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Jax: Now is great.
Me: Perfect! I’ll call you now.
Before I pull up his number, I need to ground myself. I dig into my brain and try to recall calming techniques that so many self-help therapists and coaches I follow on social media share. Then, I remember one where you should focus on your senses. Things you can see, hear, smell, or touch. Okay, that one is no help because now I am painting a picture in my mind of how my senses are going to go into overdrive the day I meet Jax and look into his eyes as I shake his hand. Get it together, girl. I focus on the feeling of the floor. It’s smooth against my feet. Actually, my feet are really smooth too. I take pride in my at-home pedis. I wonder what it would be like to have Jax rub my feet.
Stop, Cailin. Call Jax.
Jax answers the phone immediately. “Hi, Cailin.”
I pull myself into work mode. “Hi, Jax. Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk to me. Like I said, I wanted to get a few quotes from you and a little background behind the album for your press release.”
“Happy to answer any questions you have,” Jax says. “This announcement is a really big deal for me so I want to make sure we nail it.”
Clearing my throat and any visions of Jax based on that comment, I begin my questions. “These songs are a clear departure from the pop music that your fans know and love. Was that intentional? Did you set out to reinvent your musical style or did it just happen naturally during the process?”
“That’s a great question. Since 5 Leo Hearts naturally faded away from music and I was out of the spotlight for a little, I took some time to really stop and evaluate my life. I asked myself if I was truly happy and fulfilled. I was able to admit to myself that being on top of the world might look amazing from the outside, but something was missing in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve lived it up with the best of them. But I felt myself changing and that’s reflected in the music I created.”
“What did you realize was missing?”
Jax takes a deep breath and pauses for a second before replying, “Ultimately, passion. I started in this group when I was basically a kid. I grew up in the spotlight with stars in my eyes. I dreamed of performing and I mastered it with singing, choreographed dancing, and all that. Singing cheesy love songs when I was younger came naturally. I’m not even gonna lie about the benefits of having millions of girls throwing themselves at my feet. But as my life changed and I got into a serious relationship, I realized love is not like a boy band song.”
Jax is cracking open and I feel like I’m getting a glimpse into who he really is as a person—the man he’s kept private from the media. “So, you needed to start making music that reflects your life and feelings.” I ache for him to further confide in me. “It translates for sure. The vulnerability and the pain…I can feel them.”
“That was my goal,” Jax says.
“It’s like this is Jax Slater, unzipped. Even more intimate than the love songs.”
“I really like that perspective, Cailin. I know it’s not what people might expect from the ‘bad boy,’ but I really hope to break that stereotype with the press surrounding this album. I got labeled the rebel based on my looks, just because I started to get tattoos and Ridge had the baby face. So, we were naturally positioned as opposites. I went with it and obviously lived up to it at some points in my life...” he trails off.
Jax seems uncomfortable so I take that as my cue to change the subject. “I didn’t get any liner notes with the songs Harry sent over, so I was wondering if you wrote the songs yourself or played any instruments.”
“I did, actually. It was a freeing process for me to have total control over what I want to say. I found the writing process very therapeutic after the breakup. I found myself with a lot of time alone to reflect and pick up a guitar. I learned to play a little on my own, but then was fortunate enough to get lessons from some buddies who have toured with us before.”
“Are you worried about the feedback from fans?”
“I’d like to think that most 5 Leo Hearts fans have grown up with the band. Most of them are now probably married with kids, just like most of my bandmates. Mario and Jack have kids and Ridge just got married, so I’m sure he’s not far behind. While our fans may play our songs for nostalgia, I can only hope that they have gone through things in their life that can help them identify with my new lyrics. Not that I want them to have experienced soul-tearing breakups. I just imagine they’ve had their own struggles and their journeys have led them back to my music as a source of comfort.”
This is my natural segue into discussing his breakup. I’m a little nervous, but I go for it. It’s my job, not a question on a date. “If you don’t mind me asking, since you had a very public breakup, I think we should address it because questions will come up as you do press.”
“I’ve thought a lot about how to respond if reporters dig into my personal life. I know it comes with the territory. Honestly, she broke my heart. I never want to paint her in a bad light. I wanted to take the next step in our relationship and get married and have a family. All that stuff that people naturally do when they’ve been together for years. But her acting career was taking off and she didn’t want to be tied down. She wanted to be free to travel on location for roles and win awards. And that’s her right. I wouldn’t take her dreams away from her.”
“But her dreams weren’t your dreams. I totally get that. I’ve been there.” I realize I might have overstepped into sharing my personal life. For a minute, I forgot this was a work call.
“Exactly. Look, it’s no secret. I’ve dated around enough to know what I want. I thought I had it, but I was wrong. I think the songs reflect the fact that I’ve been learning, maybe even rediscovering myself. I’ve emerged new and different, and I might lose some fans along the way, but I hope they know I’m only human and this is my journey.”
“I love that for a quote. Really, that’s the ultimate rebel move, breaking out of your reputation.” Jax Slater knows what he wants and he will stop at nothing to get it. I jot down a note.
“Damn, girl. I never thought of it like that before. I’ve always felt like I had to live up to this image people had of me to maintain my role in the group’s success. Always push the boundaries on stage, be the most eccentric. And for most of my career, I was true to myself. But as I’ve gotten older, I definitely don’t want to be stuck in a box or be defined by other people’s expectations.”
I suddenly feel closer to Jax. I’m seeing him beyond the posters that were taped on my wall, slowly peeling back layers to his soul. But I have to remind myself he is off-limits. Not only is he my client, but he’s a major celebrity. Even if I was not his publicist, there is no way he would be interested in a normal girl like me. Anyway, nothing can happen between us, so I can just put a hard stop to this fantasy. I don’t have the liberty of teenage dreams anymore. I need to face the facts of life.
“Well, I think I have a lot of information to work with. Is there anything else you want to make sure I get into the release or even the social media post?”
Jax goes over a few more details about producers and people he worked with behind the scenes, and also gives Harry props for all of his support. I know exactly how I want to write this press release.
An hour later, I’m putting the final touches on the most emotional press release I’ve ever written. That’s one thing about working in music PR, compared to healthcare, that I already love. My writing doesn’t have to be forced and straight-forward, filled with facts. As I describe the new album Jax wrote, it’s my job to evoke emotion and create a connection between the fan and musician. And I’m confident I did just that. I draft an email and hit send. Now, we just have to see what Jax and Harry think. No big deal.
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