The ScriptWhen a band hits the big time, what’s the point at which they turn around and decide to share their success? For international superstars The Script, consisting of frontman Danny, guitarist Mark and drummer Glen, that time has arrived. We caught up with them at their recent appearance at the launch of Arthur Guinness Projects, a new funding programme for arts and culture in Ireland, where they will head the panel in charge of funding for Music, to talk mentoring, their past, and their future.

Alongside the new Arthur Guinness project, many will know The Script‘s frontman Danny from his position as judge on UK talent show ‘The Voice’. Has mentoring and teaching younger and less experienced artists become of special interest to the band? Mark spoke about what exactly working on the Arthur Guinness projects means to them. “It wasn’t something we would have planned to do. Sometimes, because of the natural status and the way the band is going, people turn to us and ask us to add our weight to things. Loads of things come across the desk, but this stood out the most because A, it was looking for Irish people and helping Irish people and B, it’s such a great idea!” 

Of course, this has also been an exciting weekend for Danny, having just won ‘The Voice’ with his contestant Andrea. As with any talent show, we have to ask just what happens now that the cameras are off and the hard work is really just beginning. Danny spoke a bit about just how much contact he and Andrea would maintain now that the show is over. “As much as she wants – she has my phone number, she has my email. She’s going into talks with the labels over the next few days to try and capitalise on what we’ve done. I think the worst thing for Andrea right now would be to go away for a year and try and write an album. We’re going to have to act really, really fast on her but we’ve been chatting over the past five days about what’s been going on, and she’s eager to have me as involved as I can be. Whenever and where-ever I can lend a hand, I will.”

So naturally with Danny becoming more and more involved with this aspect of his career, what happens to the band? Is his involvement in television taking away from The Script, or is it a welcome break from touring, writing and recording? According to Danny, it is what you make of it. “It distracts if you let it distract, but not if you write it into your plan of your year ahead, you know? Obviously we’ve enjoyed a massive amount of success, globally as well, because of what happened on the voice with ‘Hall of Fame’ going on there as well. The juggling thing has been really well managed by the guys. You’d think it was me who wanted to go on ‘The Voice’, but it was the lads who said ‘You need to do it. We need this as a band.'”

So what were the guys at in the meantime? “They were in the studio, working endlessly making sure that album number three was the best it possibly could be. And then I was coming in at night-time. If you want to be a band like The Script, just match us on work rate. We’re no more or less talented than any other band, but we work really, really hard.” So is that the difference – for a band who claims their talent to be nothing out of the ordinary to work immensely hard to make it over countless others? Danny went on to further explain the point. “This year, we set out to do all the festivals and all the pre-arranged stuff we had planned before, and then included ‘The Voice’ in that. It’s tough, but that’s what it’s like at this level. You take your eye off the ball for a month, and someone else is snapping at your heels.”

Fans may remember their former project from years ago, before drummer Glen joined the band. That project was Mytown. Signed with Universal Records, they were eventually dropped from their label and the band members went their seperate ways. However, Danny and Mark were to later reform, along with drummer Glen, to form The Script. How did these early experiences shape the huge pop band they were to become? Danny explained a bit about what their past means to them. “It’s the best kind of grounding. It teaches you at a very young level that things can be taken away, and I think for us, why The Script is so sweet is that we’ve gotten dropped from a label before. We took things for granted I guess, and we’ve been back down at the bottom of the pile…and to get the courage then to get yourself back up off the ground, dust yourself off and then continue on. You know, it’s ten years down the line after Mytown that The Script were formed, and I don’t think that, without that, we’d be the same band at all.” Mark goes on to add “There’s nothing wrong with learning that lesson, there’s nothing wrong with getting kicked down. If you really love what you’re doing, you’ll keep going.

As an Irish band doing well, and working so closely with young acts emerging both in Ireland and the UK, have any young Irish bands stood out to The Script? Ireland has become a wealth of musical talent recently. Danny mentioned not only the travesty that was this year’s Eurovision disaster for Ireland, but also some Irish acts that have really caught their eye lately. “There’s loads. We’re starting to dominate the world again. The Eurovision had a good entry this year, it wasn’t actually bad. I thought it was a fucking travesty, because that guy can sing. I think there’s loads of cool bands though. We’ve now got Kodaline doing really well, a hat tip to them boys. You’ve got The Original Rudeboys now, they’re doing really well. Hudson Taylor are starting to do really well – all guys we’ve met along the way.”

One question we were all dying to ask involves the use of rapping on a number of the band’s tracks. Have the lads ever considered inviting an Irish rap artist to feature in one of their next big hits? “Absolutely. Sure we were trying it ourselves on album three. What we love about Irish culture these days it the massive influx of different nationalities that have come into the country over the last fifteen to twenty years. It’s a great time for creativity in this town.” Mark jumps in to add  “The problem is, the word Ireland and the word hip-hop don’t go together very well. The world doesn’t see that. It’s like the Jamaican Bobsleigh team!” Danny then goes on to explain just how an Irish rapper might become involved. “I think if it’s done in the right way…hip-hop is all about being yourself and speaking about things going on in your area. I think if they’re trying to be out there talking about having loads of money and shit that they don’t have, then don’t come near The Script. Don’t come to The Script with the fake crap.”

Hard-working, successful and career-driven, it will be interesting to see where the lads from The Script can go from here, but they’re determined to keep branching out, making music and growing. If you’re interested in their involvement with the Arthur Guinness Project, or maybe in applying for funding for your own creative endeavours, head over to www.arthurguinnessprojects.com for more information.

The Script – Hall Of Fame