Big Time Rush has become a smash hit television show commanding large audiences. James details the band’s creation, “It was a two year audition process with four national tours, and [Nickelodeon] saw thousands of kids in four screenings. Logan and I were in the first round, then we found Carlos. We actually shot a pilot with someone other then Kendall then a year later finally found Kendall.”

The success of the television’s shows original music spurred interest in their album and even a unique collaboration with rapper Snoop Dogg for their hit “Boyfriend.”“We have to thank his daughter. It started with her. She’s a big fan of the show.” However they are open to more dream collaborations, “We’ve all agreed on Justin Timberlake. We thought that would be really really cool.”

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Big Time Rush” stopped by The Ace & TJ Mega Studio Wednesday morning and talked about everything from their fans, to their music and how they should read their fan mail on the tour bus.

Tommy2: Good! Now I hear you had a pretty good time in Minnesota last weekend.
James Maslow: Oh it was insane – we’re touring the country, everywhere from New York, Philly, Baltimore, Orlando and a bunch of places, but Minnesota we were at the Mall of America and had something like 9,000 fans show up to see us play and I had a lot of fun.

Tommy2: So was that kind of like a home town concert?
James Maslow: In a weird way yes, since my character on the show is from Minnesota. So, even though I had never been there before this concert, it was kind of like a hometown thing cause a lot of people were saying “Welcome home” at the signing and you know they still relate to my character as being from there so it was… yeah, very much so like that.

Tommy2: You get any good souvenirs?
James Maslow: You know I had some fans make me some rad bracelets and this one like guitar pic necklace so those are my favorite souvenirs.

Tommy2: And you’ve been pushing the new Big Time Rush album pretty hard. Are you excited to find out about these first week sales that are gonna come in any second now?
James Maslow: I am very excited. I mean the fact that it went to #1 on iTunes on the first day just blew me away. I, I didn’t expect that at all you know because we haven’t even been on the radio yet, so I’m just so stoked cause the fans cause that do make that happen and of course here I’m pushing it. I want it to blow up me as big as it can be and I’m really excited people are enjoying it as much as I am.

Tommy2: Yeah, I mean you’re right with the radio thing. That’s the really impressive feat, you’ve got a little bit of airplay on XM Radio’s – Top 20 on 20, and then a little on Music Choice and there’s actually one station in Vegas that’s playing you guys – KYDZ. You guys actually visited there just over a month ago for a sellout show. How’d that go?
James Maslow: That show was amazing! Yeah, it was our first actual paid show. We’ve done a lot of freebies, a lot of promotional concerts. It was our first paid one and we sold it out, and then we sold out the lawn. So, it was another one of those crazy moments where we didn’t really have any expectations and then it blew us away. It was rad.

Tommy2: Yeah, and you actually got to play with Charice, H*Wood and The Stunners too. What was that like sharing the bill with those other acts?
James Maslow: It was rad, especially Charice is awesome, you know The Stunners – I’m actually a fan of them so it was cool to be able to watch them. I was kind of backstage peaking out, I didn’t get to see the whole thing you know like the audience did but, I mean just to be at that point where we are sharing the stage with names like that already is very complimentary to me, so thank you!

Tommy2: Now getting back to those album sales. Have you heard any early numbers yet?
James Maslow: I have, I get to giveaway a little secret and I think tomorrow is when we really find out the big Billboard chart numbers. We’ve sold over 65,000 already before it’s even been a week. So, I know last weeks #1 album sold 70,000 in fact we’re gonna be looks like competing for even the Top 5 is just unbelievable like I said we haven’t even, we’ve been over to radio stations where people have been kind enough to play us but we haven’t really shot for that song for it yet, which we will be doing soon, so it’s a good… good stepping stone towards that.

Tommy2: Now it’s been just over a year since I ran into you at a party in Hollywood and you were telling me about this new show you were going to be part of. How much as your life changed since then?
James Maslow: I mean it’s changed pretty drastically. In fact I was talking to my dad about it this week because you know being on a series, having people see you every day, people start to recognize you on a more regular bases but now with the music aspect jumping up on top as well. I think after as much as my life had changed in the past year – it changed even more this week. Maybe double in terms of you know how often I’m getting stopped, and how often I’ve got fans coming up to me smiling and asking questions, and you know it’s surreal, I never really imagined I’d be here. I’d always hoped for it, I always wanted to do this but it just makes me smile every day.

Tommy2: Yeah, and the musical accomplishment is pretty amazing because you know with those numbers you just mentioned, that’s basically on par with the combined sales of Camp Rock 2 and Jonas L.A. together.
James Maslow: Rad!

Tommy2: Opening week! So in terms of what your competition would be as far as TV soundtracks, there’s no one doing any better. I mean that’s pretty amazing. What are the plans like for the future of the group in terms of that, as far as performing goes.
James Maslow: Well we’ve had such a great response from this little tour that we’ve done, you know eight cities in the past week. I’m filming this week and then I go back on the road for another like eight or nine cities and we’ve had such success with this already that we’re absolutely planning on a big tour, a full tour once we’re done filming the second season. But we just got picked up for an extra back nine, so we have another 20 or so go. It might be a little bit, but we will be doing a full tour.

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Check out the official premiere of Big Time Rush’s debut album, BTR, exclusively here on Buzznet. Listen to the full album by scrolling through the player above. The track listing is as follows:

1. Till I Forget About You
2. Boyfriend
3. City Is Ours
4. Nothing Even Matters
5. Worldwide
6. Halfway There
7. Big Night
8. Oh Yeah
9. Count On You feat. Jordin Sparks
10. I Know You Know feat. Cymphonique
11. Big Time Rush (Theme)

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