It seems like Nick Jonas is constantly on the road these days. Between his Happiness Begins tour with brother Kevin and Joe and personal adventures with wife Priyanka Chopra, the singer is rarely in the same place long. But he did manage to find time to work with menswear designer John Varvatos to launch a third fragrance, JVxNJ Silver Edition, in time for the holidays. And the 27-year-old believes it captures the current craziness and change in his life.
"Creatively and artistically, you always evolve," Jonas told Departures. "This captures the moment that we're in, which is probably the craziest. So, we wanted to put that energy in this fragrance and have that electric feeling."
Varvatos added, "It's really been a crazy couple of years. But, Nick is an old soul and very thoughtful about things. Sometimes he won't even give you a total reaction in the moment because he needs to sit with it. That makes working on a project like this together so fun. We bounce off each other really well, and that makes it so much more enjoyable."
While Jonas took his time on finding the perfect scent for his latest fragrance, he doesn't often have the luxury of time when traveling (especially when on tour). We were able to chat with him as part of the launch to find out more about his favorite city and the odd thing he keeps in his carry-on.
When you travel to a new city, what's the first thing that you do?
"The first thing I do is usually look up if there's something exciting happening in town. I'll go to Pollstar and see if there are any concerts that I might want to see. Then it's researching food. And then, in most cases, I find myself on Trulia or Redfin looking at houses for some reason. Not that I would buy in Boston or Milwaukee, but just to know what I could get in those destinations."
What's something that you always have to have in your carry on?
"Honestly, a lint roller. It's very important. It's just that thing where it's so easy to have one, and there's various sizes. Imagine how frustrating it would be if you have lint all over your clothes, and you're stepping into an event or whatever. I'm unashamed about lint roller."
You've traveled a lot. What's your favorite city?
"New York is the greatest city in the world, but also in London. I love London. I was doing a production in the West End, and it was a really important chapter in my life. And then, from there, I've just had great experiences and feel like it's a place where I feel very creative. So as far as like a getaway, I love Venice. I've had great experiences there too. I love Italy, but Venice is really amazing."
Do you have a favorite hotel in either of those places?
"The Aman Venice (an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property) is magical. I think the Aman properties, in general, do a really good job of just taking structures or building structures that feel really grounded amidst places that perhaps don't. And Venice is one of those hustle and bustle places. It's kind of madness, but when you're in [the Aman], it's very tranquil. And there's a combination of sort of that beauty of art and the palazzos they refurbish. But then there are also some modern touches. I really love that combo. It's also just perfectly placed on the water there."
Do you like any other Aman properties?
"I was recently at Amangiri (another American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property). You should go if you haven't been. It's incredible. And you have to do the Slot Canyon tour. There's something about walking through those rocks that have been smoothed out over hundreds of thousands of years. It's beautiful."
