NC: No! [Laughs] I don't have a favorite member of N'Sync, but I do think people are ready to hear something new, something different...to hear something that's not so produced and marketed. But there's also room in this business for everybody, you know? Music is supposed to bring people joy and feeling and emotion, and if N'Sync does that for you then that's a beautiful thing.
PB: That's a good political answer. So now that you're better known in the U.S. -- they're even playing your CD at Urban Outfitters -- what are the perks of rock star status?
NC: I keep a pretty low profile. I mean, I'm still doing my own laundry at the Laundromat. I actually got recognized at the Laundromat the other day. I thought that was really funny.
PB: So you were in the middle of your spin cycle---
NC: ...And I was reading the paper on top of the washing machine, and someone came up to me and said, "Oh my God, I just went to your gig and I loved it!" That was really nice, but I haven't been given a car or anything, if that's the kind of perks you mean.
PB: What was it like seeing yourself on MTV for the first time?
NC: It was really exciting. I grew up watching MTV, so it was a total thrill.
PB: And you've already had your name in lights -- your Like a Feather video has an 18-foot neon wall flashing it behind you.
NC: I know. It's so rock star, so bravado. I definitely did that video with a bit of tongue-in-cheek. Obviously I'm not like that every minute of the day, but if you're going to make a video, you may as well ham it up and do what you always wanted to do back when you were holding on to a hairbrush in front of the mirror. Fuck it, you know? Why not be over the top? You've got to go for it.
PB: Do you get any fan letters?
NC: I haven't gotten any fan letters yet, but I do have some fan websites. I love going on and reading the message boards because they're so funny. My fans have all these incredibly strong opinions about what I'm doing and why I'm writing this way. I get a kick out of it.
PB: Singing's a full-time job for you now, but what do you see yourself doing if you ever get out of the music business?
