Out identical twin singers Jacob and Joshua Miller discuss their new reality series Nemesis Rising, their Jehovah's Witness past and playing twin pranks.

By Lawrence Ferber

Nemesis is truly rising. The Los Angeles-based band—comprised of gay twin brothers Jacob and Joshua Miller—will see its debut disc hit on Oct. 16. That same day will see the premiere of a new LOGO reality series that follows their stars-in-the-making journey, Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising. But it wasn't always double the pleasure, double the fun for the Miller twins. Raised as Jehovah's Witnesses in rural Montana, they experienced double the conservative religious repression during their first 18 years of life. And early on in the LOGO series, we'll follow them home to come out to their fundamentalist parents and family.

The pair began singing together before they started school and were writing songs by their mid-teens. Although identical twins, the Millers aren't exactly carbon copies of each other—inside or out. Blond-haired Jacob is romantically paired with Nick, an adorable Chilean. And dark-haired Joshua presently enjoys a frisky singles life. But relationship status is only one thing that sets them apart… and occasionally causes friction.

Whose idea and initiative was the reality series?

Joshua: The TV show was not something we ever saw coming or planned on having. We were making our record with Desmond Child, who's a famous producer and songwriter, and he was trying to pitch a TV show about his life to [MTV and LOGO president] Brian Graden. And Jacob and I were who he was working with at the time so we were in on those meetings. Then [Graden's people] ended up calling after the dust cleared and said, “We don't really want to do that show but we decided we want to do a show about Jacob and Joshua and Nemesis.” So we were completely shocked.

Does Desmond still talk to you guys, or is he hateful?

Joshua: He hates us. No, there were some bad feelings. When his show didn't go and they picked up the show about Jacob and I, I think it was a tough pill to swallow.

So what will we see in this first season of Nemesis Rising?

Jacob: Oh lord. A lot. The move to L.A., how we got here. And then us coming out to our parents in Montana and our family. And then us going to Nashville and meeting the record label and doing a live show there. And then we'll be in Las Vegas recording a track with Barry Manilow.

Oh boy. I was going to ask another question, but now that you've said that name. Barry Barry Barry. How do you go about talking sexuality with Barry?

Jacob: We don't! It never came up.

I find that a little hard to swallow.

Joshua: That's OK. You know, Barry is a great producer and also a very kind, sweet person. He was the one who took [the lyrics to] “He Was a Friend of Mine” and melded it with the theme from Brokeback Mountain. That was his concept that he called us with [for us to record] and we loved it, so the Brokeback Mountain theme now has words. And I think it's a really compelling song that he chose for us to do and we're going to sing it live at an HRC dinner in D.C.

What artists and bands influenced your music?

Jacob: We love so much stuff. I would say Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston vocally.

Joshua: Popular music. Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Conway Twitty. And Jacob and I loved R&B even though our parents weren't necessarily listening to it. Michael Jackson exploded onto the scene and changed music forever. Whitney, Mariah, Stevie. All those.

Jacob: We didn't listen to much rock music in Montana growing up. So it was a little bit later, like 17, that I started listening to bands and going “oh, I really like this.” So I think our sound is an integration of the two styles [of rock and vocal pop].

Since you guys were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses, did you learn marketing strategies from the experience?

Joshua: We learned how to go door to door. We knew how to pound the pavement and sell. Except back then it was The Watchtower and Awake. And they're very good at teaching the young people how to speak, because you have to get up in front of the entire congregation and give talks on a regular basis, and articulate yourself well, which is probably very good for our industry.

Do you use the threat of eternity in damnation if people don't like or purchase CDs by Nemesis?

Joshua: (laughs) I don't believe in that nonsense so I don't use it. When we were going door to door we took ourselves very seriously and we believed it. It was something we did because we thought it was truth. It wasn't until later, after we moved away and started growing and learning and talking to people and getting different viewpoints, that we started to question whether or not that was true.

Jacob: I do say in one of the songs at the end, I want you to love me, you suck if you don't.

How old were you when you moved away from Montana?

Jacob: 18, 19? Actually. I was the one who said I was leaving. Joshua thought it was crazy and said he was not coming. He didn't believe me really until I was packing my car up. And then he said “I'm coming with you.”

Had you experienced gay life before leaving Montana?

Jacob: I hadn't even really heard of gay. I had been into an adult video store and saw the gay section.

Joshua: Not at all. Jehovah's was serious stuff and I just wanted to never be a sexual person at all. You couldn't even act sexual with a girl unless you were going to put a ring on her finger.

So you went to Nashville, and then to L.A. When did you begin exploring your sexuality?

Joshua: Jacob started to explore all that in Nashville. So by the time we got [to L.A.] we were regular whores.

Jacob: Nashville's a great town. A great transitional city to grow up a little bit and broaden our minds without being over-stimulated.

What do you think of L.A. life?

Jacob: We love it.

Joshua: I can't believe we didn't come here sooner. It's like paradise on earth and everybody I talk to, I say come to the promised land. The energy in L.A. is a creative energy. When you come here that's what you feel. You get it from the ocean, from the people. It's very easy to be creative. It's also easy to get lazy. You have to remember to work.

Why the name Nemesis?

Jacob: We struggled through most of our childhood—because we were called just Jacob & Joshua, and the Miller Brothers, which we never liked—trying to find a name that stuck. And in a lot of ways Joshua and I are each other's nemesis. We're best friends, we're rivals, we challenge each other. So we were sitting on the porch in Nashville and I said, “What about the name Nemesis?” We both looked at each other, and that was the name.

Jacob, you're settled down with Nick, but do people ever mistake you for Joshua in the streets and go, “I saw your gay.com profile. Hey.”

Jacob: No. The blond hair really helps. But I wear hats a lot so sometimes people will think I'm Joshua.

Joshua: It happens all the time. Even our neighbors who live next door get us confused. The only time people figure out there are two of us is when we are both there. I never understand that, but even with our hair color, if you meet Jacob and I show up 15 minutes later, everybody is always shocked.

What subject will get you guys into a disagreement?

J&J: Any subject!

Joshua: The funny thing [about] our opinions on subjects is that the final unalterable statement we reach is the same, but the way we arrive at it is through completely opposite viewpoints.

As kids, would you guys ever pretend to be one another as a prank?

Joshua: A little bit, when we were in school. We would trade desks or whatever and freak the teacher out and everybody would laugh at her.

Jacob: Now it's kind of hard to do because I have blond hair.

What about doing the same for a boyfriend switch-off—”let me try yours, and you try mine?”

Jacob: No.

Joshua: I don't think we've ever slept with the same person.

Was anything off limits while they were making the reality show?

Jacob: No. I told them to set the camera up in the room and film Nick and I having sex if they wanted to, but they didn't want to.

What else should people know about you guys before they watch the show? Or do you want to take this opportunity to explain away something we might see?

Jacob: One thing I would want them to know about the gay thing and coming out. We went home and came out to our parents on camera. We're very sensitive about that because we're close with our family. So it wasn't like we knocked on the door and said, “surprise, we're gay,” so we could film their reaction on camera for the show. We wouldn't do that to our parents or family. But we handled it really sensitively and made sure they were OK.

Joshua: And I want everybody to know, I have the feeling I'm going to come across as a big dumb airhead who's out trying to have sex all the time. And I'm not a dumb airhead.

Jacob: And I'm probably going to be portrayed as the mean, cruel, bitch. And I'm not a bitch, either.

I'm hearing a little of the Nemesis thing going on here.

Joshua: Jacob is the villain. You're just going to see it.

Jacob: I am not a villain!

Jacob & Joshua: Nemesis Rising will premiere Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on LOGO. For more information, see Nemesis' MySpace page at www.myspace.com/nemesisweb.