Best of 2015: Joe Jonas and DNCE on ‘Mad Max,’ Other Favorites of Year
Joe Jonas returned to music this year in a surprising fashion: His new band DNCE sees the former Jonas Brother go funk-pop. Comprised of Jonas on lead vocals, drummer Jack Lawless, bassist Cole Whittle and guitarist JinJoo, the quartet debuted in the later half of the year, sold out a headlining tour and released their bubbly debut EP, SWAAY. Below, all four members of DNCE look back on not only the landmark moments that made their inaugural year as a band so massive, but also reflect on what they loved in their downtime as well.
Favorite Music
Joe Jonas: I’ll have to say Major Lazer, Diplo and Skrillex. Those guys had some amazing songs come out of this year. Whether it was features with other artists, or if it was their own stuff, I was really impressed. I loved the new Disclosure record, [especially] the song “Magnets” with Lorde. And, of course, I think Drake and Adele had really killed it.
Cole Whittle: I really loved the new Tame Impala record. I [still] really love a lot of SBTRKT’s [2014] record, particularly “New Dorp. New York.” with Ezra Koenig on it. I think that’s one of the coolest songs to come out in a long time.
Jack Lawless: I really like the Weeknd’s album. Right now I’m listening to the new Grimes record more than anything else.
JinJoo: I cannot stop listening to Demi Lovato’s Confident album. Her new song “Confident” has been stuck in my head for a long time.
Older Music They’ve Gone Back to This Year
Whittle: I listen to Yeezus about once a week because it’s just really groundbreaking. I always go back to that to make sure that whatever’s coming out now feels fresh. That always feels fresher than a lot of things that come out, to me.
Jonas: I’ve been going back a little bit further than 2013. I love Kenny Rodgers’ music, Earth, Wind & Fire and Hall and Oates. [The artists who] inspired me to make music have been on my playlist quite a bit.
JinJoo: I listen to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan once in a while – my superhero guitarists’ albums.
Favorite Movies
Jonas: Mad Max was amazing.
Whittle: The only movie that I really loved or even saw this year was Mad Max. I think that’s the only movie I’ve seen in a year, and I saw it three times. I’m a big Mad Max purist, and I used to watch the original movie like four times a week when I was six years old.
JinJoo: I loved Spectre. Such a sick movie that we’ve all been waiting for.