On a sunny Saturday afternoon, I sat down with Hometown band members Dayl, Josh, Cian, Dean, Ryan and Brendan in an East London hotel.
If you haven’t heard of HomeTown, you’ve definitely been missing out! HomeTown are an all-Irish boyband formed by Louis Walsh in 2014 and since then have been hitting the UK with their mega talent. The lads are currently on tour with The Vamps and cannot wait to do their own headline tour.
So you guys were put together in 2014 as HomeTown after some tough auditions, can you tell me about it?
Josh- it was tough, really tough! Both really long and it just started out with a thousand lads and it eventually got narrowed down to the final six. It took a while but we got there in the end.
Having Louis Walsh as your manager, do you find it difficult after his success with his bands, such as Boyzone and Westlife?
Ryan- yes definitely, it’s frightening to kind of follow up after Westlife but we’re going to give it a good shot.
You had the fastest selling single with ‘Where I Belong’ from a debut act, then it hit number 1 in Ireland, What was going through your head?
Dean- we didn’t expect it at all, we didn’t even think that would happen. It was our first bit of music and we were dying to tell people what we’re about and what we were doing. It’s not your typical boyband song; it was kind of a sing- along and everyone got into it! It went really well for us.
Your album, which was released last year, was well received; do you feel under pressure to live up to the success of that?
Dean- we enjoy singing it live, we picked all the songs on the album ourselves and we obviously had help from Louis but we love all the songs we sing especially ‘The Night We Met’ that Liam Payne wrote for us! It was amazing for us because we’re big 1D fans especially Cian over here; he loves them.
What’s Louis Walsh really like? Is he a big softie like we see on TV or is he a secret Simon Cowell?
Cian- mixture of both
Dean- It depends on the day you get him and how much sleep he’s had
Ryan- or if he’s had any sleep; he’s a night person really! He doesn’t really talk during the day; early in the morning is kind of hard to get in touch with him.
Dean- 2am is like the prime time.
Ryan- yeah it’s like Louis peak of the day.
Dean- it’s like his mid-day
What was it like working with Jamie Scott and Liam Payne?
Ryan- it was amazing, we recorded our song in Jamie’s house, which was unbelievable, and he’s got a little studio in his garden like in his actual garden
Dean- you’re making it sound like just a shed
Ryan- No it’s in a room but it’s like a really nice hangout spot and Jamie is really cool to work with.
Do you have any pre show rituals?
Brendan- recently yeah!
Dean- it changes all the time, we all put our hands in and say something.
If you guys weren’t in a band, what would you be doing now?
Dean- trying to get into a band
Ryan- I would of graduated from college and I probably would still be working in a grocery store.
Dayl – I would probably be dancing somewhere
Josh – having a cake
If you could collaborate with any band or artist who would it be?
Josh- Ed Sheeran
Dean- I think band wise One Republic
Brendan – yeah Ed Sheeran
What’s it actually like living together; do you get fed up of each other?
Dayl- Yes sometimes
Ryan- for the first couple of weeks we did, heads clashed and you know
Dean- At first because you’re living in a flat with five other lads and you have to adjust to it
Josh- then we just sorted it out
Ryan- and then we were all very happy!
Who has the worst habits in the band?
Cian- ooh this is hard
Dean- it really depends on what habits or what others consider bad habits, leaving rotten bananas around or not picking up dirty washing, Dayl has the worst habits
Dayl- that was one time!
Ryan- yeah one time but still!
Weirdest present from a fan?
Dean- we were a five piece and then we gained a friend so Josh is weirdest present we’ve received.
Cian- these party themed guitar glasses
Ryan- they’ve got one lens
Cian- oh my god, I didn’t even notice.
What goes on in the dressing room before a show?
Dayl- oh you don’t want to know
Josh- all sorts
Ryan- yesterday Cian was watching big bang theory while I walked around the room playing a guitar, Dayl danced, Dean slouched on the sofa for a bit and Brendan and Josh just watched The Walking Dead
Brendan- people told me what happened so it was kind of ruined for me
Dayl – it varies depending on what mood we’re in
Cian- we actually didn’t do much yesterday.
Dayl- someone will have a lucozade and then it’s game over, we just go mad
Who gets the most attention from fans?
Dayl- Josh for his amazing physique
Ryan – Josh and Brendan! Josh for his aesthetics and Brendan for his amazing vocal ability
Cian- Josh off stage and Brendan on stage
Brendan- Josh
What’s it like working with The Vamps?
Ryan- Great! They are very cool; Cian had a good time with them once! We are delighted to be on tour with them! They are really fun guys and they are a similar age to us so we get along well!
Cian- they are good at bowling
Dean- very good at bowling
What are your plans for the next few months?
Ryan- we are definitely going to be organising our own tour for Ireland and the UK
Dean- we will also be in the studio recording!
Fan Questions
Who’s your celebrity crush?
Dean- Brendan Murray
Ryan- mine changes all the time so this question is hard
Dayl – Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande, she is something else.
Dean- mine actually changes; it depends on what comes up on instagram
Ryan- Jennifer Lawrence, I would love to hang out with her!
Josh- Selena Gomez
What’s one thing you miss about home when on tour?
Cian- my brother
Ryan- Irish Tea
Brendan- my mam
Josh- my sister and my dog
Dean- my family
Dayl- yeah my family
What’s the most memorable moment on tour?
Dean- Playing at the O2 Arena as well as playing at the 3arena in Dublin! Just playing in big cities.
Josh- Dublin was amazing for because obviously we’ve played there a few times and it was a great reception for us there.
Have you had any embarrassing moments on stage?
Josh – yeah loads, I’ve fallen over!
Ryan – I’ve had plenty! The worst is when your voice cracks, it can happen at anytime and you won’t be expecting it! When it happens you just want to leave the stage because it’s so embarrassing
Sophie- at least you didn’t burn your face like Michael Clifford
Ryan- yeah that’s why I’m scared of pyro
Cian- I fell off the stage once
Ryan- Josh stepped on my shoe once and it came off and Cian jumped on my back and let go, he just fell back.
Top three things on your bucket list?
Brendan – America!
Dean – One of mine was to go to South Africa and meet a lion, we done that.
Ryan- As a band, it’s to tour the UK and the US! We’d also love to have a number one album
If you could be any other member of HomeTown, who would you be and why?
Cian – I wouldn’t mind being Ryan because I would like to be able to play the guitar
Dean- Brendan because of his unbelievable voice and he’s a man for the ladies – He’s a lady for the men and that no joke!
Josh – Brendan
Dayl – Josh
One Direction or 5 Seconds of Summer?
Dean – this is really hard but Cian is the best one to answer this!
Cian- I would choose 1D and the whole band knows it.
You can catch HomeTown at The Vamps remaining tour dates.
- 5TH of April – Nottingham (Motorpoint Arena)
- 6th of April – Newcastle upon Tyne (Metro Radio Arena)
- 8th of April – Glasgow (The SSE Hydro)
- 9th of April – Glasgow (The SSE Hydro)
- 12th of April – Liverpool (Echo Arena)
- 14th of April – Sheffield (Sheffield Arena)
- 15th of April – Sheffield (Sheffield Arena)
- 16th of April – Manchester (Manchester Arena)
- 17th of April Manchester (Manchester Arena)
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