The Jonas Brothers Are 'Better' Than They've Ever Been: 'We're Having the Time of Our Lives'

Forty eight hours before their first Las Vegas residency show at the Park MGM, the Jonas Brothers are squeezing in some time for themselves.

"We made an effort today to drive out just us and have breakfast and lunch just to connect," says Joe, 32, on set of the band's PEOPLE cover shoot miles from the Strip, where they're due back in a couple hours for rehearsals. "This time in our life and career, we all work quite hard to get that time at home more often, but we also prioritize time with just the three of us because we want to have a strong bond as well."

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It's been three years since the guys reunited for a second act, funneling their newfound joy and passion into 2019's Happiness Begins, which became their first album to go No. 1 in the last decade.

"We all have families and live in different places," says Nick, 29, who's based in Los Angeles with his wife, Priyanka Chopra, and their baby girl Malti, who was born in January. "We're in a better spot now than we've ever been, and it's a really fun season of discovering what the next chapter is going to look like."

Ben Watts Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas

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Joe and his wife, Sophie Turner, recently relocated to Miami with their daughter Willa, who turns 2 next month. (The couple is expecting another child later this year.)

And Kevin, his wife, Danielle, and their two girls, Alena, 8, and Valentina, 5, have long been based in New Jersey. "Even from afar and through the pandemic, we pretty much always really tried to connect every day," says Kevin, 34. "We catch each other up on what's going on at home and family stuff, but sometimes it's just to talk about the most random thing."

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The freedom and peace all three musicians have found within the band and as individuals has been a long time coming.

In 2013, the Jonas Brothers shocked fans when they canceled a scheduled tour two days before kickoff and announced they were breaking up, citing a "deep rift" within the band

"Over the years, you start to take advantage of the [sibling] relationship because it's a safe space," says Joe now. "You feel like you can say anything, and that can be damaging."

Ben Watts Joe Jonas

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During their six-year hiatus, Nick embarked on a successful solo career; Joe launched the pop-rock band DNCE (they recently released "Move," an infectious song that marks their first official single in four years); and Kevin, who became a dad in 2014, focused on his family and started a construction company.

"It allowed us to understand who we were as people," says Kevin about the difficult but ultimately life-changing period.

Ben Watts Kevin Jonas

Carving out their own lives, and especially meeting their wives and starting their families, adds Nick, gave them a broader perspective.

"It made us all better people, I think, finding brilliant partners in life. [They] helped us all to be better versions of ourselves, because I think that's what they require of us," says Nick. "It's a beautiful thing to have been able to go on this journey over these last couple of years and mark them with the happiness that we've all felt at home. We're having the time of our lives."

Ben Watts Nick Jonas

Now spread out across the country, getting their ever-growing families all under one roof is as difficult as it sounds.

"We all come with our own big guest list," jokes Joe. But the extra effort is always worth it, adds Kevin: "Sophie and Pri have brought so much love and joy."

They've celebrated Christmas at Sophie's family's house in England, and Nick and Priyanka hosted Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights, at their home.

"We try to bring in our own traditions for our extended families that we're starting to grow and grow and grow," adds Joe.

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They may have new priorities — "We don't feel the pressure to go, go, go, constantly like we once did," says Joe — but they're still busier than ever.

Nick is a judge on NBC's competition show Dancing with Myself, Kevin and their youngest brother Frankie, 21, are co-hosting ABC's reality series Claim to Fame (produced by Kinetic Content and premiering July 11) and Joe is making his big-screen debut this fall in the Korean War epic Devotion.

Ben Watts Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas in Nelson, Nevada

They're also giving back, through Nick's Beyond Type 1 non-profit for diabetes research (he was diagnosed at 13) and partnering with Global Citizen to fight extreme poverty.

And of course, the guys — who have also ventured into the business world (they teamed up with family friend Rob Garbowski to launch Rob's Backstage Popcorn, and Nick partnered with designer John Varvatos for their ultra-premium tequila brand Villa One Tequila) — are back in the studio.

"We did record a lot of music before and through the pandemic, but then we lived our life for a while," says Kevin. "We write together, so you're processing it with your brothers, which is helpful."

Ben Watts Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas

And while they've been a band for nearly 20 years, "it's some of our favorite stuff we've ever done," teases Nick about their new music. "It's easy to fall into old creative patterns, but the sound that we're tapping into is really unique for us."

At the end of the day, "as simple as it may sound, we could have stopped this a long time ago," reflects Joe. "But we decided to keep it going, and that means so much to us in our hearts."

Photographs by Ben Watts. Groomer: Marissa Machado/Tom Ford/Art Department; (Nick) Stylist: Avo Yermagyan/Forward Artists; (Joe) Stylist: Sydney Lopez; (Kevin) Stylist: Sam Spector; Local Production & Locations: Gayle Kotula/Lift Productions