The Wanted Interview

Last year when The Wanted played Party in the Park they were a band at the very start of their pop career, in fact it was the same day that their debut single went to number 1 in the UK. In the year since the band have embarked on a gruelling schedule including releasing their debut album that went platinum, a UK tour, releasing a book, performed on the X Factor and a host of other shows and are just putting the finishing touches to their second album. When we catch up with what has been called the “best looking boy band around” they have just finished a radio tour and are just about to start rehearsals for T4 on the beach. Max George has a few minutes to talk about the new album and who is the messiest in the band.

Do you ever get any time to yourselves?

No not at the minute, I don’t even know when we have got a day off. We have the new single coming out soon so it’s just really hectic at the minute.

It’s barely been a year since the first single came out, has the success sunk in yet?

No not really, we still feel the same as we did a year ago like. It still feels like it’s the start and that we have a long way to go yet. I don’t think we really have got that far, we don’t feel any different and don’t feel like super stars or anything like that, we just want to keep going and be the best that we possibly can.

You were put together through an open audition, how was that experience?

 It was all right. We all got on at the auditions and that took nine months, over that time we got to know each other so by the time us five were picked we were all getting on anyway. We got pushed straight in a house and we got on fine straight away. We are best mates.

Is it a typical boy’s house, dirty and full of beer and pizza boxes?

Yeah it’s horrible, it stinks. We have a cleaner that comes in a few times a week, I feel sorry for her. I don’t know how she has lasted but she does a top job.

Who is the worst boy for creating mess?

Tom, without a doubt.

Do you get any strange requests from fans?

The boys get a lot of proposals and stuff. Jay gets a ridiculous amount of gifts. Everyone loves giving him gifts because he is always on Twitter saying what he likes so they always send stuff to Jay. I just get cards, but they are usually to Michelle (Keegan his finance) more than me.

What has been the best gig you have played so far?

I would have to say playing Wembley Stadium this year at the Summertime Ball, that was just insane. When all the stats came up on the screen and said what we had done over the last year, it just made us think that we have come a really long way. That was special.

What do you think has been your recipe for success?

I think good songs and hard work. I think we had a really good debut single with ‘All Time Low’. Steve Mac who wrote it is a genius, I think that’s what kick started us. We worked really hard for three or four months, doing a radio tour, doing a club and school tour and then we went to number 1 and we sort of had an instant over night fan base which was an amazing thing to get. You just keep on working, you just can’t stop if you want to keep on top and we haven’t. I think that’s why we are doing as well as we can do, we want to be the best band in the world. We are a long way off it yet.

Going to number 1 in the UK was just the start. We are branching out to America, we have just gone to number 1 on the Breakout Billboard chart, we are going to Australia, we have had four number 1’s in Asia. It’s going really well.

You worked with some amazing songwriters on your first album, how was it working with such experienced people?

For me personally I was just delighted to be fair. I remember we first worked with Guy Chambers and I remember walking in and thinking Jesus that’s actually him. Like I have seen him on T.V and all that but I never thought I would meet him, let alone be working with him. I just felt really happy, I wasn’t daunted, I just sat there and watched, taking it all in and trying to learn as much as I could from him. I think we all learnt a lot from it.

How is the second album coming along?

I think a lot of it shows we have really grown up as writers; it’s quite grown up I think.  We talk about quite serious things that happen in life, they are quite serious and grown up some of the lyrics. I think we wanted to do that because we wanted to open it up to a broader audience I suppose.

What’s the best thing about being in The Wanted?

I think are fans are so loyal, they follow us everywhere and they love everything we do and we love them to bits. We always try and spend as much time with them as we can. 

Published in Yorkshire Evening Post and Metro