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For our 20th anniversary issue, Wonderland gets intimate with New Jersey’s favourite brothers to talk hometown roots, twenty years of pop stardom, and the music (and meals) that keep them in sync.
The Jonas Brothers are talking about pasta.
The hearty Italian kind you never forget. Wide ribbons of egg dough, sauce thick with herbs and left to simmer for hours, garlic clinging to the air. Parmigiano falling in soft snowdrifts until it disappears. Three simple parts merging into one transformative mouthful. It tastes like a warm embrace from a loved one or, to the Jonas Brothers, just like home.
For the brothers, home has a specific address: “It’s called the Belmont Tavern and it’s an Italian restaurant in New Jersey,” says Kevin Jonas, lead guitarist and eldest sibling of the pop‑rock trio, speaking about the setting of the album artwork for their seventh studio album, which also celebrates their 20th anniversary, Greetings From Your Hometown. “It’s got a pretty rich history in music. Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons would perform there back in the day and it’s definitely a spot where everybody knows your name when you walk in. It’s a special thing. The food’s incredible. It’s definitely a blast from the past because you’re sitting around a chequered tablecloth – it screams family to us.”
Nick, youngest, chimes in with his own order. “They have this spicy pasta that I had last time I was there. It’s the kind of place that I didn’t expect to have red wine at noon or leave so full – I was not upset about it.”
Joe, the middle brother, doesn’t hesitate. “[I order] the dish they’re well known for called [Stretch’s Famous] ‘Chicken Savoy’. It’s their staple.”
If you’re going off food order alone, it’s already obvious why this unassuming New Jersey haunt – green awnings, red brick, wood panelling – made it onto their album cover. But there’s more to it than comfort food.
The brothers grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey to a pastor father and a mother who taught sign language. The Jonas Brothers’ childhood home was a bit like the Belmont Tavern. The exterior was the perfect all-American picture – all that was missing was the white picket fence. Inside, three brothers were nurturing a blood-deep bond and musical gifts set to fast-track them to international acclaim. Wyckoff’s own answer to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. “For us this album was truly authentic to a lot of our roots in music. Being from New Jersey and shooting the album cover there is truly part of the process. There’s nothing better than being in your hometown with your friends and connecting,” Kevin says of the shot that shows the brothers toasting in a room, lined with childhood photos.
The album is a homecoming – proof stamped right on the cover in the form of doe‑eyed, pre‑teen Nick, Kevin, and Joe. (For the VHS footage to match, see their 2019 Amazon Original documentary Chasing Happiness.) After all, it was only right that the new era honoured their beginnings, their journey to global stardom, and the longevity they’ve achieved as a band.
“I think that we were definitely hopeful. I don’t know if we ever knew that [our success] would actually happen,” Nick reflects. “We had really big dreams and we did our best to grow and get better every day. It feels pretty special that this is what we’re doing.”
Their story, now carved into pop’s history books, really took off in 2006 with their cover of Busted’s millennial‑nostalgia anthem “Year 3000.” Two years later, they were beaming from every Disney Channel screen, fronting Camp Rock alongside fellow alum‑turned‑mega‑star Demi Lovato. A year after that, they had their first Grammy nomination. By then, the Jonas Brothers weren’t just a band – they were a brand. Fashion campaigns, magazine covers, sold‑out arenas.
Then came 2013, and with it, heartbreak – the band split. Superfans everywhere went into mourning. Nick pivoted to a solo career and gave us tracks like “Jealous,” Joe formed DNCE, serving up “Cake by the Ocean” and other radio cling‑ons. The brothers didn’t share a stage again until 2019, when they dropped Happiness Begins – a reunion album that not only sold but earned them another Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2020.
Since then, the list of milestones has only grown: three Saturday Night Live musical guest spots, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the small matter of five children between them – all daughters.
Left: Kevin wears jacket & jeans KENZO; vest ABERCROMBIE & FITCH; boots & belt BRUNELLO CUCINELLI; necklaces DAVID YURMAN. Right: Nick wears vest DSQUARED2; trousers DIOR MEN
It’s the kind of résumé that could justify an early retirement, but they’re not even close. “We’re far from being content,” Nick says. “Thankfully there have been different points [throughout our career] where we thought it was a peak and it was actually just a plateau, and there were even greater heights to achieve. We’re still very ambitious and driven.” Good news for the fans – all 52.5 million of them on Instagram alone – who clearly want more.
Released on August 8th, Greetings From Your Hometown has been “four or five” years in the making. The process took them from the sun‑bleached, pearly white sands of Mustique to Joe’s home turf in Miami — a global shuffle with one purpose: to step away from their everyday lives long enough to actually hear themselves think.
“[Mustique] is a beautiful island that we got introduced to,” Nick says. “It was a point of inspiration to us in finding a different environment from which to disconnect from the world for a little bit in a season of our life that was so hectic.”
That break in routine became a kind of pilgrimage back to where they started — musically and emotionally. A homecoming with flashes of the tooth‑achingly sweet hooks that first sent their OG fans into orbit. “The mandate was always to create something that felt representative of our early sonic inspirations, but also to tell stories that felt authentic to us at this stage in our lives – not just about love, romance or heartbreak, but parenting and our outlook on life,” Nick explains. “Those are the touch‑points that I think connect all of us. Our fan base has grown to be a dynamic group of people who crave honesty and authenticity and I’m hopeful that people really connect with these songs in their own way, and therefore feel more deeply connected to us. That was the goal when we set out to make the album.”
“I think that we all come from different perspectives and we’re almost like three individual artists in one band together,” he continues. “Sometimes there are songs that are perhaps more honest and authentic to Kevin, or to Joe, or to me. But it’s amazing that we get to share those sentiments and widen that net of how they’re being represented to the world.”
Nick’s favourite track from the project, “Love You Better”, featuring Aussie virtuoso Dean Lewis, is one they’ve been “holding on to for a while”. It’s a melancholic masterpiece, riddled with regret, telling the tale of losing a loved one to internalised self-doubt – a love song all grown up, wielding a glass of red wine. Then there’s Joe’s favourite track, “Waste No Time” – flirty, fiery and fun. The PG days are over. Their infamous “red dress” muse from “Burnin’ Up” has been upgraded to red lace. Muy caliente. Kevin’s hooked on “Mirror to the Sky,” all acoustic warmth before it blooms into an ethereal, gut‑punch chorus – a love letter to his family.
The music feels like it’s graduating. Still carrying the spirit of their early hits, but with the kind of perspective that comes from two decades of all‑nighters and long flights.
Change can be tricky, but some things aren’t up for negotiation. The Jonas Brothers will always bring the show to you. And they’ll always throw a party. JONAS20 is both — a milestone tour in honour of their 20th anniversary and their new album. “With this being our 20th anniversary, and kicking the tour off at our hometown stadium, in the state where we grew up, feels very poetic to us,” Nick says. First stop: MetLife Stadium. Fifty‑two dates across the US and Canada follow. “We’ve reimagined some of the songs that are more familiar and have been around for almost 20 years,” Nick adds. Maybe that means an acoustic “S.O.S.” or an a cappella “Love Bug.” Rumour has it the band’s famed bodyguard Big Rob is even making a comeback for his “Burnin’ Up” verse.
Though he’s not the only cameo. “My girls are very excited for opening night,” Kevin says. “My daughter pretty much gave me her list of who she wants to invite before I could even put my friends on the list, so she’s taken priority this year.”
It’s a long way from three teenagers racing around a stage – now, they’ve got their own kids cheering from the friends‑and‑family section. “It’s exactly how I dreamed that this could be; it’s the best version of the situation,” Kevin says. “To me, seeing my daughters out there, and our friends and family, of course, is the number one thing.”
And no, they’re not winding down after the tour. They’re going back to Disney. A Very Jonas Christmas arrives on Disney+ in December – not Camp Rock 3, but something they hope becomes a holiday tradition. “Making a Christmas movie was kind of a bucket list item for us and we never thought it would happen,” Nick says. “We were like, ‘It’s just random and one of the things that we’ve always wanted to do – why not explore it?’ Around that same time, Disney had reached out to us about collaborating on something again.
Joe adds: “We said, ‘How cool would it be if we had a movie that came around every year that people would want to watch with their family and friends. We have that experience with a Christmas song [called “Like It’s Christmas”]. It follows us every year and we love to play it live and make it snow on stage, so we were like, ‘What if we did it with a movie?’”
Details are thin. Directed by Jessica Yu (13 Reasons Why, Grey’s Anatomy), there will be cameos, but Nick will only say, “We’re familiar, friendly and even very close with some of the cameos [in the film].” Cryptic and Christmassy – a lethal combination if you ask us.
Okay, so the band is 20 years deep, with a seventh album, another tour and an internet-breaking return to Disney on the horizon – surely you’ll take a breather after that, boys?
Nick still doesn’t think so. “We always set out to be doing this for a very long time. We’ve always wanted to build a career that feels sustainable, where we could transition out of our youth into our 20s and now into our 30s. To see that we’re still able to do what we’re doing with the support that we have means a lot. Who’s to say that that couldn’t continue? I think we’re all about shifting and adapting to not only where we are in our lives, but what makes most sense for us. I think over the next 10 to 15 years, we plan on continuing to write music that we hope our fans and others can connect with.” Kevin’s quick to back up his brother. “Our goals are to get together, make music, continue to tour and see our fans. There’s always a way back to the heart of the band, which is the Jonas Brothers, but there are so many versions of it now. I think it’s honest and real that we can be independent people. Nick said it best earlier, ‘We’re three individual artists all in a band together’ and it still makes sense.”
Three brothers. Three collaborators. Three musicians. One truly iconic band that’s made it through Disney stardom, breakups, comebacks, and two decades of growing up in public.
They’re a bit like a perfect bowl of pasta. Kevin’s the sturdy base – the noodles. Nick’s the bold hit – the sauce. Joe’s the finishing touch – the sprinkle of cheese.
Alone, they work. Together, they’re the thing you remember long after it’s gone, the dish you’ll order again no matter how many years pass.
Pre-order Wonderland’s 20th anniversary issue now.
Photography by Morgan Maher
Styling by Nico Amarca
Words by Erica Rana
Grooming by Marissa Machado at The Prtnrs
Producer Krystal Collier
Photography Assistant Austin Durant
Fashion Assistants Alex Levey, Wendy Gonzalez Vivano, Josephine Gonzalez
Videography by Robert Marrero
Videography Assistant @drakehackney
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For our 20th anniversary issue, Wonderland gets intimate with New Jersey’s favourite brothers to talk hometown roots, twenty years of pop stardom, and the music (and meals) that keep them in sync.
The Jonas Brothers are talking about pasta.
The hearty Italian kind you never forget. Wide ribbons of egg dough, sauce thick with herbs and left to simmer for hours, garlic clinging to the air. Parmigiano falling in soft snowdrifts until it disappears. Three simple parts merging into one transformative mouthful. It tastes like a warm embrace from a loved one or, to the Jonas Brothers, just like home.
For the brothers, home has a specific address: “It’s called the Belmont Tavern and it’s an Italian restaurant in New Jersey,” says Kevin Jonas, lead guitarist and eldest sibling of the pop‑rock trio, speaking about the setting of the album artwork for their seventh studio album, which also celebrates their 20th anniversary, Greetings From Your Hometown. “It’s got a pretty rich history in music. Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons would perform there back in the day and it’s definitely a spot where everybody knows your name when you walk in. It’s a special thing. The food’s incredible. It’s definitely a blast from the past because you’re sitting around a chequered tablecloth – it screams family to us.”
Nick, youngest, chimes in with his own order. “They have this spicy pasta that I had last time I was there. It’s the kind of place that I didn’t expect to have red wine at noon or leave so full – I was not upset about it.”
Joe, the middle brother, doesn’t hesitate. “[I order] the dish they’re well known for called [Stretch’s Famous] ‘Chicken Savoy’. It’s their staple.”
If you’re going off food order alone, it’s already obvious why this unassuming New Jersey haunt – green awnings, red brick, wood panelling – made it onto their album cover. But there’s more to it than comfort food.
The brothers grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey to a pastor father and a mother who taught sign language. The Jonas Brothers’ childhood home was a bit like the Belmont Tavern. The exterior was the perfect all-American picture – all that was missing was the white picket fence. Inside, three brothers were nurturing a blood-deep bond and musical gifts set to fast-track them to international acclaim. Wyckoff’s own answer to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. “For us this album was truly authentic to a lot of our roots in music. Being from New Jersey and shooting the album cover there is truly part of the process. There’s nothing better than being in your hometown with your friends and connecting,” Kevin says of the shot that shows the brothers toasting in a room, lined with childhood photos.
The album is a homecoming – proof stamped right on the cover in the form of doe‑eyed, pre‑teen Nick, Kevin, and Joe. (For the VHS footage to match, see their 2019 Amazon Original documentary Chasing Happiness.) After all, it was only right that the new era honoured their beginnings, their journey to global stardom, and the longevity they’ve achieved as a band.
“I think that we were definitely hopeful. I don’t know if we ever knew that [our success] would actually happen,” Nick reflects. “We had really big dreams and we did our best to grow and get better every day. It feels pretty special that this is what we’re doing.”
Their story, now carved into pop’s history books, really took off in 2006 with their cover of Busted’s millennial‑nostalgia anthem “Year 3000.” Two years later, they were beaming from every Disney Channel screen, fronting Camp Rock alongside fellow alum‑turned‑mega‑star Demi Lovato. A year after that, they had their first Grammy nomination. By then, the Jonas Brothers weren’t just a band – they were a brand. Fashion campaigns, magazine covers, sold‑out arenas.
Then came 2013, and with it, heartbreak – the band split. Superfans everywhere went into mourning. Nick pivoted to a solo career and gave us tracks like “Jealous,” Joe formed DNCE, serving up “Cake by the Ocean” and other radio cling‑ons. The brothers didn’t share a stage again until 2019, when they dropped Happiness Begins – a reunion album that not only sold but earned them another Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2020.
Since then, the list of milestones has only grown: three Saturday Night Live musical guest spots, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the small matter of five children between them – all daughters.
Left: Kevin wears jacket & jeans KENZO; vest ABERCROMBIE & FITCH; boots & belt BRUNELLO CUCINELLI; necklaces DAVID YURMAN. Right: Nick wears vest DSQUARED2; trousers DIOR MEN
It’s the kind of résumé that could justify an early retirement, but they’re not even close. “We’re far from being content,” Nick says. “Thankfully there have been different points [throughout our career] where we thought it was a peak and it was actually just a plateau, and there were even greater heights to achieve. We’re still very ambitious and driven.” Good news for the fans – all 52.5 million of them on Instagram alone – who clearly want more.
Released on August 8th, Greetings From Your Hometown has been “four or five” years in the making. The process took them from the sun‑bleached, pearly white sands of Mustique to Joe’s home turf in Miami — a global shuffle with one purpose: to step away from their everyday lives long enough to actually hear themselves think.
“[Mustique] is a beautiful island that we got introduced to,” Nick says. “It was a point of inspiration to us in finding a different environment from which to disconnect from the world for a little bit in a season of our life that was so hectic.”
That break in routine became a kind of pilgrimage back to where they started — musically and emotionally. A homecoming with flashes of the tooth‑achingly sweet hooks that first sent their OG fans into orbit. “The mandate was always to create something that felt representative of our early sonic inspirations, but also to tell stories that felt authentic to us at this stage in our lives – not just about love, romance or heartbreak, but parenting and our outlook on life,” Nick explains. “Those are the touch‑points that I think connect all of us. Our fan base has grown to be a dynamic group of people who crave honesty and authenticity and I’m hopeful that people really connect with these songs in their own way, and therefore feel more deeply connected to us. That was the goal when we set out to make the album.”
“I think that we all come from different perspectives and we’re almost like three individual artists in one band together,” he continues. “Sometimes there are songs that are perhaps more honest and authentic to Kevin, or to Joe, or to me. But it’s amazing that we get to share those sentiments and widen that net of how they’re being represented to the world.”
Nick’s favourite track from the project, “Love You Better”, featuring Aussie virtuoso Dean Lewis, is one they’ve been “holding on to for a while”. It’s a melancholic masterpiece, riddled with regret, telling the tale of losing a loved one to internalised self-doubt – a love song all grown up, wielding a glass of red wine. Then there’s Joe’s favourite track, “Waste No Time” – flirty, fiery and fun. The PG days are over. Their infamous “red dress” muse from “Burnin’ Up” has been upgraded to red lace. Muy caliente. Kevin’s hooked on “Mirror to the Sky,” all acoustic warmth before it blooms into an ethereal, gut‑punch chorus – a love letter to his family.
The music feels like it’s graduating. Still carrying the spirit of their early hits, but with the kind of perspective that comes from two decades of all‑nighters and long flights.
Change can be tricky, but some things aren’t up for negotiation. The Jonas Brothers will always bring the show to you. And they’ll always throw a party. JONAS20 is both — a milestone tour in honour of their 20th anniversary and their new album. “With this being our 20th anniversary, and kicking the tour off at our hometown stadium, in the state where we grew up, feels very poetic to us,” Nick says. First stop: MetLife Stadium. Fifty‑two dates across the US and Canada follow. “We’ve reimagined some of the songs that are more familiar and have been around for almost 20 years,” Nick adds. Maybe that means an acoustic “S.O.S.” or an a cappella “Love Bug.” Rumour has it the band’s famed bodyguard Big Rob is even making a comeback for his “Burnin’ Up” verse.
Though he’s not the only cameo. “My girls are very excited for opening night,” Kevin says. “My daughter pretty much gave me her list of who she wants to invite before I could even put my friends on the list, so she’s taken priority this year.”
It’s a long way from three teenagers racing around a stage – now, they’ve got their own kids cheering from the friends‑and‑family section. “It’s exactly how I dreamed that this could be; it’s the best version of the situation,” Kevin says. “To me, seeing my daughters out there, and our friends and family, of course, is the number one thing.”
And no, they’re not winding down after the tour. They’re going back to Disney. A Very Jonas Christmas arrives on Disney+ in December – not Camp Rock 3, but something they hope becomes a holiday tradition. “Making a Christmas movie was kind of a bucket list item for us and we never thought it would happen,” Nick says. “We were like, ‘It’s just random and one of the things that we’ve always wanted to do – why not explore it?’ Around that same time, Disney had reached out to us about collaborating on something again.
Joe adds: “We said, ‘How cool would it be if we had a movie that came around every year that people would want to watch with their family and friends. We have that experience with a Christmas song [called “Like It’s Christmas”]. It follows us every year and we love to play it live and make it snow on stage, so we were like, ‘What if we did it with a movie?’”
Details are thin. Directed by Jessica Yu (13 Reasons Why, Grey’s Anatomy), there will be cameos, but Nick will only say, “We’re familiar, friendly and even very close with some of the cameos [in the film].” Cryptic and Christmassy – a lethal combination if you ask us.
Okay, so the band is 20 years deep, with a seventh album, another tour and an internet-breaking return to Disney on the horizon – surely you’ll take a breather after that, boys?
Nick still doesn’t think so. “We always set out to be doing this for a very long time. We’ve always wanted to build a career that feels sustainable, where we could transition out of our youth into our 20s and now into our 30s. To see that we’re still able to do what we’re doing with the support that we have means a lot. Who’s to say that that couldn’t continue? I think we’re all about shifting and adapting to not only where we are in our lives, but what makes most sense for us. I think over the next 10 to 15 years, we plan on continuing to write music that we hope our fans and others can connect with.” Kevin’s quick to back up his brother. “Our goals are to get together, make music, continue to tour and see our fans. There’s always a way back to the heart of the band, which is the Jonas Brothers, but there are so many versions of it now. I think it’s honest and real that we can be independent people. Nick said it best earlier, ‘We’re three individual artists all in a band together’ and it still makes sense.”
Three brothers. Three collaborators. Three musicians. One truly iconic band that’s made it through Disney stardom, breakups, comebacks, and two decades of growing up in public.
They’re a bit like a perfect bowl of pasta. Kevin’s the sturdy base – the noodles. Nick’s the bold hit – the sauce. Joe’s the finishing touch – the sprinkle of cheese.
Alone, they work. Together, they’re the thing you remember long after it’s gone, the dish you’ll order again no matter how many years pass.
Pre-order Wonderland’s 20th anniversary issue now.
Photography by Morgan Maher
Styling by Nico Amarca
Words by Erica Rana
Grooming by Marissa Machado at The Prtnrs
Producer Krystal Collier
Photography Assistant Austin Durant
Fashion Assistants Alex Levey, Wendy Gonzalez Vivano, Josephine Gonzalez
Videography by Robert Marrero
Videography Assistant @drakehackney
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