One Direction: Where We Are: Our Band, Our Story
Hi everyone, we’ve very excited to welcome you to the eBook edition of Where We Are. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it!
When we look back over our time in 1D so far we can hardly believe everything that’s happened to us. There are so many things we’re proud of, but the ones that really stand out are having three number one albums (and particularly all of the writing we have done on Midnight Memories), all of our tours (which have been incredible), winning some amazing awards and our first ever movie, This Is Us, becoming a number one box office hit.
We owe it all to you, the fans. If we tried to express how grateful we are to each and every one of you we’d run out of words, so we’ll keep it simple – THANK YOU x
Lots of love,
Louis, Liam, Harry, Niall and Zayn
May, 2014
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
HARRY
LIAM
LOUIS
NIALL
ZAYN
GROUP INTERVIEW
Thank Yous
Copyright
About the Publisher
It’s impossible to put into words how much my life has changed since The X Factor. For a start I live in London now, I’m in a band and I get to travel to amazing places… It’s ridiculous when I think about it!
When I compare us now to us in the early days of The X Factor, I know we’ve improved so much as a group. In everything from harmonies and movement to understanding what it is to be onstage and be in a group. I think we’ve gained a lot of confidence and we all feel that we can really be ourselves in front of the crowd.
As much as my life is totally different to how it used to be, in some ways things haven’t changed that much, because I can still live a normal life. People always ask me, ‘Is it impossible to do all the things you used to do?’ but actually I can still go for a drink or dinner and not get papped. I just have to be a bit cleverer about it than I used to be.
If I just want to go out somewhere I try not to think about it too much. I just go and do it. You could drive yourself crazy worrying about whether it’s safe, and you have to live your life. I know that there are certain places where people know me, or their friends do, and if they recognise me they won’t be bothered.
There are times when things can get a bit intrusive, but you just have to get on with it. If you’re walking down the street and someone takes a picture, so what? You’re in public, so you kind of expect it, and it’s not a big deal. But if someone were to take photos of me in my house, that would bother me. You have to have somewhere that’s private.
One of the mottos that I’ve learnt since I joined the band that I try to stick by is: ‘Work hard, play hard and be kind’ – because it works. In order to have a good time you have to work hard to be successful, and being kind to people should be a given. If everyone was a little bit nicer to people, the world would be a much better place. You have a choice where you can either be all right to someone or you can be a little bit nicer, and that can make someone’s day.
ABOVE: Kicking off the Take Me Home world tour at the 02 Arena in London. 23 February 2013
We’ve been so lucky because we’ve been able to go to some incredible places. Of the places we’ve visited so far Sydney is one of my favourites. It’s pretty English – it’s a lot like London in terms of their culture and the way people are – but everything’s just a bit happier because the weather is great, and things move slightly more slowly because people are chilled out.
I also love LA, although I think you have to make it your own. If you go there not knowing anyone it’s not that great, because you need to know where to go and how to get there. If you have friends you can meet at parties and restaurants, LA is the best place in the world. But if you were on your own you’d feel quite lonely.
New York is very different to LA but equally brilliant. In New York you can go out and meet people really easily. There’s stuff going on every night and it’s always so busy that you could easily go out in the early evening and stay out until morning. It’s like London there too, but sped up. If you were staying in New York and you woke up with jet lag at 4am and wanted to see a gig, there would probably be one going on somewhere. No one really eats until 10pm and dinner will go on until 1am. It’s very cool. You can people-watch in New York too, which I really enjoy.
We’ve met some incredible people on our travels. Michelle Obama was great, and I think she and Barack probably really are just the way they come across in the press – very normal. They’re being themselves, they just happen to have ridiculously high-profile jobs. I think Michelle is an amazing First Lady. Everyone seems to love her, and I think that’s because she’s so warm and kind.
Personally, when we’ve been travelling I’ve always tried to meet locals and see how they are in their hometown. When we were in Chicago someone from our record label introduced me to a couple of local guys. I played golf with them and it was nice to go out and do something different. Coincidentally, they used to be mates with Barack Obama and play golf with him every Sunday, and they said he’s really down to earth. One of the guys even invited me over to his house for a barbecue, so I went over and met his family. Things like that are really special.
Going to Ghana for Comic Relief was an unbelievable, life-changing experience. I was so humbled by all of the people we met, and really moved by what we saw. The fact that Comic Relief raised such an incredible amount of money means so much to us, because it will make a huge difference to so many lives. If I was asked to go again, I would in a second.
I haven’t learnt any languages yet, but I really want to learn sign language. So many people can speak different languages, but if you could make a difference to that one person who can’t communicate it would be amazing. I met a girl and her mum in Ireland once and they both signed, and I signed ‘thank you’ back to them and they couldn’t believe it.
If someone who was using sign language came to your show or your book signing and you could sign back to them, it would be such a good feeling. I think that’s much nicer than being able to order steak and chips in French. So the plan is to learn much more sign language as soon as I get a chance.
I’m not a big shopper when we’re travelling, so amazingly I save money when I’m away. Especially when we’re touring. I’ll pick things up here and there, but I can’t get that much in my suitcase! Also, I can’t do online shopping because I’ve got nowhere for it to be delivered to when we’re moving around so much. I tend to pick up little trinkets to remember places by, or gifts for people.
I’ve never told anyone this before but I did pick up an interesting souvenir in LA once. We were invited to meet Johnny Depp’s daughter, so we went over to his studio. My friend was texting me saying, ‘You have to rob something and bring it back.’ So I’ve got this little pink bar of soap from Johnny Depp’s toilet that I nicked. He’s going to think I’m a freak if he reads this!
We’ve been on so many TV shows around the world now, but one we did in Japan really stands out because it was the most ridiculous thing ever. There was confetti all over the place and there were tons of crew and it was so fast paced. It was so crazy we didn’t really know what was going on.
In terms of live shows, playing Madison Square Garden for the first time was a real ‘moment’ for us. The nice thing was that pretty much everyone who’s worked on One Direction as a project was there, from the guy who designed our first album cover to song producers.
One Direction isn’t just about the band, it’s about all the people who have helped us along the way, and are still helping us now. We’ve worked with a lot of the same people since the beginning, and that means a lot to us.
Our friends and family also came, so it was nice to have drinks with all of them afterwards. It’s such an exciting venue, and it was amazing to be able to look out from the stage and see so many people we know supporting us.
The boys light up Madison Square Garden. 4 December 2012
Happy red nose day! 15 March 2013
Even though a lot of mad things are going on around us, I honestly don’t think it’s been that hard to stay down to earth. I look around me and I can see how people could get carried away, because if you lived completely in the fame bubble you could end up thinking you’re the greatest thing ever. I almost feel a bit sorry for people whose lives get completely taken over by it, because I can see how it would be hard to stay grounded. But we all live very normal lives outside of the band, so we don’t let things run away with us.
My family is amazing. They treat me exactly the same way as they always did – and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t. My friends from home are the same. I think you just need to take a step back from it every now and again, remind yourself of what it is you’re involved in as a whole and get it in perspective. It’s a very cool job, but it doesn’t make me any better than anybody else.
I’m very aware of little things, like saying that people work ‘with’ us rather than ‘for’ us. I hate hearing people say that others work for them – I’m sure they only do it because it makes them feel important. We’re all working hard for the same goal.
One of my friends takes the mickey out of me if I walk through a door before her. She’ll say, ‘Do you do that because you’re famous? Hold the door open for me!’ I love it when people rib me about things.
If you’re not very nice to people, word gets around. When someone meets you for the first time, there’s no grey area. They’ll go back to their friends and either say ‘he was really nice’ or ‘he’s a bit of an idiot to be honest’, because saying someone is ‘all right’ isn’t a great story.
If you act even slightly like a diva, people will pick up on it. If I see someone acting like they’re something special it shocks me into not doing it even more. And I have seen a lot of people do it, both famous and non-famous. I don’t understand why you can’t just be nice to people, whether you’re in the public eye or not.
I surround myself with people who do all kinds of jobs, and I like going out to all sorts of places that aren’t to do with the industry. Also, my friends will tell me if I’m doing something wrong or if something I’m wearing looks ridiculous, and not everyone has that. Some people only have ‘yes’ people around them, who tell them they’re wonderful all of the time, and they can lose perspective.
I think it’s nice to give back, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with buying my mum a present if I want to, but I try to buy people things that they need rather than random big gifts. You can end up looking like a massive show-off if you turn up with loads of gifts for Christmas or someone’s birthday, because it looks like you’re trying to trump everyone else’s presents. Plus, if you give things to people all of the time they stop meaning anything. I prefer giving thoughtful presents. Anyone can buy something expensive if they have the money, but it’s harder to buy something that means something to someone.
ABOVE: On a shoot for AERA magazine. 18 January 2013
It still hasn’t sunk in that we went to number one in so many countries with both of our albums. When we go and visit all those countries – which we are planning to do – it will sink in much more.
We found out we were number one in Australia while we were over there doing promo, so we could kind of get it, but when you just see a lot of figures written down on a sheet of paper it doesn’t seem real. It’s tough to picture it. I try to process it when I’m lying in bed at night. I’ll stop and think, ‘I cannot believe we went to number one in the Philippines.’
Some people say that One Direction is half our look and half our music. I don’t think we’ve ever relied just on our look; our music has to be strong for us to stay in the position we are. The main reason the music has to be great is because of the fans. We are a musical group and we love what we do. We couldn’t sing songs we don’t believe in.
We’re quite vulnerable to critics, because we were put together on a reality show. I get that some people don’t like that, and that’s fine. Everyone is entitled to their likes and dislikes. However, if our music did drop off, it would only be right for people to have a bit of a go at us, because at the end of the day we’re a band.
If our music wasn’t good, people would think all we do is mess around and look all right. But you need good music to back all of that up. We feel like our music is getting stronger all the time. Some people may not like us, but we do make a really good pop song, and they’d still dance to it at a wedding.
Of course it’s amazing to get recognition for our music, so winning awards means so much to us. My favourite awards ceremony to date has been the VMAs. I didn’t even expect us to be invited, because it’s such a big deal. So for us to be invited, then asked to perform and then to win three awards was unbelievable.
The BRITs is always a great night as well. We were so excited to go to our first one in 2012, and when we won the award for British Single we were stunned. Then we performed in 2013 and we absolutely loved it. It was great getting to sing ‘One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)’, because Comic Relief is such an important charity.
At the moment my house is being renovated and I’m staying between two friends’ houses, so the awards we’ve been given are all over the place. Two are on a friend’s windowsill, some others are in my other friend’s bedroom and one of my other mates has got another one. One of the EMAs has been swiped by my friend’s sister, so I need to try to get that back. The others are in storage, and I’ll be getting them out when I move back home.
I can still remember the feeling we used to get when we went into the X Factor studios right back at the beginning. When there were fans outside we used to be so excited, and I still get the same feeling now.
When there are a lot of people outside a venue it shocks me. Sometimes I think people won’t turn up to a TV studio if it’s in the middle of nowhere, but they do and it’s so nice.
When we did The Today Show in New York we didn’t know what the reaction would be like. It was our first proper show in America and we were nervous. We knew from Twitter and Facebook that we had a bit of a fanbase there, but an amazing number of fans turned up to welcome us, and to see things on that scale was ridiculous. There were so many people there.
A lot of people try to make it in America, and I think we’ve been incredibly lucky timing-wise, because there hasn’t been a boy band out there for a while. I think it’s a great time for British music in America at the moment generally, with the likes of Adele and Ed Sheeran; they’re doing unbelievably well. And it’s down to the fans spreading the word about UK music.
We’ve known some of the fans for three years, and they still come and make the effort to see us. For us, that’s been one of the nicest parts of the whole thing, because we know their names and we can ask them about their lives. It’s great seeing some of the old faces – and also lots of new faces.
The fans have been incredible to us. They don’t vary much around the world – they’re universally amazing. Sometimes there’s no time to do much more than have a picture taken with them if things are hectic, but it’s nice when there aren’t many fans in one place, because then you get a chance to sit down and chat to them. I was talking to some fans the other night who are at uni, and it’s crazy to think that if I weren’t in the band I would probably be in the same position as them. Or even at uni with them.
We love performing and seeing the fans, so touring is probably my favourite thing to do. When it comes to travelling, I think what we all enjoy most is being on the tour bus. You can chill out, have some food and go to sleep when you want to. I try not to do too much. I’ll watch a film and chat to the boys, but it’s nice to have proper downtime to catch up with friends and family.
We do have a really good laugh if we’re in a stupid mood. I remember once we decided to jokingly attack Paul, our tour manager. I was naked and I thought it would be a really quick fight, but it took forever, so I was stuck in a naked headlock for about ten minutes...
The crew is like one big tour family, and I think if you didn’t have that community feel you would go crazy. You’re away from your family and friends, so you need that support network of people who are there for you. I can always talk to the boys, but I know I can talk to the crew too. Everyone needs everyone, and we’re all on each other’s side.
Even though you’re away from home and you’re working long hours when you’re touring, you do get a chance to recharge your batteries a bit. You can have a lie-in and you can get into a good routine. You know that you can go to the gym, have some lunch and then head to the venue at a set time.
The beds on the tour bus are pretty comfortable, and the American buses are always massive, so you get bigger beds and DVD players in the bunks. I always take a scented candle with me when I travel because it reminds me of home, and I also light them in the dressing room before a gig sometimes. It’s nice to have a touch of home.
I think the thing that people like about our shows is that you get something different all the time. We always mess around onstage and there are always little jokes going on, which I think is nice for the crowd.
The last night of the tour is the one that I’d want to go and see, because pretty much everything falls apart. The crew come on and throw things at us when we’re performing, and you can do everything you’ve always wanted to do onstage because it’s the last one. It’s the fun show, and I think if you came and saw it you’d have a laugh. It’s always a longer show too, because we’re doing so much stupid stuff. I’d love to watch one back. It’s probably awful, but great fun!