Westlife singer Shane Filan spoke to Music Promotions about his solo music, touring, music he likes right now and much more.
Your new album ‘Love Always’ how do you decide on the covers? how did you decide which to record?
It was more difficult than I thought picking songs for this album, because there is so many songs to choose that you love your self and wanting to try and fit them in and they they don’t work out like when you start singing they aren’t what you thought they would be, so it took a long time to make and to get it right.
I am very proud of it and all the songs that are on there I am really happy with the versions which i have done, I think that I tribute the songs rather than Change them, I really hope everyone likes it as much as I did recording it.
Beautiful In White is just one on the new songs on the album, what’s the story behind that song?
That’s a bit of a crazy story actually it was originally written for Westlife years ago, I was asked to do a demo, the songwriter who wrote a lot of songs for Westlife called me and said are you in London to do a demo for this song so I went and recorded the song and it was played as a demo for the album that was coming out that year and for what ever reason we didn’t agree with the song some of us thought it was good others didn’t like it so it wasn’t picked and that was the last I heard about it then about 4 years ago I was on tour in China and every night the fans was asking for Beautiful In White, so one night I had to stop the show and go down to the front and with the microphone and asked a girl what they was shouting for and when she said that song I was shocked, I asked how you do you know that song she said it’s all over the internet, I sang the chorus of it that night then I ended up singing it each night on tour.
When I went online and the one vocal which I had done had something like 20 million hits on YouTube I couldn’t believe so after that I put it back into my setlist and when I was making this album I thought I have to do this song and at this stage Beautiful In White has over 60 million views on YouTube so it’s a very popular song of mine that I never released, it’s my biggest hit that I never released or recorded it so I wanted to do it for this album give the fans a proper version for them to enjoy.
How long do you spend recording the album?
I would probably say over the 5 months period, 8 weeks of actual singing and actual recording it, I would record a song and not come back for a few weeks and then pick some more songs and new ideas to try out it was a gradual process, we had a list of probably 30 or 40 songs that was cut in half straight away when I realised what kind of album I wanted to make.
There are some songs that I don’t think are very famous and sacred to a certain degree and I didn’t want to change them to much I think I can do a nice version for the fans to hear without taking away from what the original was.
Will Beautiful In White be released as a single?
It will be a single in Asia as it’s been made famous over there but for the UK i’m not sure as we have the next single which is about to go to radio in the next couple of weeks and the second single I have a feeling it will be ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ I love the version of it and Louis loves it so there is a good chance it could be that.
Obviously over the years you’ve seen a lot of changes with the charts do you think with streaming it’s harder or easier to chart?
I think it’s a lot harder that there isn’t the physical single sales any more and streaming definitely taken over with ED Sheeran, Katy Perry and the big guns who are dominating the streaming right now, but for me it’s about getting my song out there and people to hear the songs hopefully buying the album and coming to see me on tour, as long as people like my music and see me on tour I’m happy.
Are chart positions still as important to you as they once where? Do you have any pre nerves when your release music to where it will chart?
You definitely want your album to chart, my goal is to get my album into the top ten if it did go top ten every time that would be amazing the most important thing is having a career, having longevity, making an album that everyone is happy with rather than one song that does well and then nothing else, I want to try and grow as performer and artist and be doing this for the next 20 years if I can.
Is there any artists that you’d like to duet with, do you miss sharing the stage at all?
Duets happen sporadically sometimes when they happen they happen there isn’t anyone really unless it’s some one like Bryan Adams I would like to sing with him as I’m a big fan.
I’ve sang with Mariah Carey and Lionel Ritchie before, moving forward being on stage now there is no one to the left or the right! it’s brilliant and I’ve learnt how to become a solo artist on stage and really have fun on stage, you have to have a lot more personality and really get the crowd involved every night, with this next tour it’s going to be bigger and more spectacular, I’ve got my own songs, Westlife songs and theses new songs it’s going to be a great show.
I love being on stage I give it 100% every night and if I have a good nights the fans are going to enjoy it and have a good night there is no better feeling to being on stage, it is different to Westlife, it is what my life is now, it’s what I love to do and I’m very happy to be doing it.
What music are your enjoying listening to? Who inspires you?
Inspiration isn’t always something I hear on the radio, I’m listening to chart music at the moment, I love Ed Sheeran’s new album along with the rest of the world his album, the song writing he does is incredible that’s inspiring as a songwriter, I listen to everyone from Justin Bieber to Shawn Menders, music is in a really good place at the minute it’s really great to see that.
Your going back on tour what can your fans expect?
There will be a brand new band this year, the stage design will be different it will be more slick I don’t want to give to much away, the set list will be really strong, more colourful, a really classy show i’m really upping the game this year.
From all your songs with Westlife to your solo music is there one song that is your ultimate power song when your performing it live?
Uptown girl, people start relaxing and having fun, You Raise Me Up, I love singing that song it’s such a powerful song and my own songs Knee Deep In My Heart, About You from my first album which my fans absolutely love.
Will you be doing a live tour DVD?
We are talking about that at the moment, we probably will be I would love to do it as it’s nice to have it to keep for ever, for my fans, for me and for my kids to watch back it would be cool to do it.
Messages for your fans?
I hope you like my album I loved making it and I hope to see you all on tour, I can’t wait to see you all.
