Westlife: 'Recording an album in lockdown gave us an opportunity to experiment'

5 November 2021, 17:55 | Updated: 16 November 2021, 14:10

Westlife chat to Heart 90s' Kevin Hughes about their new lockdown album

By Heart

@thisisheart

EXCLUSIVE: Westlife's Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan chat to Heart 90's Kevin Hughes about their new album, and why dogs will love their new single Starlight

Westlife are back with a brand new album, Wild Dreams, which incredibly was little more than just an idea a year ago.

Like all musicians, the band - Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, and Mark Feehily - saw their livelihoods put on ice when the coronavirus pandemic brought life to a standstill at the start of 2020.

But as Shane and Nicky tell Heart 90's Kevin Hughes, lockdown forced them to try something new - and despite the disappointment of having to cancel their tour and other commitments, the band quickly adapted to working and creating remotely and loved the process.

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Shane said: "Things happened in lockdown that never would have happened if it wasn’t for the pandemic. You can try things out and no one has to know about it straight away."

Nicky added that while it giving and taking feedback from each other through a screen took a bit of getting used to, the band are so proud with the result, a 15-track album of ballads and pop anthems.

They performed the first single, Starlight, on Strictly Come Dancing in mid-October.

Nicky explained why it is such an important song to the band, telling Kevin: "It’s a huge chorus. It’s everything we wanted to come back with again. Three years after Hello My Love.

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Westlife perform Starlight in the Ballroom ✨ BBC Strictly 2021

"It’s the next step up the ladder. It’s part of our story. Big record, pop record, key change... the highest key change in the history of highest key changes."

He joked that the band, who are famous for sitting on stools would definitely have to stand up to hit the high notes.

Nicky added: "Mark does his highest note ever, higher than Flying Without Wings!"

And to illustrate just how high, he laughed that dogs' ears will prick up when they hear him sing it!

Watch the full interview in the player above.

Listen to Kevin Hughes on Heart 90s Breakfast every weekday morning on Global Player and DAB.