Hometown

What do you do when your record-breaking boy band retires in a blaze of glory after 14 years ruling the Charts? Well if you're Louis Walsh, you start all over again. Westlife and the X Factor judge together accumulated an incredible 14 UK number-one singles, sold over 11 million albums and 6.8 million singles in the UK alone. Now the pop Svengali is at it again - this time with HomeTown, a six piece vocal group made up of singers from the four corners of Ireland. Walsh auditioned almost 2,000 young hopefuls for his latest pop endeavour and spent over two weeks mulling over his decision before settling on the final six. He is only too aware of the pitfalls that exist for an emerging pop act but he is adamant that his new group can go toe-to-toe with giants like One D and Five Seconds of Summer. ‘I have that same excited feeling that I had when Westlife started,’ he says. ‘These boys have the talent and the drive and the rest will come. I believe in them as a group and I am confident that there is a gap in the market for them. They are six young, talented Irish boys and I think they will have the same sort of career as Westlife and can be the next Take That. They have signed with Colin Barlow with RCA and he is the best in the business and already they are making waves in Ireland. They can all sing and I really believe they have what it takes to be the next big thing.’ Things have moved quickly since the band auditions took place in Dublin in May 2013. The HomeTown sextet of Brendan Murray (18) , Cian Morrin (20), Dayl Cronin (21), Dean Gibbons (21), Josh Grey (17) and Ryan McLoughlin (21) have already been making waves in Ireland. Their debut single Where I Belong became the fastest-selling single from a debut artist and the quickest -selling single from an Irish artist in 2014. The track features an instantly upbeat and buoyant melody, a sing-along chorus and features the flawless harmonies that HomeTown have already become instantly recognised for. The single, penned by Irish chart toppers Kodaline, managed to beat Ed Sheeran and One Direction to the number one spot, a feat that is a source of great pride for the group. Over the past twelve months, they have grown as a group, supporting Shane Filan on his Irish tour and playing to a 14,000 capacity crowd at the annual Childline concert in Dublin’s 3Arena. It has been a whirlwind year for Cian, who hails from Louis’ home county of Mayo. After being eliminated from the X Factor three years ago, he believed his chance of chart success had passed him by. He was training to be a national school teacher but dropped out when he got the call from Louis Walsh. His new goal in life is to sell out a UK tour and to bag a UK number one over the next year. ‘I was on the X Factor in 2012 and I made it to Bootcamp but then got knocked out’, he says. ‘It is a cruel machine and I was 17 and quite naive about the whole thing, but I learned a lot form that experience. I gave everything up when I got into the band. For me my goal is to sell out a tour in Ireland and the UK by next year.’ Dayl is a trained dancer and was doing a performing arts course in Leicester, England, when he successfully tried out for the group. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his hero Usher and dominate pop music both at home and abroad. ‘I love music and I love performing on stage,’ he says. ‘I’ve been dancing since I was seven and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity at the audition. Now I can’t wait to travel the world with HomeTown and build our profile worldwide. We know that this is a one shot deal and we will work as hard if it means we can get a shot at what One Direction have. With Louis behind us, we have a fair shot.’ Dubliner Dean is by far the more seasoned performer. He was a member of boy band OTT (originally Level Five) and toured Ireland for two years. However, when the band failed to secure a record deal they broke up, leaving Dean devastated with his dreams in tatters. One year on and he finally secured his dream of becoming a signed artist and has his heart set on global domination. ‘I never actually auditioned for the group’, he says. ‘I met Louis after a concert and something clicked with him. Then a few weeks later he called me and he offered me the gig. I nearly choked if I am honest and I didn’t know what to say. I met him the next day and the rest is history. It is like winning the lottery for me. So I feel extra blessed. I probably have a bit more experience and I hope that helps the band as a whole, but in general we are all on the same page. Louis won’t tolerate anything but 100 per cent and that is what we have all signed up to do.’ Josh is the baby of the group. Controversially, the singer had his very own Nadine Coyle moment and was kicked out of the group for being too young. However on his 17th birthday a surprise phone call from Louis Walsh changed his life forever. ‘I was the first person queuing at the auditions, and it went really well’, he says. ‘I then made it to the final ten but they discovered that I was too young and I didn’t get through. I was just 16 and I was devastated because I was basically told I would have gotten in if I was 17. I was heartbroken if I am honest and it seemed that my one big chance was gone. Then on my birthday in March, I was sitting in Spanish class and my phone rang and it was Louis Walsh. So I ran out of the class to take the call and he told me I was in. Now I just feel so lucky to have a number one and a second single on the way before my 18th birthday. To have a UK number one would be the stuff of dreams but it is what we are aiming for.’ At 17, Brendan was in school and was also busking in Galway city before he got his big break. He decided to leave school to chase his dream but is adamant that he will one day return to finish his education. For him the highlight of the band so far has been hearing Where I Belong on the radio for the first time. ‘I properly started singing when I was 13 and I taught myself the guitar when I was 14. The following year I started busking and I have been doing that for two years on Shop Street and that gave me great confidence and an ability to interact with crowds. I remember hearing the single on the radio for the first time and it was like having an out of body experience. I still get a buzz when it just comes on the radio unexpectedly. I think our next single will be stronger again and I am hopeful we can have more success.’ Ryan was studying songwriting and commercial music in Dublin when he went for the audition. A Kildare native, he is a John Mayer fan and loves nothing more than watching football on the television. After years stacking shelves at a Dublin supermarket he is gung-ho about his shot at fame and fortune. ‘I was working in Dunnes Stores (shopping centre) when Louis phoned and it changed my life forever’, he says. ‘It was definitely surreal because I was the first one to find out I had made it. Within months we were playing arenas in Dublin and Belfast and it was a huge buzz. But we don’t take anything for granted. My dream is to sell out a UK tour and I believe we can do that. Louis is tough on us but for the right reasons. He knows the business inside and out and always wants more and demands the best and that has rubbed off on us. He knows the way to the top and hopefully he can take us there. The boy’s second single Cry For Help is due for release on March 27 in Ireland and is an upbeat pop anthem with an earworm chorus. ‘Now we have an Irish number one we want to break the UK and we believe we have the right song to do that now,’ concludes Ryan. Official Facebook page of HomeTown, Download HomeTown's debut album available Now!. http://smarturl.it/HTAlbum