Making the Band

Joseph Janus, Calvin Klein’s previous director of marketing, has a knack for using music as a platform to kickstart new trends. When the New York gay entrepreneur assembled guy duo The Deuce Project, it must have been his belief that selling music is not that different from selling underwear.

The Deuce Project is Texas-born Josh McMillan, 22, and Noah Pearce, 23, whose debut album "Stone Cold" features a combination of soulful acoustics from the South and edgy pop from the North.

The group’s unpolished rocky quality is tamed by the slick production of the Berman Brothers. Real-life brothers Christian and Frank Berman are well-known for their hard-hitting gay club anthems and their production of club acts such as Amber (“This Is Your Night”) and Stars on 54 (“If You Could Read Your Mind”).

The band is making every effort to win over new fans to grow their momentum. Even though teenage girls and college kids might appear their likely target demographic, the duo caters their breezy sound to gays as well. Not in the least for their Abercrombie good looks, infectious melodies and McMillan’s well-mannered rock crooning.

In an exclusive phone interview with Arjan, Joseph Janus, who is now the group’s manager and executive producer, claims that The Deuce Project is as much a gay band as many other groups.

He explains, “I don’t think there are many musicians out there that make records specifically for gay or straight people. That would be ridiculous. [Artists] want to make records that everybody likes. The Deuce Project is no different and the great thing is that they make good music that people can relate to.”

McMillan and his buddy Pearce grew up in San Antonio, Texas, where the two started to play music in church. In their late teens, their paths went separate ways. The introverted Pearce stayed in Texas to go to college. McMillan diligently pursued music and spent a brief time in Boston to study musical theatre. After that he went to New York to record demos and hunt for a record deal.

One of his tapes was passed on from friend to friend and eventually ended up in the hands of Janus. He and the Berman Brothers liked the sound of McMillan and wondered if they could put a band together with him as the lead. McMillan readily agreed and convinced Pearce to come on board as a guitarist.

The two signed a lofty record deal with Madonna’s Maverick Records and started to work on their debut project. Only months later, the group’s “Stone Cold” hit stores with a great deal of anticipation.

The album’s title song needs to be applauded for its upbeat guitar arrangement and McMillan’s remarkable vocals. The Deuce Project’s is reminiscent of many typical radio rock-pop confections but has its own distinct vibe that includes the Berman’s layered pop production including strings and other rock orchestration.

McMillan is happy with “Stone Cold” as the first single off the album. He tells Arjan, “I think that song really shows how my acoustic sound and the Berman’s edgy pop skills merged when we worked together on this album.”

The song “Without You Both” is dearest to the singer. He explains, “I wrote that song when I was a senior in high school and I always kept it in my back pocket to use at a later point in time. It has a really cool guitar and harmonica vibe to it that we left intact during the production.”

“Lose My Way” is an earnest guitar ballad that young gays might relate to with its pointy coming of age lyrics. McMillan says, “That song is about me getting to terms with changes in my life, leaving high school, going to college and leaving home. That emotion really grabbed me at that time.”

McMillan hints at the pressure that he is feeling from signing with a big record label. He says, “Maverick is investing millions in us. We really want to make sure we do the best we can to make this happen. This is not some sort of Indy thing going on.”