Perdita
12-01-2009, 14:11
The Script have enjoyed a pretty impressive twelve months. After scoring a summer smash with 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved', the band's debut album shot straight to the top of the album charts in the UK and their native Ireland - not bad for a record that was written and produced in a Dublin shed. We called guitarist Mark Sheehan to chat about reaching number one, relationship angst and his boyband past.
What was your highlight of last year?
"Getting to number one in the UK and at home was just amazing. The day we found out we were at V Festival and got to walk out on stage in front of 60,000 people and announce that it had reached the top. It was a pretty intense moment for all of us."
Did you ever imagine the album would make number one?
"Not at all! We wrote this album hoping to get it played on local radio in Ireland. There was never any idea that this would go worldwide for us. We made the record in a little shed back home because we had no money to pay for a big studio."
When did you realise that things were picking up?
"I think we struggled for so long that we were just happy to be employed really. We were over here supporting the Hoosiers and at the same time Jo Whiley played our song and loved it. We got loads of positive reviews and then we thought, 'Oh my God, it's actually working on radio and people are liking it'."
What's your next single, 'Talk You Down', about?
"It's a song we wrote at a pretty dark time as far as relationships go - what we like to call 'relationship suicide'. Guys usually take a long f**king time to man up and realise what's going on. It's kind of about that 'fight or flight' moment where he has to decide whether to move on or not."
Is it fair to say that a lot of your songs are about relationship angst?
"Yeah, our music's a snapshot of our lives and we went through a lot of crap while writing it. Our songs definitely reflect that. Obviously sometimes we pretend though!"
Do you get many fans writing in to say they've experienced the same?
"It's mad, the bulk of the people who approach us on the street or in a restaurant have got a story about what one of our songs meant to them. It's quite hard to get used to. One guy told us he'd just got back from The Gulf and our song 'Before The Worst' meant so much to him because his wife had cheated with his best mate when he was away. It was a terrible story and you think, 'f**king hell, what do I say?'"
What sort of chart position are you hoping for with the new single?
"I don't expect a high chart position and we're not really worried about it. I think the great thing about singles is that they promote albums, especially for a band like us. Our album is climbing back up the charts and hopefully that will continue. We've had good airplay and the press have been very supportive too."
What can we expect from your next album?
"Well, we'd like to be like one of those old-school bands that you hear making great music throughout their career. It won't be too different and obscure, but my goal is definitely to better myself as a songwriter and a producer."
When do you think it will see the light of day?
"We haven't really set a date to be honest. All we want is to make a good album. America looks like it may happen this year and we've been made a world priority for [our label] Sony BMG, so it could take us two or three years to promote this album. If anything it's us pressurising the record label to move forward."
You and frontman Danny used to be in boyband called MyTown. Are you ever tempted to perform any of your old songs?
"It's funny because of all the music I've written over the last 12 years, those are the ones I seem to have forgotten. It was so long ago that I wouldn't know the chord structures and I'm not sure I'd fancy the dance routines!"
How different was it being in a boyband?
"Well, when I was in MyTown I never thought we'd end up the way we did. Me and Danny were just two little kids in Dublin who decided to try and write pop songs. U2's manager Paul McGuinness decided to take us to America and we were marketed as something quite classy in other countries. But in England it just became this bubblegum pop thing for some f**king reason - as though Simon Cowell had got his hands on it. We were impressionable and I don't regret it but we were meant to be an acoustic soul band and I never thought we'd end up like we did."
The Script release new single 'Talk You Down' in March. Their album is out now.
I like these guys :thumbsup:
What was your highlight of last year?
"Getting to number one in the UK and at home was just amazing. The day we found out we were at V Festival and got to walk out on stage in front of 60,000 people and announce that it had reached the top. It was a pretty intense moment for all of us."
Did you ever imagine the album would make number one?
"Not at all! We wrote this album hoping to get it played on local radio in Ireland. There was never any idea that this would go worldwide for us. We made the record in a little shed back home because we had no money to pay for a big studio."
When did you realise that things were picking up?
"I think we struggled for so long that we were just happy to be employed really. We were over here supporting the Hoosiers and at the same time Jo Whiley played our song and loved it. We got loads of positive reviews and then we thought, 'Oh my God, it's actually working on radio and people are liking it'."
What's your next single, 'Talk You Down', about?
"It's a song we wrote at a pretty dark time as far as relationships go - what we like to call 'relationship suicide'. Guys usually take a long f**king time to man up and realise what's going on. It's kind of about that 'fight or flight' moment where he has to decide whether to move on or not."
Is it fair to say that a lot of your songs are about relationship angst?
"Yeah, our music's a snapshot of our lives and we went through a lot of crap while writing it. Our songs definitely reflect that. Obviously sometimes we pretend though!"
Do you get many fans writing in to say they've experienced the same?
"It's mad, the bulk of the people who approach us on the street or in a restaurant have got a story about what one of our songs meant to them. It's quite hard to get used to. One guy told us he'd just got back from The Gulf and our song 'Before The Worst' meant so much to him because his wife had cheated with his best mate when he was away. It was a terrible story and you think, 'f**king hell, what do I say?'"
What sort of chart position are you hoping for with the new single?
"I don't expect a high chart position and we're not really worried about it. I think the great thing about singles is that they promote albums, especially for a band like us. Our album is climbing back up the charts and hopefully that will continue. We've had good airplay and the press have been very supportive too."
What can we expect from your next album?
"Well, we'd like to be like one of those old-school bands that you hear making great music throughout their career. It won't be too different and obscure, but my goal is definitely to better myself as a songwriter and a producer."
When do you think it will see the light of day?
"We haven't really set a date to be honest. All we want is to make a good album. America looks like it may happen this year and we've been made a world priority for [our label] Sony BMG, so it could take us two or three years to promote this album. If anything it's us pressurising the record label to move forward."
You and frontman Danny used to be in boyband called MyTown. Are you ever tempted to perform any of your old songs?
"It's funny because of all the music I've written over the last 12 years, those are the ones I seem to have forgotten. It was so long ago that I wouldn't know the chord structures and I'm not sure I'd fancy the dance routines!"
How different was it being in a boyband?
"Well, when I was in MyTown I never thought we'd end up the way we did. Me and Danny were just two little kids in Dublin who decided to try and write pop songs. U2's manager Paul McGuinness decided to take us to America and we were marketed as something quite classy in other countries. But in England it just became this bubblegum pop thing for some f**king reason - as though Simon Cowell had got his hands on it. We were impressionable and I don't regret it but we were meant to be an acoustic soul band and I never thought we'd end up like we did."
The Script release new single 'Talk You Down' in March. Their album is out now.
I like these guys :thumbsup: