It all started with a boy band. Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan, childhood friends, were once in Irish boy band Mytown, but with the help of Glen Power on drums, awoke from their adolescent dream to form the popular pop rock band The Script.
Vocalist O'Donoghue and guitarist Sheehan have also worked as part of the producing team for the likes of Britney Spears, Boyz II Men and TLC, but now The Script is bigger than ever, partly thanks to O'Donoghue's impressive stint on The Voice UK.
Signed in 2005, The Scripts' self-titled debut came out three years later featuring mega hits such as The Man Who Can't Be Moved and Breakeven (Falling To Pieces). The album reached the top spot in both Ireland and the UK. Science & Faith was released in 2010, and not only topped Ireland and UK charts, it also peaked at No.3 on the US Billboard 200, and #3 came out two years later. Last year, the fourth album No Sound Without Silence came with another hit, Superheroes.
The Script was recently in Bangkok for a packed stadium showcase, but took time out to sit down for a short group interview.
What took you so long to get to Bangkok?
Mark Sheehan: What took you guys so long? It's demand and supply. We can't come here if nobody wants us! Now we're able to come here because we have some hit songs. We've always wanted to come to Thailand because we've been getting a lot of people requesting us [on social media platforms] to come to Thailand. Again, we could only come here if we knew there were people to play to, or else we would be playing to an empty house.
What is your work process?
Danny O'Donoghue: We just sit around and write things that are relevant to our lives, talking about stuff that is going on with each other. We're all songwriters. We all care about each other, so we talk about different problems and sometimes you feel like you want to write about them.
When creative conflicts arise, who has a bigger say then?
DO: I do! I'm the lead singer and I'm 6-4, so I have a bigger say! Nah, a great idea is a great idea, no matter who says it. When we're all writing, it's literally the best idea wins. Do you write songs at all?
MS: Well, you guys have editors, right? It's like when they edit something, they're doing it for the greater good. Maybe your piece is too long, or maybe you're going off on a tangent. It doesn't mean you're lousy or less talented. That just means it's sometimes good to have somebody watch over your work for a bit. It's yin and yang.
What is your opinion on the current rock music scene?
Glen Power: I think it's in need of a bit of a revival. We've seen some good bands that have come along. But it's been a while since we've seen proper good bands. It needs something new, something fresh. A lot of people are doing the same thing, just rehashing things that have been done. We're still waiting for a great rock band.
And EDM?
DO: It was always there. I think The Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta with that song, I Gotta Feeling, kicked it all off. I think it's very relevant. It's massive. These DJ kids are making millions. It's a great scene. I think if a song is a great song, and you put it in pop, rock or R&B, it's still a great song. We have a bit of a relationship with David Guetta and he's been on the top of his game for a long time.
What is your most favourite song to play live?
MS: Do you have kids? You can't pick your favourite kids. The only way to treat them the same is to treat them differently so you can't choose.
GP: For me the whole show is one song.
How important is social media to you?
GP: It's very, very important to us because we like to have connections with people who help us get where we are. It's important to let them know what we're doing, and that we're still the same guys we were. We answer messages. We post photos and videos ourselves. We love all that. It's an amazing thing.
Then how do you handle all the online negativity?
MS: Fans don't actively hate anybody. They actively love bands. If they don't like you, they won't comment. Maybe, just 1%.
DO: The internet is like a toilet. Everyone can do whatever in there and write anything and it smells. So, don't believe everything you read.
What do you do when you're not on the road, or making an album?
MS: It's family time, spending time with people that we love. I just do normal things like going to buy milk from a shop, make tea and sit down in my house, trying to get back to a normal life for a bit.
Recently, many boy bands have staged reunions...
DO: Don't even go there!
MS: We're here to do this one thing. We're here to let the people of Bangkok see this band. They don't wanna hear that bulls**t. Let's concentrate on that!
Danny, do you think you'll ever return to The Voice UK?
DO: No, no. I enjoyed my time on it. I spent two years on the show. No thanks. I've got enough with these two.
What is The Script's ultimate goal?
GP: To keep expanding. To grow. To see how big this can become. We're bigger than we thought we would be, and now we'd like to see how big it can grow. We love the idea that each time we come back to a country we've been once before, we have to play in a bigger place because more people want to come see us. We'll continue to play as long as people want to come see us.
MS: We're not looking at stats. We're trying to write better songs, challenging ourselves. We're not having a competition against other bands. That means improving things internally. We're just enjoying ourselves.
