Danny loves to be on tour. In summer, The Script also want us to play at festivals
2013 couldn’t have started any better for The Script: The three Irishmen whose single "Hall Of Fame" is currently in the top ten in over 30 countries and has been nominated for a Brit Award. Their third album #3 is the perfect blend of R'n'B, pop and hip-hop and has sold millions of copies worldwide. The Script now have an impressive growing fan base. This however was not always the case. There were times when they were ready to give up their dream of a career in music. But they persevered and it did off with tours with U2, Take That and Paul McCartney.
We met frontman Danny O'Donoghue and learnt who their hit single was dedicated to, why they don’t need awards and what you can learn from Sir Paul McCartney.
Welcome to Germany, Danny. I do not know if I should congratulate you now for Brit Award nomination, as you recently said that you do not really want the award. Is that true?
Danny O'Donoghue: No, it's more like: We do not necessarily need it. It's great to be nominated, but to win it is another matter. There is a lot of politics behind: hanging out at the "right" places with the "right" people - and that's not our thing. We have won several awards, yes, but that has never stopped us being who we are. We've never been fans of the high-level awards and five star reviews. People like our music, and that's what is important.
It seems like you don't bother too much thinking for long about album titles "# 3", what's behind it, except that it is your third album?
Danny O'Donoghue: At first glance, we seem pretty lazy to be our album simply give just one number as the title. But there are several reasons behind it: If you turn three upside down it becomes an E, This is the most used letter in the English language. We love to play with words, There are three of us in the band,The album was recorded in Studio 3, The third song on the album is "Hall of Fame" that was a hit. And clearly, it's our third album.
"Hall of Fame" is in the top ten in more than 30 countries and your success seems far from over. Were you run over them, or you have while you write a song, I had the impression: "This has a very good chance of becoming a hit?"
Danny O'Donoghue: The song is actually after many second, third and fourth place in the charts, and is our first No.1 in the UK. Singles are generally an advertisement for your album. You give people a taste of what the album will sound like. Sometimes you're writing songs, and then there is one where you suddenly think, 'Yeah, that's it!'. With "Hall of Fame" we had a gut feeling about it.
Will.i.am: "I want this song"
How did the collaboration with Will.i.am come about? (Black Eyed Peas)
Danny O'Donoghue: I became a coach on "The Voice UK”,. I still do not know to this day (laughs) how I came to be on the show. Anyway, I sat together with Will.i.am, Jessie J and Tom Jones. When we had break, I played him about six demo songs . "Hall of Fame" was the way the third song and we played it three times: once again a reference to the album title. Will.i.am told us, 'I wish you hadn’t the song to me We asked, 'Why not?' He he said: "Because I want it on my album. ' We were quick to jump in and told him: You aren’t getting it.' But then we decided on a duet. He is a big artist who is well known in the music industry and an expert in the R & B, hip-hop and dance scene, we are more alternative, rock and pop. So with Will we could reach a lot more people with the message of the song ... And that says anyone can achieve his goals, if he is fighting hard enough for it.
What inspired you to write a song about it?
Danny O'Donoghue: It was at the time of the Olympic Games last year in London, and we saw not only athletes, but also ordinary people running for charities. Mark’s wife Rina, ran for The Cancer Foundation when they held a charity marathon, It was only four miles, she ran the entire distance, as if she was running for a gold medal. To see how much passion she put into it was amazing. These people have no "Hall of Fame", they are not mentioned in the papers, not even in the news, even though they use their time and energy for important goals than the athletes in the Olympic Games. For example nurses, doctors, parents or teacher. This has prompted us to write a song for them.
You're Irish, but have lived in LA. As the U.S. has influenced your musical style?
Danny O'Donoghue: It is a tough place for musical talents. The radio plays everything, hip-hop, rap, rock, soul, funk. In Ireland they only play the "Top Ten", the top ten are from the U.S. to Ireland. You hear all types of music you don’t here. We had the chance to listen to all types of music and we are like sponges , we absorb it all. We had a very English style of writing songs, and through the new ways we saw with American songs you come to a new sound. Experiment, make little changes and that, keeps the audience awake and attentive.
In LA especially, you must have noticed that the more success, the more paparazzi ...
Danny O'Donoghue: (looks at our photographer): Yes even for interviews in your hotel room. (Laughs) ...
You seem to be very relaxed. How do you deal with the crowd, when they lay siege to your house?
Danny O'Donoghue: I let them take their photos, I'm not going to make a fuss and tell them to go away
My tip: Accept it in your everyday life that people want to take pictures, even in a restaurant having dinner when someone asks for an autograph. Imagine that you are in their place, a simple signature can make someone happy. Even the paparazzi need to do their job and support a family. They sell their photos, I get in the press and get promo, so everyone is happy (laughs). If you don’t want embarrassing photos in the press, Don’t do anything embarrassing things in public. It's easy!
You went on tour with legends like U2 and Paul McCartney. What have you learnt from them to take into your own work?
Danny O'Donoghue: Lots of people ask me, 'What did you say to Paul McCartney'. I tell them I didn’t say anthing, I kept my mouth shut and listened. I was surprised at how much time he spent with us. Paul came into our room, and talked for a long time, and it was such an honour to benefit from his knowledge and experience. Each individual piece of advice from him is like a gold nugget for a musician. He advised us that on stage always tell a story, to create atmosphere, before going into the song. The public wants to know about the song, and what you have to say. We then watched him on the stage, which looked like this:’ The audience cheered, he just said '. The next song I wrote about what I would say to John (Lennon), if I would meet him today' 80,000 people were suddenly stopped and listened. It was, especially after his previous advice to us, a magical moment and an invaluable lesson.
#3 contains very personal songs, including "If You Could See Me Now" about yours and Marks deceased parents. How difficult it is to sing this song to an audience?
Danny O'Donoghue: It depends on where and when you appear. On a morning show at 7 clock with three people in a TV studio you don’t feel it as much but in a large hall or stadium with 50,000 people it can be a great moment and these are the moments where we miss our parents the most and think 'I wish you could see see all this'.
There's a line in the song "I'm looking for your face in the crowd" ...
Danny O'Donoghue: Yes, I still look for their faces in the crowd, but I'll never see them. The question 'Would you like what you see and hear?' Will never be answered.’ I think it's good what I do,but: would you see it as well? Or would they tell me something like 'Boy, you smoke too much'? We put into words what we feel ourselves, and there are nine out of 6ten listeners who feel the same way.
You once said that you would most like to spend your whole life on tour. Why
Danny O'Donoghue: What a coincidence! I recently spoke with Adele about it and she said she could tour for just three weeks, then just go home. I answered her: 'What, three weeks? This is just the start of our tour. ' We are on the road for about 300 days a year and that's crazy. But we have worked so hard and so long to get to this point, it does not just appear. For the first two years you do not even really know what happened to you. You are drawn from left to right, Half your heart wants to be at home the other, half on the road. But I really enjoy it and you never know how long you have the chance. Some of my colleagues complain about the constant traveling and the tiredness. But hey, it's a great opportunity to see the most spectacular places in the world. And you don’t even pay for it. I'm sitting here in a nice hotel, in a great city and out's snowing. Okay, I hate the cold, but I love the snow. (Laughs)
You are only playing three shows in January in Germany – Will we see anymore of you this year?
Danny O'Donoghue: The three shows were booked before "Hall Of Fame" had this huge success. We are on the road non-stop till October. Germany is the first of the European leg then, Ireland, Britain, the USA tour. But we want to come back and try anyway, in the summer to play at German festivals!
Thank you for the interview
Source: RTL.DE / Translated: DannyODonoghue.Net
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