Boys R Us

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Boys just wanna have fun: (L to R) Reed, Dean, April, Lank, and Jett

The Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, 98 Degrees, Five - without warning an entire crop of these singing, dancing modern day sex symbols for the younger generation has sprung up around us, unleashing hit after hit with no sign of even slowing down. Boy bands of yesteryear are surely kicking themselves for hitting before the craze; sorry New Kids, sorry Take That, the early bird doesn't always get the worm.

But perhaps the biggest surprise of the boy band explosion comes from right here in Arizona, the home of pop music's soon-to-be darlings, Kapryce.

Kapryce deliver the goods with all the talent and enthusiasm of their contemporaries, but they've decided to throw a little twist in the mix, giving the group an edge in what has become an extremely competitive race for pop stardom.

What could you possibly do to distinguish yourselves as a group when up against such huge talents as the Backstreet Boys, though? This is the question we posed to the members of Kapryce after managing to secure a rare in-person interview with these elusive up-and-coming stars.

The immediate thought to cross one's mind might be that Kapryce has upped the stakes in the boy-band game by becoming something that most other boy-bands are not: a real band. Perhaps they've learned to actually play instruments, or even construct the beats that back their dance floor extravaganzas.

"Ha! No," laughs Ricky Dean, one-fifth of Kapryce and the unwritten leader of the band. "Play instruments? That's rich, man. No, of course we don't play any instruments. We sing. We dance. That's what we do. A'ight?"

So what is it that makes Kapryce so special, then? Besides the irresistible music and visual appeal of the band, of course.

"Well, it's like this," says Reed "bad boy" McIntyre, the self-proclaimed "wild one" of the bunch. "See, other boy bands have this thing where there's like a bunch of boys in the group, right?"

Right.

"And, well, the thing is, we've got a bunch of guys, too, but we've got something else. We've got a girl."

Ricky Dean Age: 18 Sign: Scorpio Favorite color: Shiny "Music is like dancing - you just can't be trippin' if you want to maintain."

Reed McIntyre Age: 19 Sign: Scorpio Favorite spice: Basil "I don't know which is more important: success, or actually getting to chill with some aliens. I'm hoping for both."

Jett Set Age: 20 Sign: Scorpio Favorite tree: The larch "Just cause you don't say much don't mean you don't got much to say. Word."

Lank Edwards Age: 23 Sign: Scorpio Favorite quote: "When you get older, you see there's more to life than music and sex. There's dancing, too. Synchronized dancing."

April F Age: 17 Sign: Scorpio Favorite war: Peloponnesian "I'm a girl!"

Believe it or not, it's true. Kapryce does indeed have a girl member. Her name is April F, and she could signal a whole new movement in the direction of boy band history.

"Yeah," chips in Dean. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it? A boy band with a girl. Who could have imagined it?"

Jett Set, Kapryce's usually silent member, chooses this moment to speak. "Well," he says cautiously, "we could, right? I mean, we did. That's why we did it."

"Yeah," shouts April excitedly, jumping up from her seat. "I'm a girl!"

Already, Kapryce-mania has struck at the University of Arizona. As the members of the group, which also includes the stunningly compelling Lank Edwards, make their way around campus, they are thronged by hordes of screaming fans begging for autographs and numerous other things which aren't entirely appropriate for mention here. The group remains non-plussed by all the attention, doing their best to appease the crowd before making a number of well-timed escapes.

"We're used to it," says Dean, shrugging his shoulders. "It's all a part of the game, you know?"

"It's not something we always love to deal with," adds McIntyre, "but we do love our fans, and we want to make sure they know that."

Walking past a sorority house on First Street, the air is suddenly filled with screams. The word has spread quickly through the house and girls in various states of undress are pouring out through the doors. One overzealous fan has even leaped from a second story balcony to reach the band.

Oddly enough, April doesn't receive quite the same reaction as her bandmates do from the girls. While some clamor towards her for her signature, others stare scornfully in her direction, or simply ignore her altogether.

"Yeah," says April later, never losing her smile, "it happens. They're all jealous that I get to spend so much time with the guys. Especially since all the members of Kapryce are single. But it's not like they think. What we're doing is all about music. It's about performing. That's our lives. We don't really have time for anything else."

"And as for those rumors about us being gay," says Edwards, his arm around Set, "I think it's pretty obvious there's nothing to them. I mean, come on, really."

"Really," echoes Set, shaking his head.

Anyway, Kapryce's first album, We've Got A Girl, is due out next month on Sony Records and advance orders for the album have already exceeded all expectations.

"We're really excited," says Dean. "Apparently this is the most anticipated release of '99 so far. All I can say is that no one will be disappointed. Kapryce is the future of pop music. Period."

The other members of the group nod solemnly, confirming the unbridled optimism of their leader. It seems that 1999 will indeed be the year that Kapryce takes on the world.

Hold on to your hair, Backstreet. It's time to step down.

We've Got A Girl is out June 17 on Sony Records. The first single, "Give Back My Heart," hits airwaves and MTV later this month.