The Script, Interview Tuesday, 30th September 2014
From 3 young Irish lads just jamming around with instruments in a small room, to one of the most successful bands in music today, the Script continues to be a growing musical icon that manages to touch the hearts of their fans around the world. Over the past 6 years, dating back to their first album in 2008, the Irish pop rockers have managed to make their mark in music. Now, after just recently releasing their newest album "No Sound Without Silence" their single "Superheroes" is fresh off the charts in the UK top 100s and is progressively gaining universal success. Today, I get the chance to sit down with Danny, Mark, and Glen and talk about their musical journey, the impact that there music has had on the world, and any future exciting plans that that may be in the making.
Mélina: Hi guys. Good morning, how are we all doing today?
Danny: I'm doing great thanks, but I wouldn't mind a coffee. (laughs)
Mélina: (laughs) So great to have you guys on the line today. And congratulations by the way on the success of you're newest album! I've gotten the chance to listen to a few songs on it, and might I say that it is fantastic! We've got quite a few questions for you guys today.
Danny: (laughs) Well thank you so much for having us here, it's definitely a great pleasure of ours.
Mélina: I'll get right into it then. To start off, I kind of want to rewind back to 2008 when you released you're first album "The Script". It was fresh off the charts, and a brand new voice to the public. Do you have any clear recollections of the process in making this album? What were your intentions?
Danny: Funny that you mention that because just the other day we found ourselves talking about this. I really think that, first of all, when we did begin writing that album, I guess we were testing the waters as a band. You know, what would work, could work, and what we wanted out of it. I think that, personally, the songs we write and deliver to the public all have a message within them. When your dealing with unforgettable life experiences, important times in your life, you want to have some memory of it.
Mark: Yeah. I mean music for us was basically a musical memoir. We had all these experiences, why wouldn't we want to share some of them with the public?
Mélina: I hear what your saying. A message to the public.
Danny: Exactly. A way of reaching out.
Mélina: When the album was first released, I remember being struck with one of the songs that really felt as if it had a very bold message. "We Cry" is still one of my favourites today. It has a level of authenticity within the lyrics. Could you elaborate on the inspiration and message behind that song?
Danny: Looking back at where we came from, I think that we can definitely tell stories. The song "We Cry", that specific song kind of opened the album. It's about rough times, and the hope that we need to have. You know, your not gonna have chocolate and roses everyday. Through all the rough times we've been through in our lives, we all cry together you know?
Glen: We will suffer together, be there for each other.
Mark: We all cry together. We find that place, that one place where it's okay to cry and share the burden.
Danny: I feel as though in our songs, there is always a beginning, a middle and an end, just like a story. People obviously want to know the end of the story, and somewhat wait to see if their faith lies in that ending. So I definitely think that this song gives out a lot of hope to people. I mean, If you listen to the stories within the lyrics, it opens you up to real life problems in the world.
Glen: Drug addictions, poverty, its all there. It is all there, and people need to see that. We figured if the music is powerful enough, people will start to listen.
Mélina: What motivated you guys to form this band? What was the driving inspiration?
Glen: I mean, I guess as we said we wanted to share our passion and stories with the public. Give our audience something to relate to in the truest form; music. You could say that this is one of the many things that make us authentic in the music world.
Mélina: Do you have any experiences in your lives that really stood out as inspiration in what you write?
Mark: Yes, definitely. Both Danny and I have lost our parents in tragic ways and it's that pain that you feel, that you can't really escape that drives you to write something down on paper. I'll be daydreaming on the couch, just thinking about life and something will pop up in my head and I'l have a notepad next to me. It's like a light switch.
Danny: The song "If You Could See Me Now" in our last album, album number "3" is basically about that tragic loss. You lose someone you love, that pain will never leave you.
Mélina: Was it a challenge to expose yourself to the public like that? To open up in such a dramatic yet touching way?
Danny: Honestly, at first we were a bit hesitant. We thought about whether our fans really wanted to hear about this kind of stuff. We performed it for the first time, I think it was the month after the album was released and the crowd just went wild. We realised that this is the stuff that the fans wanted to hear. Real pain, real loss. I guess you can say that it was a very emotional, yet motivational song. This was definitely one of the biggest changing moments in our music career.
Mélina: I personally really did feel the emotion in that song. Truly terrific.
Danny: thank you so much.
Mélina: You spoke about suffering together earlier, about sharing experiences to somewhat motivate you to move forward. Can you give any realistic examples? By that I mean, is a lot of your work based off of your childhood and where you come from?
Glen: I really think that your childhood can definitely be a driving inspiration to talk about in music. We all had pretty nice childhoods though, so I guess that's something positive to talk about (laughs). But concerning where we came from, yes definitely.
Danny: First thing that comes to my mind is "For the First Time".
Mark: Read my mind there. (laughs)
Mélina: I understand that there is a major recession that has been occurring in Ireland, particularly in Dublin for the past 6 years. Do you feel the need to discuss the economy in some of your music?
Danny: As we were saying, "For The First Time" is the clearest description we can think of. The song itself is about the time when we went back to our homeland, Dublin, after touring with our first album. The recession had hit and people were losing their jobs and valuable things to them. We wrote this song based on tough times and getting through them. You've got to be a tough lad to get through it all. I mean, we've been through it, we know what it's like. Music, undoubtedly, always been there for us. This song is a message of hope.
Mark: When you're stripped of all these things in life, you realise whats really important. Your best mate, your family, you've got to have them there. Going back to the basics and really enjoying the moment as it is. Drinking cheap wine, eating diner on the floor, the simple stuff.
Danny: Those moments, those are the moments when you truly meet each other for the first time, when you really have nothing.
Mélina: Wow. That is such a powerful message. One thing that I have noticed about you guys, as a band, is that you aren't advertised as this mega band taking over Hollywood. How do you feel about that?
Glen: I think we can all agree when we say that we are truly about the music. We don't exactly feel the need to prove ourselves any further than we already have. We sing, we perform, and play our songs from the heart in hopes to connect with people.
Danny: Yeah, basically what Glen is saying. We love music, and love working on it together. To keep coming back and recording music together is an amazing thing. We're still king of young in our careers, but we have established the fact that music is the home for our heart.
Mark: Those process is the most exciting part. Moments of the day when your having an amazing conversation with your best mate. You try to capture that moment. It's an amazing thing.
Mélina: I think a lot of us feel that passion when we listen to your music. Do you feel like your music is a reflection of who you are?
Danny: We make music that we can relate to. Something that we can pour our hearts out onto a page. I look back and think to myself "No, I didn't leave one stone unturned. I really didn't."
Mélina: Sometimes in Hollywood, artists tend to struggle with their identity and where they came from in terms of staying true to themselves. Do you ever struggle with that because of the level of fame you receive at times?
Danny: We are Irish and I know that deep inside us, we will never lose that.
Mélina: One of the songs on your album, "Paint the Towns Green" is a very upbeat and happy song. You often mention missing Dublin and celebrations such as Saint Patty's day. Do you sense that intentional level of cultural context in your song?
Danny: (laughs) We were hoping people would catch up on that. Our latest album definitely has a more Irish tone to it which is a reflection of who we are. Throughout the years, we've travelled to over 36 countries and as a result, haven't had the time to get home a lot. For special days such as Saint Patty's day, yes we've recognised the holiday no matter where we are. We could be in the middle of South America on that specific day. But really, we still celebrate it together.
Glen: We never want to lose who we are. We are Irish and we will forever be Irish.
Mark: The song basically talks about never losing your identity, and spreading pride around the world. I guess you could compare this to cultural context in a sense.
Mélina: One of the songs on your latest album, "Superheroes" was actually released as a single at first , am I right?
Danny: (nods) Yes, yes it was.
Mélina: Can you tell me a little bit about the experience of getting to that song? I sense a powerful meaning behind the lyrics and the story of "superheroes" that you sing about.
Danny: Well, we shot the video in Johannesburg in South America which initially inspired the song itself and really hit off the start of the 4th album. There were about 200,00 people on the streets in a pretty poor area. We spent quite some time there, just talking with the people in the township. So many of them had such interesting and moving stories. For a moment, I remember we all had this recognition and said to ourselves "these are real life superheroes". These are the people that fight everyday for freedom and look out for each other's lives. Isn't that what a being a superhero is all about? You could be going through the s******* day but these people keep their heads held high.
Mark: It really shows that you don't need to wear a costume to be a superhero, it's what's in your heart. That's basically what this song is about. The lives of amazing, unsung people.
Glen: Personally, It was one of the most moving experiences that I can remember.
(Danny and Mark nod in agreement)
Mélina: Definitely. Everyone watching this, make sure you go check out their terrific and upbeat music video on YouTube right now.
Danny: (laughs) Yeah go right ahead! Enjoy it!
Mélina: Before I say goodbye, we are dying to know if there will be any concerts featuring this album...spill the deats!
Danny: (laughs) We're really excited to be performing at RedFest in Dubai next year in February!
Mark: Great, crazy crowd there!
Mélina: No way! That's awesome!
Danny: Definitely looking forward to it!
Mélina: Well that's all we have time for today. But let me just say that you guys are truly inspirational to many around the world and just an amazing band. Your authenticity has really been brought our through your music. Keep it up boys alright? So nice talking to you today. See you guys next time! :)
Danny, Glen, and Mark: Thank you so much for having us! Always a pleasure Mélina. Cheers.
External Sources:
Mark: Yeah. I mean music for us was basically a musical memoir. We had all these experiences, why wouldn't we want to share some of them with the public?
Mélina: I hear what your saying. A message to the public.
Danny: Exactly. A way of reaching out.
Mélina: When the album was first released, I remember being struck with one of the songs that really felt as if it had a very bold message. "We Cry" is still one of my favourites today. It has a level of authenticity within the lyrics. Could you elaborate on the inspiration and message behind that song?
Danny: Looking back at where we came from, I think that we can definitely tell stories. The song "We Cry", that specific song kind of opened the album. It's about rough times, and the hope that we need to have. You know, your not gonna have chocolate and roses everyday. Through all the rough times we've been through in our lives, we all cry together you know?
Glen: We will suffer together, be there for each other.
Mark: We all cry together. We find that place, that one place where it's okay to cry and share the burden.
Danny: I feel as though in our songs, there is always a beginning, a middle and an end, just like a story. People obviously want to know the end of the story, and somewhat wait to see if their faith lies in that ending. So I definitely think that this song gives out a lot of hope to people. I mean, If you listen to the stories within the lyrics, it opens you up to real life problems in the world.
Glen: Drug addictions, poverty, its all there. It is all there, and people need to see that. We figured if the music is powerful enough, people will start to listen.
Mélina: What motivated you guys to form this band? What was the driving inspiration?
Glen: I mean, I guess as we said we wanted to share our passion and stories with the public. Give our audience something to relate to in the truest form; music. You could say that this is one of the many things that make us authentic in the music world.
Mélina: Do you have any experiences in your lives that really stood out as inspiration in what you write?
Mark: Yes, definitely. Both Danny and I have lost our parents in tragic ways and it's that pain that you feel, that you can't really escape that drives you to write something down on paper. I'll be daydreaming on the couch, just thinking about life and something will pop up in my head and I'l have a notepad next to me. It's like a light switch.
Danny: The song "If You Could See Me Now" in our last album, album number "3" is basically about that tragic loss. You lose someone you love, that pain will never leave you.
Mélina: Was it a challenge to expose yourself to the public like that? To open up in such a dramatic yet touching way?
Danny: Honestly, at first we were a bit hesitant. We thought about whether our fans really wanted to hear about this kind of stuff. We performed it for the first time, I think it was the month after the album was released and the crowd just went wild. We realised that this is the stuff that the fans wanted to hear. Real pain, real loss. I guess you can say that it was a very emotional, yet motivational song. This was definitely one of the biggest changing moments in our music career.
Mélina: I personally really did feel the emotion in that song. Truly terrific.
Danny: thank you so much.
Mélina: You spoke about suffering together earlier, about sharing experiences to somewhat motivate you to move forward. Can you give any realistic examples? By that I mean, is a lot of your work based off of your childhood and where you come from?
Glen: I really think that your childhood can definitely be a driving inspiration to talk about in music. We all had pretty nice childhoods though, so I guess that's something positive to talk about (laughs). But concerning where we came from, yes definitely.
Danny: First thing that comes to my mind is "For the First Time".
Mark: Read my mind there. (laughs)
Mélina: I understand that there is a major recession that has been occurring in Ireland, particularly in Dublin for the past 6 years. Do you feel the need to discuss the economy in some of your music?
Danny: As we were saying, "For The First Time" is the clearest description we can think of. The song itself is about the time when we went back to our homeland, Dublin, after touring with our first album. The recession had hit and people were losing their jobs and valuable things to them. We wrote this song based on tough times and getting through them. You've got to be a tough lad to get through it all. I mean, we've been through it, we know what it's like. Music, undoubtedly, always been there for us. This song is a message of hope.
Mark: When you're stripped of all these things in life, you realise whats really important. Your best mate, your family, you've got to have them there. Going back to the basics and really enjoying the moment as it is. Drinking cheap wine, eating diner on the floor, the simple stuff.
Danny: Those moments, those are the moments when you truly meet each other for the first time, when you really have nothing.
Mélina: Wow. That is such a powerful message. One thing that I have noticed about you guys, as a band, is that you aren't advertised as this mega band taking over Hollywood. How do you feel about that?
Glen: I think we can all agree when we say that we are truly about the music. We don't exactly feel the need to prove ourselves any further than we already have. We sing, we perform, and play our songs from the heart in hopes to connect with people.
Danny: Yeah, basically what Glen is saying. We love music, and love working on it together. To keep coming back and recording music together is an amazing thing. We're still king of young in our careers, but we have established the fact that music is the home for our heart.
Mark: Those process is the most exciting part. Moments of the day when your having an amazing conversation with your best mate. You try to capture that moment. It's an amazing thing.
Mélina: I think a lot of us feel that passion when we listen to your music. Do you feel like your music is a reflection of who you are?
Danny: We make music that we can relate to. Something that we can pour our hearts out onto a page. I look back and think to myself "No, I didn't leave one stone unturned. I really didn't."
Mélina: Sometimes in Hollywood, artists tend to struggle with their identity and where they came from in terms of staying true to themselves. Do you ever struggle with that because of the level of fame you receive at times?
Danny: We are Irish and I know that deep inside us, we will never lose that.
Mélina: One of the songs on your album, "Paint the Towns Green" is a very upbeat and happy song. You often mention missing Dublin and celebrations such as Saint Patty's day. Do you sense that intentional level of cultural context in your song?
Danny: (laughs) We were hoping people would catch up on that. Our latest album definitely has a more Irish tone to it which is a reflection of who we are. Throughout the years, we've travelled to over 36 countries and as a result, haven't had the time to get home a lot. For special days such as Saint Patty's day, yes we've recognised the holiday no matter where we are. We could be in the middle of South America on that specific day. But really, we still celebrate it together.
Glen: We never want to lose who we are. We are Irish and we will forever be Irish.
Mark: The song basically talks about never losing your identity, and spreading pride around the world. I guess you could compare this to cultural context in a sense.
Mélina: One of the songs on your latest album, "Superheroes" was actually released as a single at first , am I right?
Danny: (nods) Yes, yes it was.
Mélina: Can you tell me a little bit about the experience of getting to that song? I sense a powerful meaning behind the lyrics and the story of "superheroes" that you sing about.
Danny: Well, we shot the video in Johannesburg in South America which initially inspired the song itself and really hit off the start of the 4th album. There were about 200,00 people on the streets in a pretty poor area. We spent quite some time there, just talking with the people in the township. So many of them had such interesting and moving stories. For a moment, I remember we all had this recognition and said to ourselves "these are real life superheroes". These are the people that fight everyday for freedom and look out for each other's lives. Isn't that what a being a superhero is all about? You could be going through the s******* day but these people keep their heads held high.
Mark: It really shows that you don't need to wear a costume to be a superhero, it's what's in your heart. That's basically what this song is about. The lives of amazing, unsung people.
Glen: Personally, It was one of the most moving experiences that I can remember.
(Danny and Mark nod in agreement)
Mélina: Definitely. Everyone watching this, make sure you go check out their terrific and upbeat music video on YouTube right now.
Danny: (laughs) Yeah go right ahead! Enjoy it!
Mélina: Before I say goodbye, we are dying to know if there will be any concerts featuring this album...spill the deats!
Danny: (laughs) We're really excited to be performing at RedFest in Dubai next year in February!
Mark: Great, crazy crowd there!
Mélina: No way! That's awesome!
Danny: Definitely looking forward to it!
Mélina: Well that's all we have time for today. But let me just say that you guys are truly inspirational to many around the world and just an amazing band. Your authenticity has really been brought our through your music. Keep it up boys alright? So nice talking to you today. See you guys next time! :)
Danny, Glen, and Mark: Thank you so much for having us! Always a pleasure Mélina. Cheers.
External Sources:
"The Script - Superheroes." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/WATCH
?v=WIm1GgfRz6M>.
?v=WIm1GgfRz6M>.
"The Script." The Script RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://www.thescriptmusic.com/gb/HOME>.
>.
"The Script." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Script>.
Suter, Philip. "Recession What Recession in Dublin Ireland?" Articlesbase.com. Articlesbase.com, 24 June 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/recession-what-recession-in-dublin-ireland-990632.html>.
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