Funday: How did you guys get together?
Jay: Our manager, Lou Pearlman, with whom I had worked together on other projects, asked me to join the band and auditioned for four more guys. I’m from England and the others are from America.
Funday: Why did you make a TV show in the States but release your first records in Germany?
Chris: The concept was to form a band in America but launch them in Germany and Europe first, which worked so well with the Backstreet Boys.
Jay: None of us knew each other but because the formation of the band was done as a TV show, which was first shown in Germany, we had to get along. We were living together, learning strenuous dance routines, having vocal coaching, making an album and shooting a TV show – it was crazy.
Funday: Are you all mates now?
Izzy: We’re like brothers. We do argue but only about stupid stuff such as: “Who ate my cookies?” or “You didn’t give me back my T-shirt”. Nothing major.
Funday: What are your roles in the band?
Jay: I co-write the songs and I’m the oldest so I’m like the big brother. Chris is a hard-worker, Richie is a fun guy who keeps us entertained, Michael is a brilliant dancer and Izzy is a really lively character.
Funday: Where do you live?
Chris: We were based in Germany at first, but now we’re making our base in London. Not that we’re ever in one place for long – our whole life is spent going from country to country and hotel to hotel.
Richie: I love travelling, but I hate flying. I’m terrified when I’m on a plane. I just sit there feeling scared for the whole flight but Jay will sit next to me, keep me chatting and try and keep me calm.
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Funday: What are you offering that other bands aren’t?
Richie: We’re a lot more fun than other bands at the moment. You see us on stage and we’re having a great time. Our music is cool, too, sort of pop mixed with R&B.
Izzy: We make great pop music. We’re like all the best boybands put together – Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync, Take That, New Kids on the Block.
Chris: We do dance routines, we do acrobatics, the vocals are really strong, and each one of us is a completely different character.
Funday: Where’s the craziest place you’ve visited so far?
Jay: We arrived in Moscow and they had to get a squad of security men to get us out of the airport safely because there were thousands of fans waiting for us.
Izzy: Russia was a strange place. The people there were either really rich or really poor. We also shot a video in Romania and I wouldn’t go back there in a hurry. The streets were full of stray dogs and homeless children – very sad.
Michael: London is the best place we’ve been so far. The people are so friendly and there are great shops.
Funday: What are your ambitions?
Izzy: To be successful in America and the UK, especially in the UK. You guys have the coolest taste in music.
Funday: What are the best and worst things about being in Us5?
Chris: The best thing is getting to perform on stage with fans screaming for you. The worst thing is not being able to see family and friends often and also not getting much sleep.
Michael: I haven’t been home for months. I get really homesick. We all do. We’re always on the phone to friends and family back home or sending e-mails.
Funday: Was it fun making your own video?
Richie: Yes it was fun but exhausting. We went for two days without any sleep, but nothing went wrong during the shoot. Mind you, the clothes they’d first chosen for me didn’t fit. I’m much skinnier and smaller than people think.
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See Us5’s own reality show, Big in America, Fridays on TMF from 6.30pm. The debut single, Maria, will be released next month
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