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"It's always a crazy time in our life -- everyday," says Leighanne
Littrell, actress and wife of B-Boy Brian. "It's never boring.
"If it's not business, it's something going on at the house."
Right now what's going on at the couple's abode is some kitchen and
bedroom renovations, but that's not the reason I'm talking to the two.
This call is to discuss the Littrell's new business venture and
recent addition to their crazy lives, BriLeigh Productions, a music
label, and, hopefully in the future, production company.
BriLeigh's first release is the soundtrack to the independent film
Olive Juice (featuring music by new artists as well as a Backstreet
Boys' song and a track by Joe Pesci), which also, not coincidentally,
stars Leighanne and features Brian and fellow Boy A.J. McLean in cameo
roles.
Other projects will follow -- artist signings, other releases -- but
at a pace that the pair can manage.
"The good thing about having your own company is that we don't have
to do it," Leighanne says.
"It's not our bread-maker, obviously, and it is a joy for us ...
"We're just going to make sure we love the project and we love the
artist and it's a truly talented artist and not fabricated."
That sentiment is echoed by Brian, who's eager to devote more of his
time to BriLeigh, presumably because it's so far removed from the
world in which the Backstreet Boys dwell.
In fact, you can guarantee that the one musical act you won't see on
the label is a slick boy band.
More likely, it will be a singer- songwriter like James Taylor, whom
Brian expresses a great fondness for.
Such a fondness that don't be surprised if Brian, himself, is the one
who makes that album, either as a solo album or with Leighanne, whom
he's recently been teaching how to write songs.
"It's real music," Brian says of Taylor. "It's what music used to be
many years ago ... It's not a whole bunch of hoopla. It's just music,
him playing a guitar and he's real.
"He's a real person."
That may seem an odd thing for someone who's become quite rich and
famous being in a band which most people would consider the antithesis
of genuine, honest grassroots music.
But Brian insists real music is something the Backstreet Boys are
about, in some aspects, and could very well be again.
"I've been trying to get the guys to go that way for a long time
...," he says of the more simple approach.
"When we came out at first ... that was us. We come out now and it's
still us, but the market -- we're accused of something that we're not
doing because the market is oversaturated with people like us."
From the lessons he's learned from being part of a musical behemoth,
he's hoping to change the way things are done in the industry,
starting with the way in which the deal with artists BriLeigh signs.
"I honestly -- between you and I and all of the readers -- I don't
think artists are treated as fairly as they should be nowadays," Brian
says.
"I think that the record companies look at all the artists as just
money-making entities and they're not treated as personable as they
should be ...
"Sometimes, and this is kind of an analogy with what's going on with
me right now as a Backstreet Boy, sometimes the record companies get
too large for the artist ...
"It's frustrating for me as an artist. And my experience with that, I
can turn that around and make it a positive."
Leighanne, who has vicariously experienced the negative aspects of
the music industry, agrees.
"We learn every day," she says.
"We've got that big huge book of what not to do."
They both admit if the label ever does get too unmanageable in the
way they envision it, or even if it threatens to come between them,
they'll walk away from it without regrets.
"He's so much of my happiness," says Leighanne. "And we're
half-and-half on this company and if it was becoming a thorn in our
sides we would just say, 'You know what, this is not worth it.' "
For his part, Brian sees BriLeigh as his future, something he and his
bride can throw themselves into when his current day job ends.
"When the guys want to settle down or whatnot, then that's the time
for me to focus on other things that I enjoy," he says, not giving a
hint as to when that time may in fact come.
"One day, I would love to be a dad, and have a family, and enjoy life
at home, and relax, and hopefully have a successful record company
that will be doing well ...
"Those are the things I look forward to in the future."
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