How did Kevin approach you about leaving the band?
Howie: Kevin actually came to us right before we started recording this record over a year and a half [ago]. In his heart, he just wasn't feeling going forward with making another record. His life right now is taking a different departure, with this wife just having a baby and him wanting to be there for it during these early years. Going into recording a record, between writing, recording, promoting, touring, it's pretty much two years of your lives you're giving up. So we totally understood. There's no bad will or anything like that -- we're all at a really great place with him.

Are there any plans to replace Kevin in the future?
Howie: He gave us the blessing to move on, but the four of us said the Backstreet Boys are the five of us -- always will be. We told him the door is always open for him if he wants to come back. Believe it or not, we were approached about doing a reality show about replacing of Kevin, but it just didn't feel right for us. We're a tight unit -- that's why we've been together for so long.

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