripped-down version of their hit song Worldwide. It was more than just harmonious fanservice—it sent a clear message: they’ve still got it.
After getting their feet wet again as a band, and bringing together everything they’ve learned during their time apart, Big Time Rush really kicked things into high gear, working nonstop on a new album and setting dates for their 2022-2023 Forever Tour. Though nostalgia no doubt has a hand in allowing them to have yet another successful run, BTR strives to bring something new the second time around just as well as they honor their roots.
Ahead of the band’s October 17 concert at the New Frontier Theater—their first-ever show in the Philippines—Kendall and Logan of Big Time Rush sat down for a chat with NYLON Manila about finally performing all the way across the world, how things have changed since they first started, and growing and changing as performers and as people. Read the full interview below.
You guys will be performing in the Philippines next this October. How do you feel to be finally travelling to the country to perform for your Filipino fans?
Logan: It’s strange to say it out loud. The time has finally come. We’ve been waiting a very long time for this. And I think it’s become a full circle moment for everyone involved. And we’re just overjoyed. We can’t wait to see what the Philippines has to offer.
For people who aren’t aware, how would you describe what it’s like watching a Big Time Rush concert?
Kendall: People comment that it’s just a really good time. People comment that it’s high energy, that’s for sure. It may not seem like it right now, but we are very high energy guys, especially on stage. They say the music sounds good, they say the vocals sound good.
Logan: Four handsome guys up on stage, I don’t know!
Kendall: Exactly, what more could you want? They say, honestly, it looks like we’re having fun, and I think because we are having fun, people see that and it just lets them lets loose. We try to just give everybody a two-hour break from the stress of life.
Logan: That’s with the same way we approach the music. I think we pride ourselves in being able to transport ourselves and everyone else to a different time and to have something that feels very familiar but also very fresh. I think that’s the perfect mix of any concert—I want to have songs that I remember back when I was younger and certain songs that bring me back to a moment where I just felt a certain happiness and nostalgia.
You guys have been at this for over a decade now. How would you say your relationship or the dynamic as a group changed from when you started to right now?
Kendall: Even though there has never, ever been a competition between the four of us, when you put four 18-year-old guys together in a band from different walks of life, I think, inevitably, there ends up being a little competition. And it was always friendly, you know, because we were in a project together. But now, we all have faith in each other’s skills. We all trust each other. We trust each other when it comes to style and creativity and music.
Our relationship has grown exponentially. The only thing separating us from being actual brothers is not having the same parents, but we are as close to actual brothers as you can get.
You guys started on the TV show, but have since moved on and done your own thing both individually and as a group. How was it like to navigate the divide between doing something for the TV show versus doing this as your own thing as a group—making your own music that isn’t really so attached to, say, a project on TV?
Logan: It’s a huge learning process, especially at that age when we first started the show. We were just trying to soak up as much as we possibly could. I think it really felt like we were learning as we went along as much as possible.
Now, I feel, at this age, we are honing our skills. And over the last decade, we’ve done stuff individually and done stuff as a group, and I think we really play off each other’s strengths. We know what each of us are capable of doing, and also what we can do as a group. It’s just the confidence that we have in ourselves and each other that’s grown so much, and that has really brought a project that was put together into something that we are so passionate about and so invested in.
Kendall: From the very beginning, it was very difficult struggling with the separation between the television show and the band. It was like we wanted to be ‘cool boy band’ here and then there was ‘goofy television show’ here, and we were constantly getting lost in between the two. And I think now we realize people just like Big Time Rush. People just like the whole ethos that is Big Time Rush. And so we’ve gotten confident in that. And we feel like, ‘hey, well, let’s just be us’, you know, whether it’s TV, movie, or music.
A lot of your fans grew up watching the show. How does it feel to see all of these people who have been with you since the beginning at your concerts?
Kendall: It just not something you ever get used to. I don’t think we go out there and ever get off stage without having an existential moment. When I see past the waving arms and see faces smiling as big as they can—people just happy—the fact that they’ve been there with us is really, really amazing. But it’s also been really challenging and difficult.
There’s been times where the band has broken up or almost broken up many times. We deal with our own inner struggles and our own dynamic, and then we get out there and see how much it means to everybody—I think it really just brings it home for us every time. Like, ‘this is why we’re doing this.’ The real glory is seeing people so happy and bringing people together.
Logan: It can be tough at moments to travel and keep the band together, but the reward far outweighs anything else.
Nostalgia plays a big part in your continued success. As artists, how do you find the balance between tapping into the nostalgia and bringing something new to the table?
Logan: That’s a tough one! We still struggle with that. We’ve had to also get out of our own way sometimes, because we know how much it means to people to hear those old songs. For the live show, we’ve reproduced some of those tracks and paid homage to certain tracks like Paralyzed. So I think it’s a healthy balance between really respecting where we came from and also where we’re going. I think we are passionate about both.
Kendall: I’ve been to other shows where nostalgia plays into it a lot, and I’ve noticed that sometimes, when an artist or a band plays a new song, it’s almost like they phone it in, or they’re a little bit scared, or they already know that people are going to go to the bathroom or go get food during that new song.
So we make a point to invest heavily in time and energy into the new songs, so when you see a new song at our show, it’s not like, ‘oh, hey, and here’s a new song.’ We put energy and production into it, and write new music thinking about we’ll perform it live, so by the time it’s over, people are like, ‘I love that song.’
Over the years, you’ve grown up and changed and have gone through a lot. What advice would you give to young people or the new generation who are afraid of growing up or have apprehensions of facing change or the future?
Kendall: Offhand, the older I’ve gotten, the more I realized that every day is a blessing. The older I get, the more blessed I am to be able to have more life and live longer. Everybody says life goes by like that, it really is a marathon, it’s not a race. So you have have time to grow and change and evolve. And the sky’s the limit.
Logan: Most of the reason for the success that I’ve had, whether it be with song writing or with acting or relationships, it has been because I’ve kept that childlike mentality. I try as hard as I can to stay curious about things that I don’t know, and to really lean into the wonder and the joys of everyday life. And I think there’s no reason to grow up too fast.
And I think just going easy on yourself, having patience to know that some things don’t work out the way that you want to, but will work out one way or the other. Be patient, be kind to yourself.
In a month from now, you’ll be in the Philippines performing for your Filipino fans. What message do you have for all the Filipino Rushers out there who are very excited to finally get to see you guys live after all these years?
Logan: Oh my God, I can’t wait to see you! I’m just so happy to go and visit.
Kendall: They need to start practicing jumping up and down, because it’s going to be a lot of that going on!
Logan: There’s a lot of dancing. They’re gonna have to really learn the dance moves, and we have our last album Another Life—there’s a fair amount of songs from the new album that we love playing, so I think that they’re going to be really excited for that. We’re trying to give them a show that’s going to be unforgettable, and we just can’t wait to meet everyone and be in the Philippines.
Kendall: We want to come back, so we’re not we’re going to try our best not to be disappointing!
Finally, if you were to meet someone who may not be familiar with your history or the show, how would you describe Big Time Rush to them?
Kendall: How I describe it to people, when they ask me what I do, I go ‘I’m in music.’ And then people will say, ‘Well, what does that mean? What kind of music?’ I go, ‘I’m in a band.’ And then they go, ‘What kind, what band?’ And so I’ll go, ‘It’s called Big Time Rush, it’s kind of a boy band.’ That’s the way I describe it!
Logan: It’s tough to really describe that! If somebody doesn’t know exactly who we are, I say ‘Just come and check it out, come to a show and watch us,’ because I can guarantee you, it’s not going to be like anything else you’ve seen. We’re going to have the most fun, and it’s gonna be absolute mayhem.
Interview has been edited for length and clarity. Interview conducted by Rafael Bautista. Images from @bigtimerush on Instagram. Special thanks to Live Nation Philippines.
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