Irish eye triple crown

The busy schedule of The Script's frontman helped him find his Voice - and boost their third album's popularity: 

The Script's latest album is entitled #3 for several reasons. The three-member band's third album was recorded in Studio #3 at Sphere Studios, in London. 

The number three also sums up the CD's main theme: music for the head (to make you think), heart (arouse your emotions) and feet (make you dance). 

Yet most of all, the number three is about three drastically different individuals from Ireland, and their ability to blend their discrepancies and make music. 

"We're all extremely different people, but magic happens when you mix us together," Danny O'Donoghue says. "Well, magic or a car crash, which is how we describe the songs we scrap."

Fans of the reality talent show, The Voice UK, will recognise O'Donoghue as a coach on the programme. Since filming of the series coincided with the recording of the album, he was forced to go from TV studio during the day to Studio #3 at night. 

Studio #3 ultimately became a second home for him and the rest of the band, Mark Sheehan and Glen Power, who - despite the potential for distractions - were both highly supportive of their lead vocalist's appearances on TV. 

"Danny did The Voice to put a face to The Script," says Sheehan. 

"Danny on a show about singing was good for us. People saw how passionate he is about music, how much it means to him, and it made our band better known. 

The Voice UK also gave the Dublin natives another opportunity they simply could not pass up. Joining O'Donoghue as voice coaches on the show were singers Jessie J, Tom Jones and will.i.am - a top songwriter responsible for a series of hits. 

The band played will.i.am dozens of demos before he gave his stamp of approval to the album's single Hall of Fame. The track was intended as a duet, but not a typical "get a rapper, have him come in on the middle eight [kind of stuff]," says O'Donoghue. "We wanted to do it line by line, true duet style." 

However, will.i.am's packed schedule meant he always seemed to be too busy to record his part of the duet. 

"One night after [recording] The Voice, as he was heading back to his hotel, I told him I was coming with him," O'Donoghue says. "I jumped into his car, called Mark and said, 'We're doing it now! Get in a taxi.'."

They finished recording the track that same night. And more excitingly, The Script survived to tell their story of hijacking one of the most prominent musicians in pop music today. 

Source: South China Morning Post