In September 2022, Justin Bieber had to postpone — and ultimately cancel — his Justice World Tour due to health issues. Yet his longtime backing band, We The Band, never stopped working; rather, the unexpected free time allowed them to focus on a goal they always had in mind. “We knew we had something special that was bigger than just us being his backing band,” says bassist/vocalist HARV, who makes up We The Band with DJ Tay James, guitarist-vocalist Julian Michael, drummer Devon “Stixx” Taylor, keyboardist Dr. O and JulesTheWulf.
“Between 2022 and 2024, we all had time to really re-center ourselves, and as a group think, ‘What’s the next step?’ We’ve toured so long, we’ve been to every city five times. It was the perfect time for us to get in the studio, write and put some music together.” That period of time culminated in the group’s debut album, out later this year, that showcases We The Band’s funky R&B stylings alongside its knack for improvisational jams. In June, the act signed with Avex Music Group and released its debut single, “One & Only,” a song that James says “shows how dynamic of a group we are.”
When the Justice tour was canceled, how did you all feel about figuring out your next move?
Stixx: It wasn’t any stress for me. I don’t think for any of us, honestly. It was just time for everybody to lock in.
James: Personally, I was a little sad for the tour to end because we was just really cranking up.
HARV: But definitely We The Band was a safe place for us after the tour.
How did you all navigate other offers and opportunities, while still making the band a priority?
HARV: We kind of split up. Stixx went out with Usher and then and O went out with PARTYNEXTDOOR. Then O started working with Kehlani and a few other artists. Me and Tay, we stayed back and made sure that we kept the We The Band momentum, making sure that we found the right partners and getting the music together. So we kind of stayed home base and everybody else went out to keep touring to keep the lights on.
How do you create an identity outside of being Justin Bieber’s backing band?
James: I think once this project comes out and people hear what we’ve been able to create, that will start the separation on its own. We didn’t want to come out with a bunch of features right away. We want to be able to stand on our own two, especially when we start performing again.
Earth, Wind & Fire is an inspiration for the group, but are there many contemporary groups making R&B music today?
HARV: I don’t think so. I think that’s why We The Band is important, because there’s not a lot of R&B bands out there like Earth, Wind & Fire, like The Isley Brothers. We could be one of those for this generation.
James: What we’re making right now, I haven’t really heard anything comparable to it. Sometimes you need that in music, you need something different.
Why did you want to release a project, rather than just dropping singles?
HARV: It was very imperative for us to give a full body of work. I hate when, let’s say I find a new artist or a new act that I like and they put one song out and I’m like, “Well, f–k. I want to hear more.” And then I gotta wait a month so you can put one more song out? Like, no. You’re gonna get this body of work.
Stixx: You get a full masterpiece.
What was the experience like putting together your first body of work as a band?
Stixx: We had a lot of fun making these songs. Especially within the last week, for sure.
What happened in the last week?
Stixx: We’ve been going crazy.
James: HARV just did the [Netflix reality] Hitmakers show, so we threw a private party at Nice Guy [in Los Angeles] and we were able to play some of the songs off the album in front of people. And the reaction we were getting was very positive. That’s what we like to do, test things out and just see how people react; that’s gonna be the hardest critic, someone that doesn’t know nothing at all. And if they’re vibing to it, that’s how you know you might have something.
HARV: We just kept seeing everybody [open] Shazam. They kept holding their phones up.
Outside of talent, what do you all bring to We The Band that makes this work so well?
JulesTheWulf: I think for both Harv and Tay, their business acumen is something that’s really strong. They have great foresight and decision making. Stixx has a lot of raw, positive energy. He just shows up with a very genuine enthusiasm for everything, and the same with [Dr. O] too, just a really infectious enthusiasm for life in general. I think when you put all of that together, even outside of our musical talent, it makes something crazy.
HARV: Jules is the anchor of the band. He is gonna always keep everybody in line.
Stixx: Jules is like the big brother you don’t wanna mess with. He’s the muscle.
It does seem like you all bring out the best in each other.
Stixx: I definitely feel like I’m the best when I’m with these guys. Especially for me being in other camps and touring, I’m really just there to get a check. But with the band, whether we were getting paid or not, I would still go out and tour with these guys. For sure.
A version of this story appears in the Aug. 30, 2025, issue of Billboard.
