Coming together on the recent season of The X Factor (Australia), pop group The Collective instantly found themselves developing a strong bond that would underpin the foundation for a fresh new act. Despite auditioning for the talent show as soloists from around Australia, industry insiders were excited about the formation of a talented new boy band. Since then, Jayden Sierra (from Camden, NSW), Trent Bell (from Townsville, QLD), Julian De Vizio (from Adelaide, SA), and Will Singe (Sydney, NSW) went on to be finalists on the show and prove that they have something special. It was as if fate stepped in, as The Collective – buoyed by their impressive harmonies, magnetic charisma and streetwise raps – blitzed their way through the series of live performances. It was no wonder that they were immediately snapped up by Sony Music Australia, and shortly after released their debut single “Surrender”, which impressively debuted at #6 on the Aria singles chart. Following up their single success, The Collective are now set to unleash their new mini-album, primarily made up of songs performed on The X-Factor, which will surely tie over fans until their next studio project due for a release in 2013. After their formation at The X Factor “boot camp”, The Collective quickly found themselves under the watchful eye of their mentor Ronan Keating, whose own experience was perfectly matched to the new group. “Working with Ronan was awesome,” says Julian. “He came from a massive boy-band so he completely understood our whole scenario and how to best make it work. The best advice I got off him was that even if you’re not singing a solo part in a song, you’re still as important as the guy who is. It’s a team effort all the way through. “Our guest mentors One Direction were also really encouraging when we met up with them in London and gave us some really great advice,” Julian adds. The Collective’s new status as a group was one that each of the group’s members found trouble-free to transition into. “I think at the time, not being put through as a solo artist was really tough and upsetting – it felt like another knock-back,” says Trent. “However, once they put us back on stage with four other guys who we already knew we’d get along with – we were over the moon and really happy. “It felt really positive, and like the start of something special. It just gelled together instantly. I think it was definitely just meant to be.” Not only are all five members passionate about their musical ambitions, but they also have the same sense of humour, love hanging out and having fun, and sharing the amazing experiences that come their way… oh yeah, and they all love playing X-Box (except for Will, so he says!). The group’s self-titled eight-track mini-album is a reminder of why The Collective showed great promise on the X Factor; the mini-album includes six of the songs they performed on the show (in re-recorded full versions), a cover of the seasonal Wham! Christmas classic “Last Christmas”, and their dynamic pop/dance debut single “Surrender”, which was produced by DNA (hot off their success with Reece Mastin and Timomatic). All the members are in agreement that they do best when they perform a mixture of pop, urban and dance music, and covering songs by the likes of Ed Sheeran, NKOTB, One Republic and Jessie J certainly seems to back that up. The inclusion of their debut single “Surrender” makes the group even more proud of the new project, and has set them on their way to find their own sound in the future. “Hearing the single on the radio, and having people sing it to us is really exciting. It’s so crazy, but we’re loving it big-time,” says Jayden, proudly. “I think “Surrender” is a good start for us as single, but I also think we’ve got a long way to go to find out what our full sound will be like in the future. I imagine we’ve got a lot of growth to go through, so we’re going to be looking at how to develop our sound further in the future.” Despite their popularity and already-strong fan base The Collective are well aware that there are some pockets of the population that think boy bands are an easy route to fame and fortune. “I don’t really think that a lot of boy bands get the respect they deserve,” Will says candidly. “I know there can be a lot of negativity towards boy bands simply because in some circles it’s seen to be not cool, or whatever. I just think those people don’t understand how much hard work goes into it. You have to remember we’re not by ourselves singing a solo melody – we’re actually weaving in between each other and harmonising, and that’s a hard thing to do well. It’s also a hard thing to make it seem current and hip, but I think we’re able to do that just by throwing our individual personalities into the group dynamic.” Future ambitions for The Collective are clear, as the guys aren’t prepared to let anything stand in their way. “World domination would be good,” Will laughs. “To crack the international market though would be amazing. On that journey we just want to be able to polish our sound and differentiate ourselves with our music. I know how hard we work for it, how much we love music, and how we’d love to do it for the rest of our lives, so our ambition is to make a mark for ourselves in Australia and right around the world.” www.thecollectiveofficial.com | www.twitter.com/thecollective12 Pre-Order Burn The Bright Lights NOW: http://smarturl.it/BurnTheBrightLights