Exclusive Phone Interview

By Marilena Papakosta

Westlife are without a doubt UK’s favourite lads, with 36 million sales and a record of 14 No.1s in the UK singles chart (only The Beatles and Elvis Presley have more). Even though the last few years they left behind them the boyband sign and Brian McFadden left the band, their audience stayed unbreakable and incredibly loyal. Now they are ready to dominate in the UK charts once again with their new album, “Back Home”.

Just before the release of their brand new album, we found Nicky Byrne in London and he talked to us about their new songs, the music he’s listening to as well as Spice Girls who it seems are scared to battle with them in the charts.

N.B.: Good morning! I’m Nicky from Westlife. I hope you’re all fine!

A.: Good morning Nicky! Where are you?
N.B.: In a really boring place! (laughs) I’m at a hotel at London’s airport. We just arrived from Ireland for a few days to promote our new album.

A.: How do you feel about getting ready to release a new album with songs you have chosen?
N.B.: Excited! For a long time now, actually, since we decided to record this album. Our previous album was a themed album. We’ve chosen the best – in our opinion – love songs of all times and recorded them. Now we recorded an album with brand new songs, an experience we have really missed. I think the reason why we are famous is because we are pop. Now we wanted to make a pop album, so we collaborated again with the same producers that we had in our most successful pop albums and we had a really good time recording. I think it’s a very powerful album.

A.: Do you think it (Home) will be your 15th No.1?
N.B.: We hope so! I just want to say that we have wonderful fans! They are the best that a band could have. Our single seems to be going very well on the radios, and it’s a song that we all believe in, so you know, we hope the album will go No.1 in the charts.

A.: How do you feel that Spice Girls changed the release date of their own album so that it will not be released the same day as “Back Home”?
N.B.: Listen… The truth is we have chosen 5 November for a long time. We release all of our albums in November, so it was an easy choice for us. Then we heard that Spice Girls would release the same day their “Greatest Hits” album. It would be like a battle! You know, which band would win the No.1. I think the public would like it too. Then someone told me Spice moved their release one week later.

A.: Do you think they are scared of the battle with you?
N.B.: Do you think so? Honestly, I can’t understand why. They are a really popular group and they still have many fans that listen to their music. I would say it’s charming for us them to have this reaction. From the other side, you know, this has been given so much publicity that it could only have good effect on us both.

A.: Would you say “Back Home” is a classic Westlife styled album or have you changed your sound at all?
N.B.: It is as pop as it takes! Absolutely pop! Totally pop! (laughs) It obviously has variety in its style and I think it’s one of the best albums we have recorded. We feel like we have done something really really right.

A.: What kind of music do you usually listen to?
N.B.: You can’t even imagine how different music tastes we have! Let’s say, Mark is searching very much to what he listens. Imagine that I hear him talking about Amy Winehouse three years now and I only got to know who she is this year. He has many different music interests and listens to different things and searches very much the music he listens to. From the other side, I listen to anything commercial that is released, Kian listens to Michael Jackson and Jack Johnson and Shane listens to everything carefully and then he decides on what he likes and what he doesn’t.

A.: Which is your favourite song from your own album?
N.B.: I’m very happy you ask me! I mostly like “Us Against The World” which is probably going to be the second single! Yours?

A.: “Pictures In My Head”.
N.B.: Very good choice, it’s probably my second favourite!

A.: You recently became a father. Has that affected the way you work at all? Is it as easy for you to organize your travels and tours now that you have your family waiting for you at home?
N.B.: It’s wonderful to have kids! Your life changes extremely, but what you feel can’t be described with words. Something extremely new is born inside you. Of course you have to accommodate to it for 18 or 19 years, but you suddenly totally understand your parents, and you love them even more… It seems so normal that they were not letting you go out till late, that they wanted to know where you go and everything else that seems tiring when you are a kid. The truth is that they just worry. Nothing more. I try not to let my family affect my work. Shane did it a few years ago and he did fine. Now I take the program with the works we have to do as a band and I create time for my family around them. Let’s say, I wake up two or three hours earlier and I help my wife with the kids and we spend time together then. When I’m not with the band, I’m with them.

A.: What about when you travel?
N.B.: It’s probably more difficult. When we were in Los Angeles it was difficult because they couldn’t come over and I missed them very much. But when we tour and travel with our tour-buses they come with me. Obviously no one of us lets their personal lives affect the band. Our families are coming with us! (laughs) We’ve become many though and we need more tour-buses! But it’s nice we’re all together, it gives our tours a more family atmosphere.

A.: What kind of music do you listen to lately?
N.B.: Ah well, I listen to James Blunt’s new album all the time. Everywhere! I think it’s a very good work. You know, I don’t usually buy all the albums, because many times I only like one or two songs out of all the songs in them. But I bought that one as I like almost all of them! I listen to Carpenters, U2, Backstreet Boys, Damien Rice, ‘N Sync - yes, I still do -, Katie Melua all the time. I can also tell you a record about which I was wrong: Justin Timbelake’s album is wonderful! I didn’t get it at the start but I can now tell you it’s really wonderful. Have you heard it?

A.: Yes, I have. I agree with you. It needs its time but I find it clever.
N.B.: Clever! That’s the exact work I was searching! (laughs) I hope you will have the same opinion for “Back Home”.

Credit/Source: Afisorama Magazine / Translated from Greek to English



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