Westlife - 'Where We Are' BBC Review28 Nov 2009
Album. Released 30 November 2009
The boyband’s seventh album of originals sets its sights on the US market.
Mike Diver
Despite their amazing UK sales, Westlife have never conquered the American market. So what, you might think. Who cares about flogging a few more albums in the States? Clearly the powers that be behind the Irish quartet do.
Where We Are sees Louis Walsh’s charges working with a host of writers with plenty of experience in the US charts. Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, who also contributed to Leona Lewis’ Echo, delivers Shadows. It’s a blustery ballad, and a much edgier arrangement than many of Westlife’s previous hits. That it still features a trademark key change, aka The Moment They Get Off Their Stools, rather lessens its effectiveness, but you’ve got to give the fans what they want.
Which, mostly, Where We Are does. Nobody buys Westlife records for the radical progressions contained within; their albums disappear from the shelves because they’re a safe bet. In 11 years their style has barely changed, and it’s this consistency, more than anything else, that’s been the cornerstone of their success. Gently swaying numbers like Talk Me Down and As Love is My Witness, the latter penned by 1990s flash-in-the-pan Conner Reeves, are aural potpourri, pleasant at a distance but distinctly unpalatable up close. And that’s fine, it’s to be expected.
But there are surprises on this disc. US producer Scott Cutler generates a little heat with The Difference, where the percussion rises like an arena-filling Coldplay anthem. Lead single What About Now – originally released by Daughtry and written by Ben Moody, formerly of Evanescence – is similarly indie-influenced, with guitar high in the mix. It’s every bit as immediate as Take That’s comeback material, and will have fingers tapping on steering wheels in earnest during drive time plays. Steve Booker, who recorded alongside George Clinton in the 1970s, contributes Another World, which is this album’s soulful highlight.
Yet the songs never stray too far from safety. Closer I’ll See You Again is typical torch song fare, executed with the efficiency fans have come to expect, and several others stick to a formula that’s served Westlife well, but does now sound dated. The best tracks could see them stir interest in the US like never before, but they’ll need to go for broke stylistically next time if attentions are to be retained. And it can’t hurt to try – if it’s got Westlife written on it, it’ll sell splendidly across these isles whatever the product.
Credit/Source: bbc.co.uk
Mark Feehily opens up on Westlife27 Nov 2009
As part of one of the most successful Irish boy bands of all time, Mark Feehily has always vocally been at the forefront of Westlife. They're the third biggest selling pop group worldwide, have had 14 number one singles in the UK, and show no signs of stopping yet.
Before Westlife formed, Mark, Shane Filan and Kian Egan were three of six members of a group called (IOYOU and they released a single called "Together Girl Forever". It wasn't until Shane's mum alerted Louis Walsh, the manager of Boyzone, that the group began taking the steps towards success. Instantly calling for a line-up change, auditions were then held where Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden were recruited to work with Mark, Kian and Shane. The first big break for Westlife came in 1998 when they opened for the Boyzone and Backstreet Boys' concerts in Dublin. From them on they took off, achieving international success with their catchy and melodic ballads.
Despite living the dream, Mark was harbouring a huge secret. Unlike his other band mates, he refused to discuss his private life in interviews and was shown with girlfriends in the press in order to avoid speculation. As the only gay member of the group his sexuality was kept a secret for years. It wasn't until 2005 that Mark felt publicly ready to come out and announced his relationship with Kevin McDaid, a member of another boy band called V. The public reacted positively and Mark has since said it was the best thing he'd ever done.
Now, having spent a year off working on their 10th studio album, Westlife are back and Mark has rebuffed claims the group were ever going to split. Despite their success, the group have so far not been able to break into the US market but in a recent interview Louis Walsh said this would be an aim of their comeback.
In this interview Mark speaks reveals his true feelings on Louis and Simon Cowell, speaks openly about his commitment for Kevin and thanks the late Stephen Gately for all he's done in breaking negative gay stereotypes.
Q: So Westlife are back. Why did you have the break?
A: It felt like things were going too far with just getting an album out every year and that being the priority, with the song quality coming second to that. We had nine albums in nine years and I think it was only healthy we get away from it. Things were getting a bit stale. How can I say that when we had the biggest records, but it's true. You can have millions coming to see you but that isn't the be all and end all.
Q: Did you think about splitting up?
A: All that speculation is just nonsense. Everyone's always going to ask us if we're splitting up, especially when we haven't been around for a year but I suppose its part and parcel of us being a band that's been around for a long time.
Q: How is Louis Walsh coping with the death of Stephen Gately?
A: We all talk to Louis on the phone, we keep in touch. That's the same with Boyzone. We came along ten years ago; Boyzone came along twenty years ago. We're close but he's even closer to them because he's known them longer. At the end of the day someone has passed away and that was someone who he was a very close friend of... anybody in the world would be devastated.
Q: How are you dealing with your grief?
A: Nobody has got to terms with it yet. Luckily Louis's got us, he's got Boyzone... Boyzone have each other and Stephen had a great family.
Q: When did you last see him?
A: We've bumped into them umpteen times over the years, we've supported them and we've had Smash hits tours. I knew him well but the last time I saw him was about a year ago, when we performed on 'The X Factor' last Christmas. We were on the same night on the final. We were doing the duet with JLS.
Q: Has it made you think about your own life?
A: After the news broke, I spoke to Louis and one of the first things he said was 'You have to get out there and live your life, don't take anything for granted.' You can't sit around putting things off; you have to get out there, nobody knows what's round the corner.
Q: You're still with your long-term partner Kevin McDaid, any weddings on the cards?
A: We literally got on from when we met five years ago, we're very happy. We live together; he is literally the other half of me. Finding Kevin really completed me. When I look back at interviews all I see is the big hole, like there's something missing, that I needed to find somebody. He's made me very happy and I feel lucky to have him but marriage is not something we've considered.
Q: Stephen must have done a lot, coming out before you did?
A: When someone in the public eye who is admired by millions comes out, it's one kind of blow to the negative stereotype and one more block built for the reality, which is that gay people are no different to straight people. When I came out I got a lot of letters saying 'oh when you come out my mum was a big fan and it kind of broke her image of gay people down.' It helped me when Stephen came out, it helped when I came out; I think it helped when Will Young came out.
Q: You must have found it difficult hiding your feelings for so long?
A: I just put it all aside. I didn't have any boyfriends. It's the main thing in my life I put off, but it's behind me now.
Q: If you were going to get married would Louis be your best man?
A: No! I think my best friend would be my best man. But Louis would definitely be at the wedding, with the rest of the Westlife boys and everyone else I work with.
Q: Do you think shows such as the 'X Factor' or 'American Idol' are good for the music industry?
A: The 'X Factor' can't always be about the next Whitney or Mariah, it's about entertainment. There's the pantomime element of it so characters like John and Edward have just as much reason to be there. It's about finding entertainers.
Q: Do you find it frustrating that they can do so well through reality TV?
A: We got our break through luck and trying hard, but other people get theirs in different ways. We can't complain because it gave us a chance to get the whole country hearing our new song. Money cannot buy that sort of exposure.
Q: Do you think they'll find another star?
A: They're very lucky they found Leona; she came at a crucial time because it was starting to get to the point where credibility was starting to diminish. Leona comes along and 'The X Factor' has found the newest, biggest star in the world, so it's respected again.
Q: You performed on 'X Factor' recently. Were you nervous?
A: We know we're all fine and that none of us act scatty and none of us are not going to speak to Dermot O'Leary. The worst thing that could have happened was that we would be a little nervous! But that's what you get when 15 million people are watching you.
Q: Do you think some people were waiting for you to fail?
A: I wasn't going to let that get to me. I wasn't thinking, oh look what happened to Whitney last weekend. I was thinking I want this to go well. Seeing the contestants every week, they don't look nervous, they don't realise how many people are watching.
Q: Did you get star struck?
A: Yes, because I watch it at home and it's like jumping into the TV. I think with Robbie Williams, and then me when I was nervous, is I watch the 'X Factor' every week and it's really strange, a bit like jumping into the TV. That's why he looked so nervous.
Q: Do you feel Westlife get unfairly criticisied for releasing so many covers?
A: We're a little bit misunderstood because we're not only doing covers. Our record company don't want to take risks so they'd be happy to do covers. If you listen to our album, I would say to anyone who criticises what we do, it kind of proves we don't just do covers. We do a lot of pop songs and a lot of our number one singles are actually pop songs.
Q: You've still had a lot of number ones...
A: We definitely did go too far, we did too many covers. That's something we allowed to happen and shouldn't have. There's a place for covers, some of the best songs in pop are covers, and it's just that we allowed ourselves to go a bit too far.
Q: What's Simon Cowell like? Does he really wear his trousers that high?
A: We met Simon in 1998. He came to Ireland to audition us and basically has the same outfit now. He's got the same trousers, up to his moobs, but he goes to the gym now so he doesn't have the moobs anymore...and he has the haircut. He had the same black top. I think he's kind of loosened up a bit and his style sense has changed. He wears jeans now; he doesn't wear the high-wasted trousers.
Q: He wears grey t-shirts too...
A: He likes to mix it up. To be honest, that's what he's like in real life. He's a very charming man and very interesting. I think the level of success, it's amazing, you can't deny that he has something very special. He's obviously an intelligent man.
Q: What don't the public know about Simon?
A: He's got a big side of him that's interested in psychology. Honestly, you go into his office and there are books on psychology and stuff. He's a business man and business men need to know all of that sort of stuff but he's a very nice man and there's a lot more to him than what the public see. I think he's also a very private man, as famous as he is, and he doesn't show that side of him.
By Laura Hinton
Credit/Source: FemaleFirst.co.uk
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Westlife Interview In Hello! Magazine27 Nov 2009
They have ruled the pop world for more than a decade with a string of worldwide top ten hits that has cemented their place as one of the most popular and sucessful bands in history.
And Irish heartthrobs Westlife are back with a bang as they release their new album Where We Are, featuring their recent single that reached No.2 in the charts after the boys performed it on X Factor last month. The Foursome - Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan - were understandably in high spirits when HELLO! met them last week.
In this exclusive interview, the bandmate, who have racked up 14 No.1 singles in the UK since they were formed in 1998, tell us what they think of The X Factor, fellow Irish sensations John and Edward Grimes - better known to fans as Jedward (who like them are mentored by Louis Walsh) - and their sadness ate the death last month of their friend, Boyzone singer Stephen Gately…
Everyone's talking about The X Factor, What do you think about the talent on this year's show?
Mark: "Danyl's the best voice on there for me, but I am getting caught up in the public's admiration for Jedward and I'd love them to win it. I don't think they're great singers by any means, but they're funny and the press have built them into something mega. But having met them, they're oblivious to the whole thing. I think Jedward winning would be great for X Factor. You look back to see who's still in the public eye, and I don't think Leon Jackson is doing anything at the minute."
Nicky, do you want Jedward to win?
Nicky: "I like them a lot. Just to shake up the show a little bit."
Is it because they're Irish?
Mark: "No, honestly that's nothing to do with it. It really isn't. I like who I like, year by year, and I don't like them just because it's Louis or they're Irish."
Sting described the show as "Karaoke TV", saying the contestants have no real talent or any chance of longevity in the industry. Do you share those views?
Mark: "I would never have expected someone like Sting to say that, I thought he was a very gathered, collected, intelligent, mature person; to say such a random statement… I don't know."
Kian: "To me, The X Factor is an amzing TV show. Me, Shane and Mark come from the west coast of Ireland and we were very, very, very blessed to have the opportunity to meet someone such as Louis Walsh and then for Louis to take us on is another whole different thing. That statement od Sting's is pretty wrong, because look at the acts that have come out of The X Factor - JLS are huge, Alexandra Burke is huge. They're all decents acts with longevity, and Leona Lewis is a whole different thing all together. So Sting should probably keep his opinions to himself if he's going to be negative about things like that."
Mark: "I'd be interested to know what Sting's opinion of Leona Lewis is!"
What do you think about how reality show winners seem to have the monopoly on the charts these days? The winner is almost guaranteed to get the Christmas No.1. Does that give them and unfair advantage, in your opinion?
Mark: "That's like saying befor The X Factor was on TV, does someone who got to perform one the Lottery have an unfair advantage because they're on a TV show? A big TV show is a big TV show, it's always going to be a vehicle to promote some acts, and some are luckier than others and they get on the bigger TV shows."
Your new album, Where We Are, is out at the end of the month. It's a very different sound for you. How has your style changed?
Shane: "I think it's better - there's more variety on there, and every producer or songwriter we worked with on this album is brand new to us. We've made most of it in America, which we've never done before, and we've worked with a lot of new people to create a better sound.
We feel the last two or three albums were cover-heavy. We went through a phase were we did different types of album and they were all successful. But it got to a stage where we weren't happy and we wanted to go back and make a great pop album.
"Our first single from the album, What About Now, is a great song. It's very different for a Westlife sound, but it's interesting and it's had the biggest airplay we've had in eight years. We're very proud of this album. Usually we do an album every year, but with this one we're going to spend the next two years promoting it. We feel it's got the legs for it, it's got a lot of great singles to come."
Kian, congratulations on tying the knot earlier this year with former Hollyoaks actress Jodi Albert. Now we hear Jodi is singing in a new girlband…
Kian: "Yes, she is. The group have just signed a recording deal with Mercury records. Hopefully, they'll be releasing a record next year.
Are they going to go on tour with you?
Kian: "We hope so, but it's all going to depend on whether they're ready or not. I think there's a platform there for them."
A few sad things have happend this year. Nicky and Kian have both lost their fathers, and there was also the death of your friend Stephen Gately. How has that affected you?
Mark: "On one hand, we've got the life that we've lived on stage and in the past that's so far removed from the reality that most people identify with, it's the stuff of dreams - glamorous parties in Los Angeles, travelling the world, performing in front of massive crowds, working with big names in the music business… All that stuff is fantastic. And then, on the other hand, you've got these last six months or a year that have been very real for us, and reality has been right in front of our faces, things that you can't escape, like losing Nicky's dad and Stephen.
"It happens to everyone and it affects everyone - it's something that everyone in the world has in common and it's a very grounding, real experience. It reminds you that we've got no power over these things and you get caught up on the treadmill of life and should really make the most of things while you have the opportunity. Nobody ever knows what's going to happen"
Credit/Source: Hello! magazine / Thanks Jane for typing it up
Westlife - Where We Are review27 Nov 2009Tracklisting: 1. What About Now 2. How To Break A Heart 3. Leaving 4. Shadows 5. Talk Me Down 6. Where We Are 7. The Difference 8. As Love Is My Witness 9. Another World 10. No More Heroes 11. Sound Of A Broken Heart 12. Reach Out 13. I'll See You Again
Record Company: Sony Music
Release Date: Monday 30th November 2009
Buy it now:
Westlife they have been around for quite a while now haven’t they? Impressively they managed to become one of the biggest selling boybands around (there being a lack of boybands lately) with their first seven singles going straight to number 1 there is no disputing that these guys are not just posers but also talented. After a well deserved break Westlife are back with their brand new album Where We Are. What did we think?
First track is current single What About Now one of the best tracks on the album we have to say. With its dramatic piano opening and Filan’s angelic voice serenading us it is clear why Westlife chose this as their lead single. Perfect for the festive season What About Now has some of that optimism that we all need after a long year.
How To Break A Heart is our little guilty pleasure. It’s cheesy yes but it has one of the catchiest chorus’ ever and we can’t stop singing those haha’s every time we reach the chorus.
All of sudden we realise that there is a pattern with most Westlife songs they always start off humbly and finish off in the most grandiose way. Harmonies now that is something these guys know how to do. Looks like ten years of practice has perfected their talent.
Sound Of A Broken Heart has that Westlife trademark sound think If I let You Go. It’s not great (as in we’ve heard this song before) but it will probably appeal to all the Westlifers out there.
Reach Out is another classic Westlife. This one is all about the harmonies and the chorus is extremely catchy and will probably get stuck in your head for a few hours once you are done listening to it. It’s good and especially when we reach the peak of the song.
Highlights on the album include Talk Me Down the only tame song on the album and it’s actually quite refreshing. Feehily is accompanied by piano and sounds painfully sad. Its simple stuff and we love it especially when it reaches its peak. The title track of the album Where We Are is by far the best track on the album and is without a shadow of a doubt a hit waiting to be unleashed. Most infectious melodies and harmonies we have heard in long time.
Westlife have almost accomplished the impossible by overcoming the death of boyband era and losing one of their members and yet getting bigger and bigger over the years. It seems that as long as you can sing and you have stage presence (and look good) there is nothing there to stop you. The album boasts some excellent pop songs/ballads and it’s only a shame that the last few tracks aren’t as catchy. Where We Are is the best we have heard from Westlife in years granted we are not the biggest connoisseurs in the matter but that’s our opinion.
Credit/Source:
www.entertainment-focus.com / Thanks Jessy for finding
Westlife are 'hopeful' of Sligo concert next summer
27 Nov 2009
By JIM GRAY EXCLUSIVE
As they roar back into action following a year long break, Westlife have confirmed that they're hopeful o f staging a concert in Sligo nex t summer.
In an exclusive interview with THE SL IGO CHAMPION, Shane Filan confirmed that talks have already opened with their agents about the possibility of including Sligo in their touring itinerary for 2010, and while "nothing is yet set in stone", he was hopeful that the hometown concert could become a reality.
"It's six years since we did our only Sligo concert, so we'd love to get back on stage on home territory next year. We have told our agents to do all they can to make it happen, and while nothing is set in stone, I would be hopeful that it will happen next summer," Shane said.
A Westlife concert would provide a massive badly needed boost for the local economy. When the band played here in 2003, in the final performance of a sellout world tour, more than 20,000 people flocked to Markievicz Park, many of whom had travelled from all over Europe for the event.
The success of that show effectively removed any doubts about Sligo's capability to host a major concert which should make it easier to surmount any obstacles which might emerge in the planning of a return visit.
The band
members themselves were extremely happy with both the way the concert was organised and the reaction from the Sligo public, regarding it as one of the highlights of their career.
"Certainly for the Sligo lads it would be right up there with the top h i g h l i g h t s, " Shane said. "It went very well, and Markievicz P a rk proved to be an ideal venue. Hopefully, the success of that event will make it easier to put things in place for another concert."
He stressed, however, that the planning for next summer's tour, which will more than likely include concerts at some of the world's biggest stadia, is still at a preliminary stage.
"Absolutely no dates have been set yet. But we are definitely going out on the road, and we've made it clear we would like to include Sligo. There has been no talk of dates or venues as of yet, but our agents are aware of our desire to play in our home town, and they will work towards that," Shane added.
Westlife's comeback album, 'Where We Are', will be released this Friday, with Shane describing it as "the best ever".
" We want to sell this album on its quality, rather than merely on our reputation. We deliberately set out to make a top quality record, and I honestly believe we've achieved that. I would definitely say it's our best ever album, and I'm confident when people hear it they'll agree with that assessment," Shane says.
Credit/Source:
www.sligochampion.ie
Shane Interview Translated from Swedish26 Nov 2009
Westlife are back after two years away from the limelight, 2 December is the release date for the Irish boyband's tenth album "Where We Are". First single "What About Now" was released last month and reached the second place in the British charts giving promise of a welcome comeback. Today the guys are in Stockholm to promote the new album. Yesterday I had a chat on the phone with Shane Filan, one of the band members.
Hey Shane! I saw your performance at X-Factor the other week, how does it feel to be back on stage?
It feels really good and we are very pleased to be back on track again after a hard year. It's fun to be back with a good track and our album is really strong, we are very proud!
What have you been doing during your free time?
I have spent lots of time at home, my wife and I had our second child in September last year, so we have spent much time at home with the kids. In addition, I played much golf and started going to the gym to be fit, otherwise I have only been on leave and chillax, which was really nice because I've almost constantly been on tour since 1999.
Tell us about your new album coming out next week
It's very good! It is better both musically and lyrically, it is a bit of a new sound of Westlife, I think it is more mature, has more tempo in the music and generally this album is more interesting and edgy than before. It is a great step forward for us!
Yes, it's definitely a new sound, how would you compare it with your previous expressions?
Yes there is a new sound, but it is still very Westlife. I think the style is different. There is a lot better and more interesting production than before. We have been working with new songwriters and producers. So it is quite new in that sense, we look forward to hearing feedback from fans when the album comes out!
Have you used any of your Swedish songwriters for this album?
Yes there is always a piece of Sweden with a Westlife album, haha! Among others, Savan Kotecha (Note: previously wrote Westlife's Us Against The World and Obvious) has been involved in a couple of songs and Carl Falk has been involved in writing Leaving.
You always say that your new album is the best so far.
Yes, of course, you always think that the new album is good, but this time get the album speak for itself. When our fans hear it, they will probably agree with everything I say. It is probably the best album we've done so far and we must listen to it to enjoy it. If you do not want to listen - do not buy it!
You have just toured the UK / Ireland during your last two tours. Are you going to Sweden next tours?
We want to tour in Europe, why we do not bust out of the continent is that our fan base has declined a bit, our music has not received much radio and tv exponering past two or three years. But I think the new album will be a major success throughout Europe and in this case, we will be more touring next summer. So simple it works.
What will you do during your visit Sweden?
We will give interviews, there will be a short visit but we will return to Sweden on 4 December - when we perform on Idol!
That's right, it's actually the day of the BSB concert in Stockholm, boyband fans are facing a hard choice ...
Well I did not know! Then they go to the Backstreet Boys concert and record our performance on Idol, haha!
You have spent lots of time here in all these years, what is your relationship to Sweden?
We have a good relationship with Sweden, it is the third country we visited the most next to Britain - and Ireland of course. We have spent much time in Sweden, mainly because of all the songs we recorded. We have a large fan base here, they have always been loyal and very supportive. They are always at the airport and the hotels - it's always fun to get there!
Speaking of fans, will you remember some of them in particular, what is the craziest fans in Sweden made?
I remember one girl who had a large outbreak every time she saw us. She began to shake the whole lot and cry uncontrollably, she literally freaks out every time. We never knew if she was serious or if she just faking it. She must be the craziest fan we've seen in Sweden anyway!
Westlife released the album "What About Now", December 2, December 4 band appears at the semi-finals of Idol, which takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden, TV4 at 20.00
Westlife Interview in Woman Magazine25 Nov 2009
'This time we're not playing it safe!'
The Westlife boys chat to us about their new album and family Christmas plans...
Their recent appearance on The X Factor marked the return of Westlife - Shane Filan, 30, Nicky Byrne, 31, Mark Feehily, 29, and Kian Egan, 29 - after a year off. So when we meet them in a London studio they're ready for a good gossip and are happy to fill us in on their family lives and their concerns for manager Louis Walsh...
Are you hoping your new album goes to number one?
Shane: Well, we've never had a Christmas number one album, but Simon Cowell says he's more into this album than the last seven ones - he's ringing us the whole time about it.
Mark: We've played it safe with our music in the past, so this time we wanted to do our own songs rather than just covers.
What have you all been up to on your year off?
Nicky: I lived in Portugal with my wife, Georgina and twins Rocco and Jay, two, which was cool, and I also did a lot of kickboxing.
Shane: I spent a lot of time making and having babies! Nicole is four, Patrick is one and we've got one due in February.
Kian: My dad unfortunately passed away, which was a big ordeal for everybody. BUt I also married my wife Jodi Albert. It was a bit of rollercoaster, a bittersweet year.
Mark: I travelled round Asia and Europe with my boyfriend Kevin.
And how is Louis?
Shane: Still very upset about Stephen Gately's death. They were very close, it's tragic, he was the nicest guy. Louis will block things out and get back to work, but back home at Christmas it will hit him hard.
You had a reunion with your ex bandmate Brian McFadden at Stephen's funeral...
Nicky: It was the first time in a while. He's gone through his own torment at the moment with his kids and the whole Kerry thing, but he's keeping well.He's very happy in Australia, I don't think he'll ever be back in the band, but there may be a moment down the line when we'll all feel it's right to do a song together.
Who are you backing to win on The X Factor?
Shane: I'd say Joe or Olly
Kian: Danyl!
Mark: well whether you love or hate the twins, you're still going to watch them. The contestants all seem very young this year, or maybe we're getting older?
What are your Christmas plans?
Mark: We've finally bitten the bullet and invited Kevin's family over, so I'm going to have to deliver a good day for them.
Shane: He's got a new Kitchen!
Nicky: Mine and Georgina's family are coming to ours and both our sisters are pregnant at the moment. Georgina's sister Cecelia (Ahern, the novelist) is due around Christmas day so that could be dramatic!
What's your favourite Christmas memory?
Kian: I got a drum kit when I was 10. By midnight my parents has to take it off me. I went bersek!
Shane: One Christmas I had a fiver to buy all my presents. I bought everyone a toothbrush and wrapped them individually. It was a horrendous present. They all went, 'Thanks Shane' I can't wait to brush my teeth'.
Credit/Source: Woman Magazine / Thanks Rachel for scanning and Nat for typing it up
Westlife Itreview & Pictures In More Magazine
25 Nov 2009
The Alan Carr Interview - WESTLIFE
This week, our celeb reporter gets a few diet tips, suggests Brian rejoin Westlife and regrets asking about the weirdest fan gift the boys have reveived...
They are the boy band princes of pop, so I was very excited indeed to get the chance to interrogate Westlife about their new album, Where We Are, their crazy fans and getting fat. And those Irish lads did make me laugh a lot... Although if you think I'm a bitch, wait until you hear what they had to say!
Alan: Hello Westlife! How are you all?
Shane: Good. It's good to be back.
A: Now I saw you on The X Factor the other week - I loved the lasers, very nice touch - but why did you ditch sitting on the stools?
Kian: It's not that we've ditched the stools. It's the typical thing we do, but don't worry, Westlife have got a very big name for stools.
A: Now I was there the week before you, and I think Danyl was loosing votes because of the old microphone tossing, don't you?
Kian: [All laugh] Somebody said he was a bit of a tosser in front of us, but I didn't believe them. I actually had him tipped to win after his first ever performance. Then you hear all the negative stuff that's in the press about him...
A: That's not fair really, is it?
Kian: It's not fair because it definitely does alter votes.
Mark: I feel more sorry about John and Edward. They're nice and naive. Danyl came across as somebody who's able to deal with the press. whereas I feel more sorry for the other ones, the younger ones.
A: It is just a game show at the end of the day. Who do you think will win?
Nicky: I was hoping Lucie would win before she was voted off. I think she was really good in the auditions and she was great when we met her.
Mark: I said Olly would be a good bet.
Shane: I thought Joe - for the Geordies.
A: Aww little Joe! Did you see how fat he was when he was a kid?
Shane: Yeah, it's like, 'What the fuck'!
A: I know, I thought, 'Well there's hope for me!' I don't want to talk to him about the X Factor I want to say, 'How did you loose the weight?'
Shane: Gastric band eh?
A: [Cracking up] Gastric band, oh God...
Now, enough about The X Factor, you must have some mad fans. What's the weirdest thing your fans have done?
Shane: I think being given a used Tampax is the worst thing that's happened.
A: That's disgusting!
Shane: We were once sent a turnip, but that's not as bad as a used, bloody tampon. It turned up in an envelope, we got given it at a signing.
A: [Gagging] A used... that is disgusting. What did you put on it? Did you sign it in the end? A bloody biro wouldn't work...
Shane: A red pen! A Sharpie!
A: Sharpies, they're the ones David Beckham promotes aren't they? They write on anything - you could sign a turd.
Shane: They never smudge either.
A: Now how many of you are married?
Kian: Three of us are married.
Mark: They're all married.
A: [Looking at Mark] Aww, are you not? All alone, never found the right girl?
Mark: [Laughs] I'll never find the right girl.
A: He's looking.
Mark: [Sarcastically] One day.
A: One day she'll come along... with a cock. [All laugh hysterically]
So what's it like being married? Do you stay in more? Do you read at home?
Kian: [Laughs] Yes, we're all so boring we stay in and read at home!
A: No, I'm sorry. I mean how's it changed for you? Are you loving it?
Kian: Yeah, completely. I'm the one that's newly married - I got married in May - but the two boys have been married a few years. I think you get a lot closer to the person. It doesn't feel any different in your everyday life, but it definitely feels different in your relationship.
A: You guys seem quite grounded - do you ever have those days where you're stumbling out of clubs?
Shane: Yeah, we just stumble out the back door [laughs]. We still stumble out of clubs, the paps just don't follow us around.
A: You know Robbie's hinted he'll re-join Take That - do you reckon Brian will ever come back?
Kian: Well, we'll never allow him, I don't think. I mean, he left the band for a reason and that's the end of that! [All laugh]
A: I only asked!
Kian: [Laughs] I only answered!
Nicky: Brian's still a friend, we don't see him often but realistically he'll never be in the band again. But we'll not rule out singing a song with him. You can't rule out stuff like that because you never know.
Kian: If we got paid enough we'd probably do something with him.
Shane: [Laughing] Kian, you're such a bitch!
A: Meow! Now, you know when Whitney Houston was on the X Factor and her flaps popped open?
Shane: We were actually in Iceland at the time so we didn't see it.
A: The supermarket?
Shane: No, the country! We went to actual Iceland supermarket for Kerry's birthday.
A: Oh dear, what would Brian say?
So you never had a wardrobe mulfanction? Breasts falling out?
Kian: No, we just tie our bra straps tight.
Shane: Did someone's trousers not fall down one day? We got to a gig and we had no boxer shorts on, do you remember?
Nicky: In Italy? That was awful! Yeah, we just wore no boxers! We had white trousers on.
A: What, you could see through them?
Nicky: You could see through them if you really looked and we just wanted to see if anyone would notice - nobody noticed.
A: Oh dear! Ok, if you weren't in Westlife what would you be doing?
Shane: Fuck all.
A: I've got no skills in anything! I'd be stacking shelves, doing data entry...
Shane: I'd be doing the same - data entry.
Kian: [To Nicky] A copper, you would have been a copper!
Nicky: Well I was a footballer for a while and then that didn't work and then Westlife happened when I was studying for exams to get in the Irish police. So yeah, I would have been that or a stripper.
Shane: As a copper.
Mark: A kissogram. Kissogram or stripogram?
A: Stripograms are a bit more manual work aren't they?
Mark: How much are you paying?
A: Beggars can't be choosers, love! Just take the money and strip. What would you be doing? Have you got what it takes to be a kissogram?
Shane: I could have been one of those novelty ones with a big fat belly hanging out or something like that.
A: Do you think you'll still be releasing music in 20 years? Like the Stones?
Shane: I don't know...
A: How long do you reckon it'll go on for? Are you still enjoying it?
Shane: Couple of months maybe. Ten years is a possibility, but 20 years - that's a fucking long way away. We'll be 50.
A: You'll need those stools. What's the worst part of your body?
Kian: My belly - it's getting hairy!
Nicky: I've got a weird shaped head.
A: You haven't got a weird shaped head. I shaved my head once and you remember that man from The Goonies? [All laugh] Now Kian, you said that you don't like your stomach, do you like go on diets and keep fit in the gym?
Kian: I go through phases of exercising. Before my wedding I got quite fit and I do watch what I eat more.
Shane: What? You watch what you eat? You used to close your fucking eyes when you were eating?
Kian: No, I just care more about what I'm eating. When you start going to the gym, it's pointless unelss you want to achieve... say you're going to the gym and then getting a Big Mac...
Nicky: What is it the say? Take the 'C' off the chips and what do you get?
A: Hips!
Nicky: Yeah man!
A: That's good!
Shane: Chicken pickers wear bigger knickers.
A: More! I want to know more! Oh, you're done? Lovely then, thank you ever so much for that. It was nice to meet you, boys!
Mark: Thank you, that was fun.
Westlife's album, Where We Are is out on Monday.
Alan Carr: Chatty Man is on Thursdays, 10pm, C4, and he's on Radio 2 on Saturdays, 6pm-8pm. His book, Look Who It Is, is out now
Credit/Source: More magazine / Thanks Rachel for the scans
Mark Interview On Popjustice25 Nov 2009
"I'm very safety conscious and all that..."
Westlife's Mark Feehily on comebacks, covers and cries for help...
Hello, Mark. This must be the end of a day of various interviews.
Yeah, we’ve just been doing group interviews where everyone butts in front of everyone and all that kind of stuff, so it’s nice to have a quiet room by myself now. Everyone’s off doing solo interviews and I got stuck with Popjustice… Oh, I mean Popjustice got stuck with me. (Awkward laugh)
It must be quite exciting to come back with a new album to talk about in interviews but there must also be a point, probably about two interviews into your first major day of press, when you think, ‘fucking hell, have I got to do this all over again?’
Um… Yeah. To be honest, I think I’ve got something exciting to talk about now, and that in the past hasn’t always been the case. Before that you knew it all already before you even got to the interview, but now it’s kind of, well, it really is a fresh sort of start for us. I mean I’m excited in these interviews more than I would have been because I’ve just got more to talk about.
That’s a very Noel Gallagher-esque approach to the ‘new album’ interview: “the last album was shit, the new one’s amazing though”.
Hahaha, yeah. Our new album is genuinely a move in a certain direction. I mean, it’s definitely not the predictable same old thing, covers or whatever. You know, I’m talking to Popjustice, I might as well be real. You know I’m not here to kind of fluff the s or whatever, you know.
Obviously the first single is a cover, which you’ve had a bit of flack for…
You know, it is a cover and… Would we have preferred a brand new original song to be our first single that Simon [Cowell] loved and thought he could launch an album off? Yes. Um… That wasn’t exactly the case you know. We love this single, we genuinely do, and if you heard some of the suggestions that were put to us before this, well, you’d kind of understand why we’ve done this and why this is kind of a relief. There were many songs which I would be even scared to mention, you know, that were suggested to us which we turned down. There were many cover versions and many original songs that were either terrible or we would’ve been sort of trying to do a cover version of one of the best songs of all time that you’d just never touch.
What was the worst cover idea that was put to you?
There was loads of stuff through the years, like ‘You Are Not Alone’ by Michael Jackson…
And now of course that’s the X Factor finalists’ single.
Yeah, so Simon’s basically convinced somebody to do it, and it wasn’t us! Put it this way: there’s been times over the years where they’ve suggested stuff and we literally have gone ‘right, okay, don’t even go there…’ But then there’s other times when we have to find a reason. With Simon we don’t want to just go ‘no’ or whatever, we try and give him a reason, and sometimes it is a bit harder to give a reason why not to do it. And sometimes there’s a song where there is no reason not to cover them, you know.
Of course in the time you’ve been around, cover versions have become very cool. Jo Whiley built a very credible radio feature around cover versions and now you can’t move for people covering each others’ tunes, usually quite badly. Westlife set the trend Mark.
(Laughs) I think it’s just become the thing to talk about with Westlife, you know, ‘cover, whatever, blah blah blah’. I think, hopefully, if anyone actually genuinely wants to have an opinion, they’ll just give us the benefit and listen to our album before they make their minds up on it. So people can just listen to it and then after that, then if they wanna say “oh boring old predictable Westlife,” fine, but I’d just ask them to listen to the album first, because we’re just starting fresh.
If you had infinite time, a different record label and a different sort of ‘machine’ around you , what would be the album that you’d ideally make? If you didn’t have a fanbase to please, what would you want to do?
Well right now, honestly, we’ve gone through the full circle of what we feel. Sometimes we’ve felt more rebellious and gone, you know, ‘fuck you, label, we’re not doing that, we’ll do whatever we want’. I think we’ve realised after ten or eleven years that the most important thing is that everybody in the equation is on the same page, because if that doesn’t happen, then one of the kind of triangle of ourselves, management and the label loses interest, and without three people behind it, it never kind of reaches its full potential, so this time around, it’s the first time ever apart from probably our first album that everybody has felt the exact same about the album. Simon texted me when I was driving my car through Central London, and of course I pulled over to read the text because I’m very safety conscious and all that. But I literally nearly died, because Simon texted me and said ‘oh my god, guys, I have to tell you – hats off, your album is amazing. Your instincts were right, you’ve followed your instincts and you’ve really come out on top and this is the best album that we’ve ever made together’. And I practically shed a tear I was so happy, because I already knew I was happy with it and the rest of the boys were, and Louis was – but to find out that Simon was happy with it was like the final piece of the jigsaw. And it meant that, you know what, if this album flops then we’ve given it our best shot and everyone’s been fully behind it, so we can’t use the excuse of ‘the label weren’t really behind it fully’ or whatever.
What’s on the album then?
There’s a song that I’m really proud of myself which I wrote with Shaznay Lewis and Chris Braide called ‘Reach Out’ that I’m very, very proud of because I’ve always strived to write but I’ve always been a bit scared because it can be quite frowned upon sometimes, especially in the past for us to even mention the word ‘write’. I kind of went off and did it in my own time and then once I had a good demo, I brought it to the label and they liked it… I did it that way instead of going in and meeting them and saying ‘do you mind if I write and could you put me in with someone?’.
What’s the song about?
Um…well it’s kind of… I wrote it about something personal actually and I don’t really want to say what it is. But it’s just that kind of thing when someone’s in trouble and they’re not really saying anything about it. It’s quite a straightforward sentiment really. There’s also a song called ‘Shadows’ that we’ve done with Ryan Tedder that was written by him and AJ from the Backstreet Boys which is quite R&B vocally…
Does the chorus go “shadows, shadows, shadows” in a Ryan Tedder-esque kind of way.
I’m actually trying to think what the chorus is like for a second. (Incomprehensible humming) Actually it’s only got ‘shadows’ once, it’s not like ‘Halo’ or anything like that. We have another song called ‘Where We Are’ that we’ve done with Ryan that is a bit more like that ‘Halo’ kind of beat and everything.
You said at the start of this interview that you’re more into this album than you’ve been with past albums.
Absolutely. Basically the kind of final piece of the jigsaw is when you’re on the stage, and it’s the whole thing about believing in what you’re singing – I don’t mean like you’ve written the lyrics and it’s about a personal experience, but I mean believing that it’s good and standing there being proud of it, like performing ‘What About Us’ on The X Factor in front of 15 million people I was proud of that song. I was able to sing properly because I was proud and happy with it.
When were you last proud of an album? Let’s not forget your masterpiece, the rat pack covers album ‘Allow Us To Be Frank’.
Let’s forget that actually. (Laughs) That was a weird time in our career, really. I’m not making excuses for it, but Brian had just left. We kind of didn’t know what to do… Even when Brian was still in the band, people didn’t know what to do with us! But Brian had just left, everyone was a bit like ‘well this can’t be some kind of mediocre pop album’, and you know Robbie [Williams] had just gone out with his and when we heard the idea first, we were just like ‘well Robbie’s just done this, why don’t we just come up with our own little twist instead of doing something like that?’ We eventually bought into it and I have to say as a singer I enjoyed the experience of recording the album, but obviously you have to promote for six months and then you tour and stuff, so by the end of the tour we were ready to put that one behind us.
Alright, so that one was shit. ‘Back Home’, was that quite a good one? I’ve lost track.
I think ‘Back Home’ was kind of the beginning of this new album in a way. We’d been quite wary because Simon was starting to have huge success in America and we didn’t want Simon to turn around and go ‘they’re crazy, I don’t really know what they’re doing, they’re all mad in the head. They’re trying to be something they’re not.’ So it was a case of gradually, slowly but surely… It was the first time in a while that we’d done something that wasn’t predictable.
And how do you move forward from this, because even if this has given you a bit of renewed energy and excitement and you enjoy promoting it, you must be a bit bored of this now. But it is too late to do anything else? Are you stuck in Westlife forever?
Well I’ll always be a member of Westlife. Something that I learned in the time off was that I really do love Westlife and I need it in my life to be happy because it’s very much part of who I am and ten years later, it’s like… You know, as you said, you’re so far into it that it’s always going to be a part of me. And I am very proud of it. But part of the motivation to make the best pop album ever was: if we’re going to do this, if we’re going to do even one more album, let’s do it right, let’s not just wheel them out every year. We’re moving forwards, hopefully the next album will be even better, do you know what I mean? It’s just step by step, you can’t get there straight away, you have to take things one step at a time. I don’t believe in black and white like you have to be solo or you have to be in the band. On the year off, I’d done a lot of writing… I’d done a song with a guy called Steve Anderson who works with Kylie a lot - I’m quite good friends with him because he MD’d our live tour a few times and stuff like that. I did a song with him literally for the laugh, we said ‘let’s try it for the laugh,’ it’s called ‘Talk Me Down’ and I just put a vocal on it – and it ended up on the album. My point is… Well actually, I can’t remember what my point was now. (Laughs)
What’s the worst song on the new album?
The worst song? Um… I’m just trying to think of what I think would be the worst song… (Extended silence) It would be a lot easier for me to answer this from previous albums. Um, I think the song that would be least likely to be a single would be a song called ‘Sound Of A Broken Heart’ but that’s just because I think the other ones are just better than it. When you’re this connected to something it’s hard – you’d need a stranger to say, ‘alright, that’s shit, that’s shit, and that’s shit’…
You need to be at a distance, don’t you, sometimes, to see how shit something actually is.
Yeah, I don’t believe anything on the album is shit, but I’ve just put all my heart and soul into it. But I don’t know. Maybe that’s for someone else to decide. I’m not going to say it’s the best album of all time, I’m just saying that we’ve tried to make the best album we could, and we haven’t done a lot of covers and it’s not all predictable, so if this doesn’t make people happy then maybe we just never will.
You know what you should say to the haters? Just say to them, ‘hey, whatever.’
(Laughs) Well maybe not, Simon Cowell wouldn’t say that. He wouldn’t like us to say that. We’re supposed to say ‘Mandy’.
Let’s be fair, he did have a point - ‘Hey, Whatever’ was something of a low point.
Yeah, it was us trying to um, sort of, we didn’t know how to fight back and we just kind of went ‘bleaaaagh’. Now we’re kind of a bit more mature about things and we’ve learnt a bit more, but back then it was almost like a cry for help.
It seems Westlife have now got to a point where it’s not really worth people using their energy disliking you, in the same way that it’s not really worth your energy trying to please them. After over a decade you’re not going to suddenly become Vampire Weekend just because people complain about you doing nice ballads quite a lot, and nor do you really want to.
I know, it’s strange! Twelve years later and people still have a problem, and I’m like, well, you’re never going to like us. You know, you’re a fucking electronica fan or a house fan. You know what I mean? It’s like, you’re never going to like Westlife, you know, so…
So fuck off.
Yeah, so whatever! Stop annoying me about it, go and tell someone who gives a shit.
Westlife.com is a website where you are able to find more information about Mark and his bandmates and their comings and goings.
Credit/Source: popjustice.com
Grieving Westlife bare their souls28 Nov 2009
By Claire Murphy
WESTLIFE say recent tragedies including the death of Stephen Gately have forced them to re-evaluate their lives.
Just seven weeks after Boyzone star Gately (33) died in Mallorca the showbiz world will hold an extravaganza in his memory at the Palace Theatre in London's West End tomorrow.
Comedians Graham Norton, Matt Lucas, Alan Carr and Paul O'Grady are expected to attend, though it's believed Boyzone will not perform.
Meanwhile, Westlife singer Nicky Byrne has revealed how he desperately misses his father, Nikki Byrne snr (60), who died so suddenly just three weeks ago.
"The finality of it is just incomprehensible," he said.
Fellow band-mate Kian Egan (29) lost his father, Kevin, after a long battle with cancer in July of this year.
"When I lost my dad the idea of it was just heartbreaking and I said to the boys to make sure and take care of your dads," Kian said.
"And here we are and another of the band's dad is gone as well. It's obviously a very, very difficult thing.
"I don't think you ever get over it. You just accept it a little bit more as time goes on, rather than getting over it," he added.
Dad-of-two Nikki (31) said he doesn't fear death and was grateful that his dad wasn't in pain before he passed away.
Sick
"I'm not afraid to die. I'm too young to die," he said. "My dad always said he never wanted to be sick.
"At any funeral we were at he would say to enjoy life because as quick as you are here, you are gone. The fans have been so good with the letters and the cards," Nicky added.
The group revealed that the song I'll See You Again, which appears on their new album Where We Are, has a special significance to them.
"It's a really moving track but uplifting," Nicky said. "Even though it is about death and someone going, it's about seeing them again and them always walking beside you. It is a message of hope."
clairemurphy@herald.ieCredit/Source:
www.herald.ie