EVERYONE HAS A PASSION
J: IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW, THEN KEEP LOOKING. IT’S OUT THERE. GET OUT AND TRY STUFF. YOU’LL NEVER FIND IT AT HOME SITTING ON YOUR COUCH.
G: THAT’S THE KEY—GIVE STUFF A CHANCE. IF SOMEONE PRESENTS YOU WITH AN OPPORTUNITY, TAKE IT, EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK IT’S “YOUR THING.” HOW DO YOU KNOW UNTIL YOU’VE GIVEN IT A SHOT?
J: And how do you know when you actually have stumbled onto something? For us, it was a gut feeling. We were getting excited and kind of obsessed over making our videos and later our music. It was all we could think about.
G: You’ll know. It may start off as a hobby, but when it becomes lucrative—like hey, this could actually be my full-time job, or, like Jack says, when you can’t think of anything else, then you’ve hit on something. And you should follow that path, because you can’t ever go wrong doing something you love. You can only go wrong doing something you don’t like. If it’s got you fired up, then it’s a sure sign.
AskJacks
WORDS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO RHYME . . . AND WE’VE TRIED!
J: Orange. Technically you could make it happen with words like porridge or snorange.
G: That’s not a word.
J: I didn’t say it was perfect.
G: Purple. I’m stumped on a word that rhymes with purple. Totally.
J: Inconspicuous. Ubiquitous. Discombobulate.
G: Basically, all of those SAT words you had to memorize. Un-rhymable.
J: Onomatopoeia.
G: Wait! I can do it! Onomatopoeia. Told a girl I don’t wanna see her!
J: It’s a stretch, but I’ll take it.
J: Then what are you going to do to put it out there? You need a game plan. What are your dreams? Your goals? A lot of people thought we were nuts to make a career out of the Vine thing, but we began to realize it was our ticket. There’s no such thing as a crazy idea if what you’re doing is making people happy—and making you happy. Who’s crazy now, right?
G: I don’t think we had a clear vision of “We’re goin’ to Hollywood.” It was more like “Let’s put this out there and see how people respond” or “Let’s throw down some tracks and see if people like them.” It was a lot of trial and error, a lot of experimenting to find our sound. At some point, you have to trust it and believe in it and believe in yourself.
J: And that’s kind of the cool part—the not knowing. And also realizing that something good can even come out of something bad. The old “one door closes, another opens” cliché. Failure can be a motivator, too. Don’t beat yourself up if you try something and fail at it. At some point, something will stick.
G: We try a lot of stuff with our music and our videos and not everything works. It’s part of the process. If you see it that way, there’s no such thing as failing. Just moving toward getting it right.
WHO WAS THE ARTIST WHO MADE YOU WANT TO PURSUE A MUSIC CAREER?
G: For me, it was Bono. I was watching a U2 concert, and I remember thinking, I wanna be him. He could command that stage. He could move the audience.
J: For me, it was probably one of the first concerts I went to in this huge arena in Omaha: Black Eyed Peas. They put on such a cool show with all the crazy lights and the background dancers, it was such a full production. They made me wanna be a performer, get on stage and entertain people. Musically, behind the scenes, I’d have to say Lil Wayne has been a big influence on me.
CHUNKY OR SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER?
G: Smooth. I don’t even want to think about it being a peanut before.
J: Smooth. Who eats chunky? Who wants to crunch your PB and J? That’s just too much work.
MILK OR DARK CHOCOLATE?
J: Milk. All day. Although dark is better for your health.
G: Although if you’re eating chocolate, who cares? You’re not doin’ it for your health. Am I right?
FAVE PLACE IN THE WORLD YOU’VE BEEN AND WHY?
J: Colorado. I have so many memories of being there with my friends, skiing and snowboarding.
G: That’s such a hard question! I’ve loved so many places we’ve been to, but we’ve only been there for a few days, so I can’t make an educated choice. I guess I’d have to say California is high on the list for sure, and there’s nothing like a Caribbean getaway with the family. Or maybe I’d steal Jack’s and say Colorado, too.
J: Get your own, man.
FAVE CEREAL?
J: Ooh, that’s tough! I’m a huge fan of Blueberry Frosted Mini-Wheats and Strawberry Frosted Mini-Wheats.
G: Mini-Wheats? You’re kidding, right?
J: I’m a big fruit fan.
G: Cocoa Krispies. I know, so bad for you. But so worth it.
FAVE CANDY?
J: Sour Patch Kids—I’m a sucker for them. Or Haribo gummy bears. It’s like a little hard and chewy on the outside, but the center is really soft.
G: Milk Duds with Sour Patch a close second.
J: You’re stealin’ my answers again.
BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
G: The Jungle Book. Not the Disney movie. I actually read the book.
J: For me, it was A Long Way Gone, about a child soldier in Africa. He gets kidnapped by the rebels, and he does drugs and is forced to kill people when he’s literally nine years old. It’s about how he got out of all that and got to America. It’s pretty powerful.
G: Where the Red Fern Grows. That was a sad one. I think it was our required sixth-grade read-along.
J: The Giver—I loved that one, too. What would society be like with no pain, no feeling at all?
G: Hatchet. That one really spoke to me. The wilderness . . . I was in it. I could see it; I could hear it in surround sound. For me, that’s the key to a great book. You feel like you’re actually in it, living it.
MOVIE THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
J: Interstellar. Totally messes with your head.
G: The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher. Wow.
J: Oh my God, bro! Yes, that one makes you think like crazy.
G: It shows how the simplest event can change your life in a split second.
J: I also have to say Shutter Island with Leo DiCaprio. You don’t know which person is nuts, and after you watch it you feel like you’re going nuts.
G: Dark. Very dark.
WHAT SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF YOU?
J: Donald Trump becoming president. Truly, it gives me nightmares. I wake up in a cold sweat.
G: He might win—and that’s scary as crap.
J: If he does, we’re gonzo. We’re Caribbean bound. So you may be reading this book years from now, and Jack & Jack are coming to you live from a desert island, sipping tropical drinks under an umbrella. Thanks to The Donald.
WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE?
J: I cannot think of one specific incident because Jack G’s one funny dude. He’s made me pee-in-pants laugh a couple of times.
G: I’m proud to have that effect on you.
J: Back in the day, before the phone, all we had were jokes and pranks. We’ve spent too many years together to just choose one “funniest” thing.
G: Our lives are a greatest hits of funny things. I just look at you and crack up, man.
J: Funny is my middle name.
G: I thought it was Edward?
IF YOU COULD PICK A DIFFERENT DECADE TO LIVE IN, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
G: I’d wanna fast-forward to 2500 and see what the future is like.
J: Wait—what if you could go back to watching Jimi Hendrix perform live at Woodstock?
G: Ooh, I would love that. Like the seventies or sixties? Or somewhere in the middle—like 1965 to 1975. I know that’s not an official decade, but it’s ten years.
J: I just wanna see how the hippie movement took over the world and chilled it out, you know? Or go backstage at a Beatles concert and hang with them. All four. I think the world was at a happier, chiller place, and I’d like to experience it.
G: Would you go hippie?
J: Yeah, I might. Just to check it out, you know.
G: Flowers and stuff . . . tie-dye?
J: Maybe. I could get into it.
G: I could totally see you rockin’ that look.
J: Thanks. I think.
DO YOU HAVE TATTOOS?
J: We do not. We’re still bare. But we talk about it all the time.
G: We want tattoos so bad, but it’s just gotta be right.
J: It’s the commitment. We gotta commit to something. If we knew what that something was, it would already be there.
G: Tattoos stick with you for life, so we gotta gain some more life experiences before we make a decision. It’s a big one, so we are not rushing into it. But when we do . . . it will be dope.
