The music industry is facing a major threat. It’s not streaming or pirating; it’s something far more sinister:
Autocorrect.
From The Weeknd to 2 Chainz to every artist that wants to spell their name with a dollar sign (hang in there, A$AP Rocky), autocorrect is a problem.
Thankfully, DNCE told The Huffington Post how they overcame it. The band recently partnered with M&M’s to perform a surprise show at Brooklyn Bowl in New York, and we caught up with them before the performance.
“We turned [autocorrect] off a long time ago,” said DNCE’s Cole Whittle. “Most of the things we say to each other are our own language, made up and nonsense, so it doesn’t work for us.”
That’s probably for the best. Before the band deemed themselves DNCE, they texted other proposed names, which weren’t so autocorrect-friendly, either.
Joe Jonas told HuffPost other possible names included Little Big Area, JinJoo Family Band and Swaay.
Actually, the band’s name was really close to being Swaay.
“We had merch made up, too,” said Jonas. “We were kind of down to the final straw. We had the music. We just didn’t have the band name.”
(Spoiler alert!) The band eventually decided on DNCE. It happened after writing a song about being so inebriated you can’t spell “dance.”
“We were texting each other thinking of band names and so we were like, ‘This keeps happening to us. We should just stick with this idea ... let’s pronounce it D.N.C.E,’ Jonas continued. “It took a while to catch on, but it’s kind of like our attitudes. It’s kind of like imperfect and beautiful all at once.”
Jonas, along with band members Whittle, JinJoo Lee and Jack Lawless, continued talking with HuffPost about their new single, why they’re so into sweets and whether the Jonas Brothers actually traveled to the “Year 3000.”
When’s the last time you ate an actual piece of cake by the ocean?
Jack: It happened a lot at first.
JinJoo: In Miami?
Joe: Probably in Miami. We did it recently for something, some event, and we were like, “Oh, wow. This is actually happening.” It was organically happening, not like a shtick where we’ve had radio stations meet us at the beach and give us a cake.
Other than cake, what’s the best food to eat by the ocean?
Joe: Anything that’s not going to get stuck to the sand because that’s just terrible. Chips. PB&J was always my go-to beach sandwich.
JinJoo: I had fried chicken one time. It was amazing.
Cole: I’m with her.
Fried chicken by the ocean?
Cole: That’s the next album.
For your new single, “Kissing Strangers,” Nicki Minaj said she roughed you up on set.
Joe: I think my reaction said it perfectly in the photo. I was very happy and thrilled and caught off guard, so I think it’s a genuine reaction that anybody would have in those kinds of moments.
Cole: You’ll live.
Van Halen supposedly had a famous request on their rider contract where they didn’t want brown M&M’s.
Cole: I support them because I don’t like the color brown.
Jack: They actually had kind of a practical reason for that because they wanted to make sure they read the rider.
Right.
Joe: It’s sort of a one weird thing on a rider just to see what happens.
Do you all have any weird requests?
Joe: We do have an entire rotisserie chicken on the rider. It’s actually the best thing to have on the rider because when you’re hungry and it’s a little too early for dinner, you just grab some chicken.
You all are open with fans, what’s the weirdest fan story?
Cole: A fan broke into my tour bus one time, was sitting in the front lounge on the couch. I walked in and I was like, “Who is this person?” She stood up, she handed me a stack of photographs, probably about 30 studio quality prints of her pet skunk, riding — posing like glamour shots — in a custom “Pimp My Ride” skunk go-cart.
JinJoo: Some fan asked me to take my hair out. Like, “Can I have your hair? One hair.”
Cole: They’re trying to clone you.
Or it’s like Harry Potter Polyjuice Potion, and they’re trying to become you.
Cole: That’s it.
You have a song about cake, you’re teaming up with M&M’s ― what’s with all the sweets?
Joe: I think we’re big kids, and we are always constantly reminded of the way we grew up, and that Peter Pan mentality. So our whole lives are one big happy birthday party. We get to have cake and M&M’s all day. That’s good for us.
Do the live, talking red and yellow M&M’s actually exist?
Joe: I don’t want to excite people, but there is a secret VIP room back here, and they’re taking a catnap before the big reveal.
M&M’s or the rapper Eminem?
Cole: We’re a positive, bright bunch, so gotta go with the candy.
Joe, you talked about going to the year 3000 while with the Jonas Brothers. Have you been to the year 3000? If so, how’s my great, great, great granddaughter doing?
Joe: She’s great. She’s doing fantastic. She’s in school now. She just got [to her] second year of college.
Cole: Valedictorian!
Joe: Yeah, and we’re all living under water.
If this was the year 3000, how would you want DNCE to be remembered?
Cole: We want to be on the poster of everyone’s bedroom, on the wall, and we want to represent free love, fun, happiness, smiles and funky, funky music.
(We’re guessing by the year 3000, funky, funky music will be easily heard under water.)
Before You Go
