Bastards and Dangerous Q&A by Amelia Greyson
Hey, Wyatt! Thank you so much for sitting with me today for this interview. I’ve compiled a list of questions from your fans as well as some of my own. Are you ready to get up close and personal with me?
Wyatt: I’m always ready to hang out with you, Mel.
I’m pretty sure that’s the first non-sexual answer I’ve received.
Wyatt: That isn’t surprising, but none of the other guys have a wife, either.
True. Let’s talk about Anna. Tell me about how you two met and how long you’ve been together.
Wyatt: Anna and I met in junior high. She was actually friends with Sawyer first. The two of us just connected. We talked all the time, hung out whenever we could, ended up dating, and never stopped. We got married earlier this year, and I’ve never been happier. She’s the love of my life.
Your story is so sweet and so is Anna. The two of you really do make the perfect couple. How about we move into some fan questions now? Are you up for that?
Wyatt: Ask away.
Ashley G. is up first. Who do you admire the most and why?
Wyatt: Noah … without a doubt. He’s my best friend and the most selfless guy I’ve ever known. I’ve literally watched him take off his shirt in the middle of winter and give it to someone who didn’t have one, along with his jacket and a wad of cash. That’s the thing about Noah, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for anyone even if he’s never met you. He’s got this unflappable belief in fate I wish I could share.
How does Anna handle your time on the road? Does she get jealous of all the women around you guys?
Wyatt: Anna and I have strict rules about communication. We tell each other everything. If we didn’t, this wouldn’t work. I know it’s hard to believe a man can have women constantly throwing themselves at him and not cheat. Truthfully, like anything else, that gets old fast. I don’t want a woman who would so casually look at my wedding band then look the other way to have one night with a rock star. Fame is fleeting, but love is forever, and Anna is my rock. I’m sure there are times when she may seem jealous, but that’s when we make sure one of us visits. It’s not so much actual jealousy as it is the distance eating at us.
That makes a lot of sense. You two have something special, and it’s nice to hear how much you cherish it and how hard you work at keeping it.
How about we lighten things up? Kim T. has a question for you. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Wyatt: Eating Darren’s Fruit Loops in the morning. It makes him so mad because it’s his favorite cereal. I usually wake up first, so fucking with him is easy. I’m not a total asshole, though. I always have an extra box on hand so he can get his fill. He freaks out just as much as Sawyer does when Noah takes his brown sugar Pop-Tarts.
You’re so bad, but that’s funny.
Wyatt: Right? They’re so sensitive about their food. They should realize if it’s on the bus it’s a free-for-all.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure they don’t agree with that at all, but I see your point. You’re family and what’s yours is mine and vice versa.
Wyatt: Exactly!
Dana S. is up next. Do you follow any pre-show rituals?
Wyatt: I do. I call Anna and tell her I love her because her love keeps me centered. I also hug each of my brothers before we hit the stage. Those two things keep me grounded and keep reality in the forefront. It’s easy to lose yourself in the fame with fifty thousand fans clamoring for your attention. I don’t ever want to get lost in that fantasy world and forget who I am and where I came from.
While we’re talking about the guys and staying grounded, Meghana S. has a question for you. Is there ever any jealousy between the four of you and if so, in what regards?
Wyatt: Nah … I mean, nothing big. The only thing I can even remember is being bummed I can’t bunk with Noah. Sawyer and Darren would be much better bus mates, but there are reasons why things are this way. The main one being Darren and Sawyer on the same bus would be trouble with a capital T. And the second being Noah and Sawyer need their brother time. Those two are connected on a whole other level and don’t do well when they’re apart for extended periods of time.
So no fights over who has more photoshoots? Or who has the most fan mail or things like that?
Wyatt: <insert laughter> Not in years. Maybe in the beginning when it was all new we might have had little tiffs over superficial stuff like that. That kind of stuff gets old fast. I know we have like this ridiculous reputation of being rough and tough but we’re pretty laidback about everything.
Well, what you’re saying isn’t anything different than what I’ve seen so far. It’s nice to know what you see is what you get with you guys.
I want to ask you something I’ve been wondering for a while now. With seventeen American Music Awards and twelve Grammy awards, Bastards and Dangerous has obviously been well-received within the music community, but you are notorious for not attending the ceremonies and have even turned down appearance offers. The only year you did both shows was with your breakout album Lost. Can you tell me why?
Wyatt: We appreciate the awards and nominations, they mean a lot to us. We have done some performances and acceptance speeches via satellite so we could be there in some manner. The first year it was insane and so flattering. We were in high demand and didn’t have much downtime at all that year. We were able to take the people important to us to the shows that year, but after that tour was over we sat down as a group and made some tough decisions. You’re not a stranger to this world, Mel. It’s crazy at times. As much fun and honor came from the award shows, it wasn’t worth the stress of squeezing them into our schedules and making them priorities. We had to decide what events to schedule our tours around, our lives around, and oftentimes it came down to a scenario like … if you go to the AMAs you won’t be able to be home for Anna’s birthday, or the birth of your niece, or your parents’ twenty-fifth anniversary party. We have moments in the spotlight every day. Life is made of moments, family moments we’ll never get back, so we do what we can to be there. Unfortunately, that’s meant missing ceremonies. That being said, we’re all looking forward to going next year because we won’t be touring and we won’t have to make the choice anymore.
Thank you for explaining that. I know it’s hard for the fans to wrap their heads around why their favorite band wouldn’t go to such a prestigious event. Now, maybe they’ll understand a bit more as to why.
What’s your favorite holiday, Wyatt?
Wyatt: Christmas. I love the smell of fresh-cut trees, and our families get together, so it’s one huge celebration of family and love.
If you had to pick one, would you pick red licorice or black?
Wyatt: Red Vines Super Ropes … those are the shit! I used to get them at the baseball field. Red all the way. But not Twizzlers, that shit sucks.
Do you believe unicorns exist?
Wyatt: Sure, just because I haven’t seen one doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. I haven’t seen a lot of shit I know is real so why not believe in unicorns, too?
Does the same go for aliens?
Wyatt: You’re fucking with me now, but it’s okay. Yeah, same for aliens.
Yeah, I was messing with you, but we have to have some fun, right? Your interview was a little more serious than the others.
Wyatt: That happens. I’m a pretty serious guy most of the time. I think it’s why Noah and I are such good friends.
Okay, last question. If you could go back and tell your sixteen-year-old self anything, what would it be?
Wyatt: Damn, that’s hard. My mom has always been a single mom. She was the best, but I know it was hard for her. When I got to high school, I really worried about her. She worked two jobs a lot of the time just so I wouldn’t miss out on anything. She wouldn’t let me work to pitch in because she wanted me to be a kid and enjoy my childhood. As soon as I got my first check, I paid off our house and gave her some money. Aside from Anna, my mom is my world. I’d tell myself not to stress about her so much because things were going to work out for her real soon.
Thanks for sitting with me and answering these questions, Wyatt. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all of you in our weekly meetings and can’t wait to continue them. You’re all amazing men, and I’m honored to be able to call you my friends.