* Westlife: "We are no longer a boyband!"
Thu, 11 Nov 2004
Exclusive: In this time's Yam! Talk the four smart Irishmen reveal on how they are planning to swing themselves into the charts and the hearts...
It's been ages since you've seen Westlife so happy and relaxed! During the Yam! interview in Cologne, Nicky (26), Shane (25), Kian (24) and Mark (24) are in a contagiously good mood and talk in complete honesty about their plans, their new style, their future, as well as the good and the bad times in the band...
Yam!: Initially you were planning to release a duet-album, in the end it's turned to be a swing CD. Why?
SHANE: We changed our minds after Brian's departure. The main reason behind it is that with the duets it would've sounded as if we had tried to replace Brian in each song. Thus we've come up with the idea of making a "Rat-Pack" type of album รก la Frank Sinatra and co. This is also why our new CD is called " Allow us to be frank" [Ed's note: Release date: 8th Nov., 2004].
A comparison with Robbie Williams, who already has recorded a swing album, comes straight to mind...
NICKY: That's true! But Robbie isn't the only artist who has recorded a Sinatra swing-style album. There have been other artists as well. We are, however, the first 4-member band who has done it. And: we are not copying or immitating anyone! We have just decided to take up the "Rat-Pack" era. In the end, this type of music doesn't belong to anyone exclusively.
Older people could feel more addressed by this album than your typical Westlife fans. Is this your way of saying goodbye to your old boyband image?
NICKY: That's not our intention. The songs are classics and naturally we are hoping that our young fans are going to like them too. However, we have grown and with this album we are simply making something different in our career. Not to mention it will most likely be our only album in this style.
MARK: We've been in the music business for six years now and have released five albums. Thus we've simply wanted to make something new and fresh - something one wouldn't have expected from Westlife. It's been a great challenge!
Other boybands, who only arrived on the scene after you, have either been history for quite some time or are breaking up again. What are your views on that?
MARK: It feels good. At the start of the band, everyone kept predicting that Westlife would only be staying around for two or three years. That's why it makes us very happy we are still there as normally people are fed up with a boyband after maximum 3 years. But probably we are no longer a boyband in the usual sense of the word. When it comes to us, the point isn't anymore to be young with straight and perfect bellies, but that people like our music and our voices. We've become more mature and have grown through time. Naturally, we are very proud of our success, also because it shows that we have not turned out to be just another one-hit-wonder.
And for how long can we still count on Westlife sticking around?
SHANE: After our new album and the tour at the beginning of next year we are going to sit down together and decide then whether we still want to continue or not. Naturally, right now we are saying that we'd love to keep on working as Westlife for another 6 years, but you cannot make such a long-term commitment. We are realistic about this and we are doing it step by step.
Has it ever gotten to the stage where you wanted to break up?
KIAN: Definitely it has came to our minds from time to time, when for example we've had to wake up at five in the morning or we hadn't seen our families for weeks. But on the other hand, we consider ourselves very lucky that we can do this in the first place. How many other artists namely get the chance to release their sixth album? Very few. That's why we consider ourselves very honoured and happy about this chance.
What has been the worst experience as a band?
MARK: When we were on a two-month promotional tour in the USA in 2001, it was the biggest challenge for the band. We had to perform in two states every day and worked for 20 hours on every piece. That would almost have ruined Westlife. At the end we were close to breaking up, as all of us were completely exhausted!
Is there anything that you'd change from the past if you could?
KIAN: Honestly, we naturally all wish that Brian hadn't left the band. But he wasn't happy, so it was the right thing. If he had stayed in the band, unhappy, it would've had an effect on all of us. Maybe we would've even decided to call it quits. But we are still very good friends with him and meet up every time we are in London.
How do your plans for the future look like?
SHANE: At the beginning of next year we are going on our "Red-Carpet " European tour and we'll also be playing two gigs in Germany. However, we won't be doing a purely swing concert, but present a typical Westlife show of around an hour and a half.
Source: Yam!
Credit: Dora
Exclusive: In this time's Yam! Talk the four smart Irishmen reveal on how they are planning to swing themselves into the charts and the hearts...
It's been ages since you've seen Westlife so happy and relaxed! During the Yam! interview in Cologne, Nicky (26), Shane (25), Kian (24) and Mark (24) are in a contagiously good mood and talk in complete honesty about their plans, their new style, their future, as well as the good and the bad times in the band...
Yam!: Initially you were planning to release a duet-album, in the end it's turned to be a swing CD. Why?
SHANE: We changed our minds after Brian's departure. The main reason behind it is that with the duets it would've sounded as if we had tried to replace Brian in each song. Thus we've come up with the idea of making a "Rat-Pack" type of album รก la Frank Sinatra and co. This is also why our new CD is called " Allow us to be frank" [Ed's note: Release date: 8th Nov., 2004].
A comparison with Robbie Williams, who already has recorded a swing album, comes straight to mind...
NICKY: That's true! But Robbie isn't the only artist who has recorded a Sinatra swing-style album. There have been other artists as well. We are, however, the first 4-member band who has done it. And: we are not copying or immitating anyone! We have just decided to take up the "Rat-Pack" era. In the end, this type of music doesn't belong to anyone exclusively.
Older people could feel more addressed by this album than your typical Westlife fans. Is this your way of saying goodbye to your old boyband image?
NICKY: That's not our intention. The songs are classics and naturally we are hoping that our young fans are going to like them too. However, we have grown and with this album we are simply making something different in our career. Not to mention it will most likely be our only album in this style.
MARK: We've been in the music business for six years now and have released five albums. Thus we've simply wanted to make something new and fresh - something one wouldn't have expected from Westlife. It's been a great challenge!
Other boybands, who only arrived on the scene after you, have either been history for quite some time or are breaking up again. What are your views on that?
MARK: It feels good. At the start of the band, everyone kept predicting that Westlife would only be staying around for two or three years. That's why it makes us very happy we are still there as normally people are fed up with a boyband after maximum 3 years. But probably we are no longer a boyband in the usual sense of the word. When it comes to us, the point isn't anymore to be young with straight and perfect bellies, but that people like our music and our voices. We've become more mature and have grown through time. Naturally, we are very proud of our success, also because it shows that we have not turned out to be just another one-hit-wonder.
And for how long can we still count on Westlife sticking around?
SHANE: After our new album and the tour at the beginning of next year we are going to sit down together and decide then whether we still want to continue or not. Naturally, right now we are saying that we'd love to keep on working as Westlife for another 6 years, but you cannot make such a long-term commitment. We are realistic about this and we are doing it step by step.
Has it ever gotten to the stage where you wanted to break up?
KIAN: Definitely it has came to our minds from time to time, when for example we've had to wake up at five in the morning or we hadn't seen our families for weeks. But on the other hand, we consider ourselves very lucky that we can do this in the first place. How many other artists namely get the chance to release their sixth album? Very few. That's why we consider ourselves very honoured and happy about this chance.
What has been the worst experience as a band?
MARK: When we were on a two-month promotional tour in the USA in 2001, it was the biggest challenge for the band. We had to perform in two states every day and worked for 20 hours on every piece. That would almost have ruined Westlife. At the end we were close to breaking up, as all of us were completely exhausted!
Is there anything that you'd change from the past if you could?
KIAN: Honestly, we naturally all wish that Brian hadn't left the band. But he wasn't happy, so it was the right thing. If he had stayed in the band, unhappy, it would've had an effect on all of us. Maybe we would've even decided to call it quits. But we are still very good friends with him and meet up every time we are in London.
How do your plans for the future look like?
SHANE: At the beginning of next year we are going on our "Red-Carpet " European tour and we'll also be playing two gigs in Germany. However, we won't be doing a purely swing concert, but present a typical Westlife show of around an hour and a half.
Source: Yam!
Credit: Dora
posted by me at 11:02 PM
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