Brian Andrews, Michael McCluney, Qwanell “Q” Mosley, Robert Curry and Willie Taylor were just some regular guys who wanted to sing back in 2007. By August 26th, 2007 they had endured a rugged period to beat out 20 other hopefuls to makeDiddy's band. On March 25th, the group released their self-titleddebut album as Day26 and debuted at #1 on the charts. Later in 2008, the group toured with fellow MTB family members Danity Kane and Donnie Klang.

Three seasons of their sharing their lives in front of millions on MTV’s "Making The Band" has definitely thrust them into the limelight. But their limelight is coming at a bittersweet time as the group finds themselves bearing witness to their sisters of Danity Kane being disbanded.

Day26 recently took the time out of their busy schedules to talk to BET about staying together forever, their newfound celebrity, the blogs and have some interesting opinions on Aubrey O’Day, D Woods and the remaining members of Danity Kane.

How did it feel handling your first major tour?

Willie: The tour was great. We learned a lot from Danity Kane. It was crazy. It was like Diddy said with giving the crowd that gift of energy. We were just happy to experience that.

Was there any part of the tour where you guys were exhausted and ready for a break?

Brian: No! Never, ever, ever!
Willie: We’re ready to hit the road again!

Throughout the seasons, you have been in front of these cameras following you 24/7. Have you gotten used to the fact that you have limited privacy?

Brian: What cameras?
Willie: It’s like second nature now. We’ve got another season coming up by the grace of God. But however, when the cameras are not around we want to hire our own camera person to follow us around because we are so used to having them around us.

Have you really taken a look at the landscape of Male R&B groups? It appears that Day 26 is the only band doing it big right now.

Brian: Thank you!

What’s next for the group to keep this momentum up?

Brian: Performing at the BET Awards, "106 & Park," BET Hip Hop Awards and making our new single “Since You’ve Been Gone” the #1 song on "106 & Park!"

Is there a new album on the horizon?

Willie: After “Since You’ve Been Gone” we’ll probably do one more single and then head back into the lab. We gotta keep this train moving. It definitely feels good because people don’t usually give a lot of respect to bands that are made on a television show. Of course, Danity Kane made it a bit harder for us after they broke up the band. But we are going to be here for a long time, man. We ain’t going nowhere. We’re like brothers. We will have our issues but come together and make good music. With a reality show, people try to make it seem like you aren’t real – like we’re a manufactured group. But we’re real and we are just now starting to get our respect.

Mike, last night you said that the group will stay together forever. That’s a lofty claim because there are a lot of groups that have been friends since childhoodand couldn’t keep it together because of ego or money. What makes you think that you will stay together.

Mike: Because we have gone through all the issues that other groups have gone through when they broke up. They couldn’t handle it. We’ve already been through those issues. The good, the bad, the ugly, the stuff your mother don’t need to see and the stuff you’re daddy don’t need to see. We have been through it all early. We just know what the big picture is and the higher power. We’re all God fearing brothers and we all know what our #1 goal is. We’re stronger together as one.

Have you gotten use to all this fame that has come with the territory?

Mike: It’s a lot different now. It changes your life with all the people knowing who you are and you never really, really get used to it. Now there are certain precautions you have to take before you go out so you won’t get (overwhelmed). When you try to go to the grocery store with your family or go to the movies you have hide. I don’t even go outside without hiding if I don’t want to be scene.

How surprised were you when Danity Kane was disbanded?

Willie: It was a huge shocker. To see it go down was hard. They are like sisters to us so that makes it a little bit harder. We weren’t there from the beginning of DK, but they were there since the beginning of Day26. They lived and toured with us so we got to spend a lot of time together. It doesn’t seem real.

How much did you know about the group breaking up before it went down? Did you know there was dissention within the girls?

Willie: We knew…
Brian: With any family you know that things aren’t perfect. We never saw this coming though.

A lot of people looked at Diddy with a crooked eye during the season finale for what happened with Aubrey and D Woods…

Brian: I’m going to tell you something about that. I love Aubrey. She’s a very talented woman and she’s my sister. But the Aubrey you saw in the season finale is not the Aubrey we are used to seeing. I’m not trying to bash her. She’s a talented young lady. But she went out there and she handled the situation the most unprofessional way possible. There’s a lot that went on behind the scenes and the cameras only are going to show what they want to show. You didn’t get to see everything. There was a lot building up to Aubrey getting kicked out but you didn’t get to see it.

Speaking to the concept that everything wasn’t scene, Brian you had your issues with Lorrie Ann Gibson that was put on blast for the world to see. Was there ever a moment where you ever thought about leaving Day 26?

Brian: Never! I love Day26. We’ve had our problems but you only get to see half the story. I’ve got Day26 tattooed on my arm because I’m Day26 for life.

The same goes for the rest of the group?

All: Yup!
Brian: We all have a tattoo.

In part 2, find out how jealousy led to the demise of Danity Kane, the real reason D Woods did not attend the season finale and how TV painted the wrong person the good guy - or girl.