Danny O'Donoghue.net: Nightlife & Music

20 February 2013

Nightlife & Music

Irish pop-rockers The Script prepare to close the Dubai Jazz Festival

As Irish pop-rockers The Script prepare to close the Dubai International Jazz Festival, Rob Garratt grills the band’s outspoken 36-year-old guitarist.

We interviewed your drummer, Glen Power, in November 2011. How has the band matured since then?

I just feel older! I don’t feel any more mature. We just like this style of music – we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. I hate bands who change their sound with every record.

You guys sing about love a lot. Are you romantic gents?

I just think we’re honest about our hearts and feelings. Every man in the world is romantic, he just doesn’t want to show it. At home, the hardest men in the world will be speaking baby talk to their wives. We focus on different topics. I wouldn’t play ‘Breakeven’ at my wedding – it’s not really a love song.

So which Script song would you play?

None of them – I don’t want to [dance] with my wife and have my best friend’s voice in my ear!

You and [lead singer] Danny O’Donoghue go back a long way. What was it like being in boy band Mytown together?

It was like being 14. Were you ever in a school play?

We were in the school band.

Were you any good?

Not really.

Exactly – that’s how I feel about Mytown.

Do you think it’s a little odd you’re playing a jazz festival?

I’d say it’s a lot odd – none of us are jazz fans at all!

Fancy seeing any of the other acts on the bill?

I’d love to see Deep Purple again, and I’m friends with Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic, so I’d have loved to see them.

What do you think is your worst character trait?

My anger! I have anger issues. I hate doing interviews – they make me so angry. It’s just my personality flaw.

You hate interviews? Oh dear.

I like interviews, but I don’t like the very obvious questions! It drives me out of my mind!

Do you have a pre-show ritual?

We have a bottle of Vodka at every single show – without that I’m not sure the show would go on – and we have a triple [measure] 30 minutes before we go on stage.

What was it like writing songs for Peter Andre?

We were really broke and wanted to make money to survive. We would have made music for anyone. Peter Andre of all people wanted a song – then he took another couple.

You sound ashamed.

I wouldn’t be running around telling people. It’s not ultra-credible, but my life’s not ultra-credible anyway.

You don’t think you’ve had a credible career?

Being in a boy band when you’re a kid isn’t all that credible – that’s hard. Everyone has so many ways into the industry, and you’re going to be judged on everything.