Westlife Chat To I Like Music (Nicky Interview)

Formed in 1998, signed by Simon Cowell and managed by Louis Walsh, Irish boy band Westlife have gone on to become the biggest selling band of the decade (2000-2009). In the UK they tie with The Beatles for the most consecutive number ones, they've sold nearly 50 million records and now, they release their new album Where We Are.

I Like Music caught up with Nicky for a chat about their music! We find out the typical boy band process of making an album, how he's coped with super stardom, the best moments of his career so far, and why, after a year off, Westlife are feeling happier and more confident than ever before.

"I Like Music because… it's the food for life. It can take you from a dark place to a sunny bright place. Or it can take you from a sunny bright place to a dark place, if that's where you choose to go to. I think it's got everything. It's got body, it's got a pulse. It can make you dance, it makes you happy. Music is extremely special." NICKY, WESTLIFE.

ILM: Hello! How does it feel to be back with a new album?
Nicky: It's great to be back! We had a big break and it's just amazing to be back on the market, doing what we believe we do best! We took our time making this album, we're very proud of it. We believe we've come back with something special. I don't believe we would have come back so soon if we didn't have something like this, we would have waited. We've come back with what we believe to be the best album of our career.

ILM: Have you returned feeling refreshed after your time off?
Nicky: We took a year off back in June '08 for lots of different reasons. We'd done ten years straight! We all needed a bit of space, we needed to miss Westlife again. The time off gave us space to reflect on what it was, reflect on those ten years. We needed to work out how to improve. It was important for us to do that. I suppose if we made a list of ten things that needed to change and be re-modelled for our come back, I think we've ticked eight to nine of those boxes already.

ILM: What was at the top of that list? What was most important in terms of a Westlife come back?
Nicky: Changing the way our record label worked with Westlife. We wanted to be put in touch with different producers from around the world, we didn't want to just settle for the same old, same old. We really wanted to make it fresh and new again, which is what we've done! Having had those meetings with the label, we told Simon [Cowell] how we felt. We were so excited to hear that he felt the same. All of a sudden he was opening doors for us to work with some of the best producers in the world.

ILM: How was that experience? Working with new producers?
Nicky: Working with the guys from America was incredible. Simon opened up all the doors and introduced us to all these great producers and writers. We went out for lunch with them and told them what we wanted. They knew our history, but they needed to know our new vision, where we wanted to go with our music. Then they went away and wrote songs. We were in America for just over a month.

ILM: How did the new album come together?
Nicky: We'd meet three or four producers or writers in a morning. They would then go off and write, which could take a couple of days, a week or maybe just over. Then they'd call us up, we'd meet again and maybe demo something. We really became involved in the process.

ILM: Out of all the people you've worked with on the album, which have been some of the most inspiring?
Nicky: We worked with Ryan Tedder, the lead singer from OneRepublic who has written Apologize and Bleeding Love for Leona. Lots of big songs! He's a very talented man! He wrote two songs on this album. One called Where We Are and one called Shadows. He co-wrote one of them with AJ from the Backstreet Boys! There's a lot of variety on there! We feel fulfilled. We've done ourselves proud! Also, knowing that we haven't done it against the wishes of the record company makes a big difference. They actually came on board and are 1000% behind us.

ILM: Have there been times when you've felt a lack of control during the making of a record?
Nicky: It's changed over the years. With this album we took it back to basics. On our very first album, we were just getting started and it was far more leisurely. We flew to Sweden as a band, we all went in the studio together. We went back to London together, worked with some more guys. Everything was leisurely and we did it all together. Gradually, with success, things moved a million miles per hour. As a result, we didn't get the time to plan other albums in the same way. Rock bands do. They take the time out. But pop bands usually don't.

ILM: Why do you think that is?
Nicky: Because the record company want you to strike while the iron is hot, they don't want you to go off, spend ages making a record and to come back to find people have forgotten about you. You know, a lot of boybands will do three albums in a year, then a Greatest Hits and then they just don't come back!

ILM: What's the typical boy band process of making a record?
Nicky: You don't get involved much in the process, bar the vocals. You get the songs, you learn the songs, you go into the studio and you vocal the songs. That had to change. Westlife came in on a great level with songs like I Swear It Again, If I Let You Go and Flying Without Wings. All great songs. But after three or four years of writing, nobody can keep producing songs at that level, year in, year out. When you're in a band with a big label and that happens, they're going to start mentioning cover ideas, which is what happened with us.

ILM: How do you feel about cover versions?
Nicky: You know, there's always going to be a great time, and a right time to do a cover. We've never been against it. But to be honest, what we did do was become too cover orientated and dependent. I think that probably went against us. Certainly amongst the media, certainly criticism wise. But you know, one thing that never suffered was our touring!

ILM: I suppose some musicians make music for themselves, and if people like it, then great. With a boy band the fans are at the centre of everything. So keeping them happy and on board is perhaps the most important thing, even if it does mean going against your instinct as a musician, performer or member of the band?
Nicky: Absolutley. We have an incredible fan base. The fans loved what we did and have always supported us. Perhaps they knew that maybe we were under-achieving in terms of what we were capable of, but they didn't go away! That all had to be re-adjusted when we came back from the year off. We're now working with a whole new team. We haven't worked with any of them before. We recorded most of it in the United States with guys who know of Westlife, but haven't paid much attention to us. That was pretty cool.

ILM: It must be refreshing to take it back to basics?
Nicky: Oh yes, it was, it was. It made us sort of re-learn what we did.

ILM: One of your most recent come back appearances was on The X Factor! How was that experience?
Nicky: Performing on the X Factor was incredible! We've been on The X Factor before, quite a few times, but this felt different! The song we were doing. I mean, we weren't cringing! There wasn't any doubt in our minds. We were so up for coming back with a song that we knew was a potential hit. It gave us so much extra confidence.

ILM: Westlife have achieved so much, what have been some of the biggest highlights for you?
Nicky: We met the Pope one time! We flew our mothers and fathers into the Vatican, he had asked us to perform for him, and they met him too. Being Irish boys, that was pretty special for our mums and dads. There are so many different things! The first ever number one with Swear It Again back in 1999 was pretty cool! We've won so many awards down the years too, MTV awards, BRIT awards, Irish Music awards! We've travelled the world too! Even though it can become monotonous sometimes, anybody who travels the world for that long with a bunch of guys you genuinely get on with will have great times and funny stories!

ILM: Out of all the live shows you've played, which have been some of the most memorable?
Nicky: Over the years we have had so many memorable shows! At the beginning of the year off we finished our 2008 tour at Croke Park in Dublin, which holds 83,000 people. That was a ten year celebration, sold out to the rafters! That was special. There were tears all around. Especially going into our year off not really knowing what was going to happen next, where the year was going to take us both individually and with the band. We all knew we would be back, we just didn't know if it was achievable to get what we wanted in terms of everything I've just spoken about. The DVD of the night just shows what it was like! It was such a momentous occasion!

ILM: You mention travelling the world, what's it like being on tour together?
Nicky: It's like you never have to grow up! We're just having a laugh! Most of us are married or whatever, so you kind of cherish it more when you go abroad now because you get a lads night out! Which is a very rare occurrence! We'll do our show, TV appearance or whatever, then we get to have a night out with the boys, which is always so much fun!

ILM: You've been on an incredible journey with Westlife. Did you always want to be a singer?
Nicky: Back when I was young I thought I was going to be a footballer! Well, I hoped to be a footballer. I was lucky enough to play for Leeds United from 16-18. I left home at 16. When Leeds didn't happen for me I came back to Ireland. I always knew I could sing, I'd sung a lot at school. But what I never really had was confidence to sing on stage. I was always asked to sing in musicals at school, I was asked to do Grease, but I just turned it all down. When I came back from Leeds I just thought, "I'll give this a bash now I'm back at home." I did a bit of karaoke, got some confidence, heard about an audition on the radio and went for it!

ILM: You make it sound so easy! How have you found fame and being in the limelight?
Nicky: I've enjoyed it. Your life just changes. Upside down, inside out, whatever you want to say. People recognise you, girls were calling through my mum's door. People ask for autographs, people point at you. The very beginning of that type of fame is strange. People don't know who you are most of the time, they just know that they've seen you somewhere. Then it gets even more. You become a household name. It is strange. But it opens plenty of doors. It gets you into restaurants if they don't have tables! There are downsides too, of course. If you're having a stressful day people are going to look at you. Chances are you'll end up in Heat magazine having an argument. But all in all I cope with it quite well. I try to embrace it and remember that it's fickle and that it's not real. It's the way people perceive you, not the way you should perceive yourself. At the end of the day we're still the same guys. Well, we're not.....but we are, you know?

ILM: A lot of people would love to go on a similar journey, what advice would you give them?
Nicky: The music industry is a strange industry. But life in general, well, just go for it! Have confidence in yourself, whatever it is you chose to try and do. If it does happen for you, embrace it and enjoy it. It can take a lot out of you when things aren't going right. It can be stressfull, depressing and annoying. When the chips are down, the chips are down. It's not like football, if you're losing a game you can do something to change it. With the music industry, you're only involved when you're making the record, once that is done it's out of your hands. It's with the public.

ILM: What's the most important thing you've learnt about being a pop star?
Nicky: Confidence for me, went a long way. If I can't do something I try and do it again. I won't be shot down straight away. If someone tells me something is terrible, then fine, it's terrible. I'll try it again and hopefully it'll be a little bit better. Then I'll keep trying until I get it right. That works in all the interviews you start to do at the beginning, also singing in a vocal booth for the first time, hearing your own voice, working on it and making it better all the time. You're not always going to be everybody's cup of tea, so you just need to work on being the best at what you have. Explore your talent and enjoy life.

ILM: What's your music collection like? What do you listen to?
Nicky: I like quite a wide range. I like current artists like Pixie Lott and Lily Allen. Then there's older artists that we were looking up to at the start, like the Backstreet Boys, Take That and Boyzone. Rockier sounds like The Killers, Kings of Leon and U2. The Beach Boys. I like to pick and chose songs from everybody, I'm not necessarily a fan of all of their stuff. I've always been a fan of Phil Collins. The Police. Enrique Iglesias has some great pop tunes. Daniel Beddingfield over the years. Quite a wide range really! Bon Jovi. Michael Jackson was huge! For all of us, Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. But the music I listen to all depends on what mood I'm in really!

Westlife's new single What About Now is available now!
Their album Where We Are is out on November 30th 2009.

Credit/Source: www.ilikemusic.com