Day 26 – Willie, Que, Robert, Brian and Mike – may have gained fame for being put together as a music group on MTV’s Making The Band, but they are in the game to prove they have what it takes to be household names like many of the male R&B groups before them. MiddleChild spoke with the fellas on lessons learned and where they plan to take things with their debut disc.

MiddleChild: What’s going on fellas?

Brian: What up? What up?

MiddleChild: Chillin. So the album is in stores now! How does it feel?

Day 26: Good!

MiddleChild: Feels good! I hear that. Well let me be the first to ask who had the honor of licking Aubrey’s toes?

Brian: Ugh! No one!

Will: That was Mike.

Mike: Wasn’t me. I ain’t licking no toes.

MiddleChild: (laughing) I know right. Cool. So you guys are two seasons strong with the show. Was there anything that wasn’t shown that you wish was shown to help develop your personality more?

Brian: Well on reality TV everything is real. Especially Making The Band, but the editing will kind of twist everything around. So I wish maybe the editing would have been a little bit better. Because the thing with that is that it tends to mess up a lot of things. So maybe just that and a little more shine time.

Robert: I wish they hadn’t shown my argument with D. Woods. (laughs)

MiddleChild: That was good though. (laughs) So looking at the album cover and the past few performances that you have done it seems that you are kind of reintroducing an era of the gentlemen. Like this classy type vibe when you dress. How would you describe your personal style?

Will: We hood! (laughs)

Brian: Hood Church!

MiddleChild: Hood Church? That’s new. (laughs) There are not too many male groups out right now either. Do you feel like you’re on track to help that return?

Will: Definitely. We remember growing up and there were a lot of male groups on the radio and things like that and we hope to help bring that back because like you said there are not too many male groups doing their thing right now.

MiddleChild: Is that any pressure for you all?

Brian: No not at all.

MiddleChild: Well you get a lot of comparisons to like New Edition and 112, so how is that? I know you wanna carve your own lane for Day 26, but how do the comparisons make you feel? Is it a good thing or bad thing?

Will: Definitely a good thing man. All of the hard work they put in to be a success. That’s the type of name we want for Day 26.

MiddleChild: Well of course this is just your debut album and the goal you fellas have set for yourself is to go Diamond. With album sales being the way they are today and people not pulling numbers like in the past how do you plan to go about making sure this happens?

Brian: It’s all about promotion promotion promotion. We’ve been doing heavy promotion and it can only work to our benefit. We’ve been hitting up radio stations and these schools and they support us just because. Know what I mean? We got a strong team behind us also.

MiddleChild: Okay. We see you guys are big pranksters as well. I will never get over Willie being tied down in the bed or Mike getting covered with all that mess while he was sleeping. Who would you say pulls the best pranks in the group.

Brian: Que!

Will: Que!

MiddleChild: Que?

Que: When I get bored and don’t have nothing to do I always end up soaking everybody with water or putting pies in their faces or something like that.

MiddleChild: You always get em huh? I hear ya. Now I’m not sure what everyone else was doing before the show, but I know my boy Willie was in a group and doing his thing. How do you feel your past group experience helps you with Day 26?

Will: I feel like it was a very important step. It’s funny that you ask that because I already did like tours for BET. I’ve had the music videos and the whole nine and I’ve just been blessed with a second opportunity to do my thing and I feel it helps me with the group. I feel like they put me here for a reason and we gon be number one!

Brian: Album in stores now!

MiddleChild: Right. Right. So Robert, what has been the biggest lesson you have learned through out this whole process so far?

Robert: What have I learned so far? There is always somebody trying to take your spot. [pause] Yea. That’s the one. There is always trying to take your spot.

MiddleChild: Okay. As we know there is always drama going on. How hard is it to actually live your life in front of the camera. I know there are things you want to try and keep private, but with the series your lives are like open books. So does it get easier as time goes on or how does that work?

Mike: During the first season I know it was hard because you are constantly aware of what you’re doing. Know what I’m saying. But after a minute you would just forget that they were there. We had work to get done and after a minute it was like they were not there.

MiddleChild: Okay. Well let’s discuss this album real quick. I would say my favorite songs are of course “Got Me Going”. That one grew on me nicely and I’m really digging “Are We In This Together” and “Since You’ve Been Gone”. What songs would you say you feel a personal connection to?

Brian: Actually those three that you just name. Those are some of our favorites too.

MiddleChild: And who pulled the most out of you in the studio? Who worked you the hardest?

Brian: Diddy. And understand that we all appreciate him doing that. He took us and our artistry and showed us how to become that ultimate artist and do things that most artists don’t wanna do. So we appreciate him for doing that and taking our artistry to the next level.

MiddleChild: Okay. During season one of course we were trying to get to know you all and of course like with any other show we take to some of you quicker than we do others. But I wanted to point out a moment where yall had the showdown. You remember when the new dudes came into the house and yall battled in front of Diddy.

Brian: Yea. Yea.

MiddleChild: I’m going to play hard and act like it ain’t get to me, but Brian when you went off on “End Of The Road” I was like “Yea. He wants this.” What is one of your most memorable moments on the show?

Brian: I would have to say on the finale for the first season. Diddy was announcing the names for the band and he had already called out three names. I didn’t think I would be called because he had already called out three names so I started praying like “Lord, if he don’t pick me just give me the strength to move on from this.” You know? And then he picked my name so I feel extremely blessed.

Que: My favorite moment was when we were walking to get cheesecake. I remember watching the first Making The Band and saying “I wouldn’t be walking to go get no cheesecake. They silly.” And then I found myself walking to go get cheesecake. I’ll never forget that. That was a memorable moment for me.

Robert: Mine was when we opened up for New Edition.

MiddleChild: Yea. I feel you on that. Well our time is up now but I wish you guys luck with the album and plan to see you on the road in a few weeks.

Day 26: Thank you.

MiddleChild: Anything else you wanna say before I let you go?

Brian: Album in stores now! Go get it! (group yells)

MiddleChild: No doubt. Hold it down fellas.