The pop-funk foursome DNCE may be new to the scene, but they party like seasoned rock stars. Singer Joe Jonas‘ years of JoBro fame surely helps, as does bassist Cole Whittle’s taste for bourbon: “The rest of the guys will drink that if they want to make me happy.”
Do you party before going onstage?
Joe Jonas: Before a show, we’ll have a few drinks, we do a lot of screaming, and then we have a dance party with early-2000s joke rock. We even have Nickelback on there.
Cole Whittle: And Korn. And Smash Mouth. Joe always DJs to set the mood, and it used to be disco or funk or trap. But one time he put on Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me,” and we just started screaming and dancing.
Jonas: Now we can’t play a show without it!
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How do you set the vibe?
Jonas: We try to be the life of the party, and for me that goes back to when I was playing with my brothers. Performing with your friends, or for your friends, is like playing in your backyard, so there’s not as much pressure.
Whittle: Anytime we get to play at the same show with Nick [Jonas], we combine all the dressing rooms and turn it into a party. We like people to be able to walk by, look in and see that we’re having fun. YOLO, you know?
What about once the show starts?
Jonas: Oh, we definitely try and have fun. Playing the same song over and over at these things can get tiring, so we try to mix it up. Recently we played “Cake by the Ocean” with Nile Rodgers, which was a dream come true.
Whittle: For me the coolest thing is seeing other acts play.
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Where do you go after the show?
Jonas: I always get a good-size room to be able to host a few parties in. There are a lot of people who go on tour with you, and you want the crew to enjoy themselves. I also have a residency at Hyde where I DJ, so that’s always special for me, to go there.
Whittle: I go down to the old strip to the creepiest bar I can find. I like the Hunter S. Thompson side of Vegas — the really hot places aren’t where I’m going to end up.
Jonas: I’ll definitely be playing some cards. We [just] played a show in Vegas, and it was really fun, but afterward the dealer took all my money, so I have to go and win it back.
This article was originally featured in the May 28 issue of Billboard.