Girl band Wonderland have built an impressive CV since winning an audition staged by Louis Walsh and Westlife’s Kian Egan. For Sharon, Corrina, Jodi, Kasey and Leigh who make up the quintet, the last two years have been a whirlwind of tours, videos and TV appearances.
Currently working on forthcoming tour dates and the release of their new album, Independent Woman caught up with Wonderland to ask the girls how it’s all going so far and whether being popstars in the making is everything they thought it would be.
It’s been two years since the band formed where have you been?
Corrina: Everywhere …. We signed a deal in 2009 and after that we were recording our album. Then we were off on tour which was incredible. At the minute we are doing school tours so we are traveling around singing for loads of kids.
Leigh: We also did our first music video in LA which was easily the best day of all our lives. I know everyone says videos are hard work but it wasn’t like work at all.
Sharon: When they played the first video clip back to us we were all crying because it was like a dream come true and you cannot believe it’s you up there on the screen. There are loads of singers who dream of making a video and never get the opportunity. We are really privileged and the whole thing has been insane.
How does the reality of being in a girl group compare to the fantasy?
Sharon: I thought it was going to be glamorous. It’s amazing, but I always assumed it would be a case of ‘do this and fly there’. The amount of hard work that goes into making a band a success is incredible. On a show like X-Factor the spotlight is immediate but for us we’ve done a lot of touring and a lot of publicity. I suppose that’s the reality of any band trying to make it.
Leigh: When I auditioned for the band I hadn’t a clue about record deals, I just thought you get in a band, release a song and it goes on the radio. There’s so much work involved but it’s all worth it. Like anything, you only get out what you put in.
Who decides who does what?
Sharon: Aside from the music and the touring, there’s loads that comes with it. Kasey will do a lot of the fan mail and Corrina looks after twitter. We try and divide it out. Leigh deals with booking cars and stuff like that and I do the accounts and the cooking.
Leigh: We all try and put something in. Sharon is a really good cook !
I thought as popstars you might have a cook of your own ?
Sharon: When we’re on the road we do but as we all live together it’s mostly me. Kian did come over and treat us to one of his Sunday roasts …. now we expect them every Sunday!
Leigh: Yeah, he made the mistake of cooking it for us once and now we expect it every Sunday.
If you could add someone to the band who would it be?
Sharon: Maybe Taylor Swift, our music is a bit country. I love Andrea Corr so she would be in too.
Leigh: Bruno Mars … but it might look a bit odd with one man and five girls.
Sharon: We could make that work!
Leigh: Maybe we could add Jimi Hendrix then!
What has been your most embarrassing moment so far?
Sharon: One time Corrina introduced us on stage as Westlife. That wouldn’t have been too bad but we were actually supporting them on the tour.
Corrina: It was terrible, everyone in the crowd just went really quiet and then Sharon said something like ‘No, we’re not Westlife, but we are Wonderland’. Everyone laughed.
Leigh: I think it was just nerves and we’d been saying we were supporting Westlife so it just popped out.
Sharon: There was another time that Kasey had to wear two left boots for a really important performance. The stylist sent over the boots by mistake and Kasey had no choice but to wear them.
Leigh: That was terrible. Our whole record company and everyone important was there because they wanted to make a decision on the band. She went on stage though, she did an amazing job.
You got to tour with Westlife – how did that go?
Leigh: It was brilliant. Before you go on, you have these fears about croaking or falling or something.
Corrina: Or forgetting the words.
Sharon: By the very end of the tour we got to know Mark and Kian and the musicians. You really feel like you are a part of something so the experience is really positive.
Is it hard to get ready on a tour bus … any annoying habits we should know about?
Leigh: We’re all quite laid back and a bit lazy. It depends on the day. As for habits, I chew quite loudly so I’ll put my hands up to that!
Corrina: Sharon makes funny noises in her sleep.
Leigh: I think Sharon’s sleeping noises are cute. When we first went over to London it was during the whole volcano thing so from the off we were like that. We were on the ferry with all our cases and we always help each other along.
Wonderland’s debut single “Not A Love Song” is available in Ireland from Feb 25th: DOWNLOAD IT HERE
- Sinead Van Kampen
Credit/Source: independent.ie
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