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Former O-Town member dishes about new show, boy bands, money problems

January 13, 2006

Ashley Parker Angel was first introduced to America as a teenage pop star, thanks to the MTV-manufactured band, O-Town, whose first season aired on ABC. But after the group split in 2003, Angel vanished into anonymity.

Now, almost three years later, he is struggling to get back into the music business. Through his new reality show, "There and Back: Ashley Parker Angel," Angel is hoping to shed his boy-band image and prove himself as a solo artist.

In an interview with The State News he reflects on O-Town, his post-breakup troubles and why he wanted to change his name to Matrix.


The State News: How were you approached for the show?
Ashley Parker Angel: The last thing I thought I would be doing is a reality show because I did three seasons for "Making the Band," and that's a long time to go for a reality show. I thought I needed to prove myself as an artist, so I packed my bags and moved to L.A. to further my career and I got a record deal. I share a weird connection with MTV. We also share the same birthday, August 1, 1981, so it was destiny a little bit. They thought it was an interesting story to tell: a former boy band member trying to break out of his manufactured situation.


SN: Why are you doing a reality show?
APA: O-Town was really more about singing and dancing, but it's important for people to see me in different aspects. I grew up in a really musical environment: My mom was a piano teacher. On O-Town, I didn't show people the other side of me that was a piano player and musician. I always had a natural knack for songwriting, and one of the things they said to me is "What better way to show people you've grown than doing a show?" I wasn't in a situation where — as you can see from the first episode — I had to live with my girlfriend's mom because I had a record label, and in the next episode, I have this huge falling out with the producers. It happens a lot in the music industry. Artists are taken advantage of all the time. (In O-Town) we had to sign these contracts that were really bad.


SN: What happened to all of your O-Town money?
APA: I was smart with my money. I was able to live in L.A. without getting another job. I was as smart with it as I could've been. I had a good savings for my age, but it definitely didn't make me a millionaire.


SN: During what period of time does "There and Back" take place?
APA: It spans seven or eight months — the whole pregnancy threw me trying to finish the album and struggling to make ends meet. And we're still filming it right now — there are still a lot of decisions being made. (The show) really has captured what it takes to make an album: what goes into the decisions behind the scenes, what songs to pick to go to the radio.

SN: Is your personality embellished for the cameras?
APA: The one thing I learned from "Making the Band" was that the more uncensored and real you are the easier it is to portray the story. It shows the times you don't want cameras to be there and embarrassing moments and you might want to say "stop filming," but those are the times you need the cameras to be there.

SN: What do you hope to accomplish with your reality show?
APA: The only reasons to do this show was to show that there is so much more to me than the spiky blond-haired guy from O-Town. I'm hoping people get to see that this time around.

SN: When you were in O-Town, why did you sing a song about "Liquid Dreams?" It was catchy but …
APA: (Laughs.) You tell me! I don't even know how that song ever made it out. If there was one song I would ever take back it would be "Liquid Dreams." It was a horrible song. When you're young and pursuing the dream, you do whatever you can to get your foot in the door. I loved being on-stage in front of the fans, but I wouldn't have written the songs that O-Town wrote for me.

SN: Do people still recognize you on the street from O-Town?
APA: I don't have the same haircut, so I can blend in. But now that the show is starting to air, that's changing.

SN: Do you stay in contact with any of the former O-Town members?
APA: Yeah I do. I have great friendships.

SN: What are they doing?
APA: I can't speak for them ,but everyone's trying to find their place after it kind of crashed.

SN: I heard you wanted to change your name to Matrix. How'd you pick that one?
APA: Because there was an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie called "Commando," and the (ex-colonel's) name was Matrix and I thought it was cool.

SN: What is the significance of the title "There and Back?"
APA: "There and Back" I just think sort of sums it up. I was there in my life where I had success and then that sort of all went away. And now I'm back trying to make a comeback.

Catch "There and Back: Ashley Parker Angel" on Monday nights at 10:30 on MTV.

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