Kian Egan: Living a day at a time
Irish boy group Westlife has disbanded but former member Kian Egan is holding his own with a solo album, writes Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli
IT has been two years since the four members of popular Irish boy group Westlife went their separate ways.
However, former member Kian Egan harbours hope that one day, he and his mates Shane Filan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne will reunite on stage.
“Maybe not necessarily as a newly-reformed Westlife, but as four friends,” Egan said in a phone interview recently. “It will be a nice experience if that happens.”
During its glory days, Westlife took the world by storm with its catchy music and its members’ charming personalities. It was famous for timeless songs such as Flying Without Wings, Swear It Again, Seasons In The Sun and Fool Again.
After disbanding in June 2012, Filan continued his passion for music by cutting his debut solo album, You And Me, last year.
Egan followed in his footsteps earlier this year by releasing his album Home, which comprises his covers of hit songs by other artistes. He was given the opportunity to produce the album after winning the UK reality show I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, where celebrities live in uncomfortable conditions and learn to survive, in December last year.
“My current record label asked me if I was interested in making a solo album. I agreed to do it but it wanted the album to be released by Mothers’ Day in the UK (March 30). It normally takes a year to 18 months to come out with a proper album, but I obviously didn’t have time,” he said.
His record label then suggested a cover-song album as his debut record. Still, Egan found it difficult to record the songs in less than three months.
Home comprises 10 songs, including Home (Chris Daughtry), What Hurts The Most (Rascal Flatts), The Reason (Hoobastank), I’ll Be (Edwin McCain), I’m Ready (Bryan Adams), Here Without You (3 Doors Down) and Not A Day Goes By (Lonestar).
“These are some of my favourite songs. I wanted to pick the music that I love and share it with an audience,” said Egan.
Home was chosen as the title song because Egan has always been a fan of the track.
“When I was away on my own in Australia for eight weeks last year, that song reminded me of my family. It has a special meaning to me. Plus, it’s just an incredible song,” said Egan.
He married English singer-actress Jodi Albert in 2009 and they have a two-year-old son, Koa. The couple sang a cover of Lady Antebellum’s song, I Run To You, for Egan’s album.
His label has promised that if Home does well on the charts, another album may be in the works, but with original songs this time.
“I’m always writing songs, playing the guitar and testing melodies. Currently, I’m concentrating on promoting Home. We’ll see what happens in the future,” he said.
FLYING SOLO
Performing on his own without his Westlife group mates was scary at first for Egan. “I was quite nervous, but after a while, it became natural to me and I started enjoying the experience,” he said.
Performing alone was also much lonelier, as Egan found out. “When you’re in a band, it’s a lot more fun because you’re performing together. It is a whole different vibe.”
Egan admits to missing the experience of travelling together with Westlife members as they had so much fun meeting people and going to new places.
It has been 16 years since Egan made his debut in the entertainment industry and he had never expected to go this far in his career.
“It was amazing when Westlife started. We never expected it to last as long as it did or to be that successful,” he said.
“After Westlife, I had no idea where my life was going to take me, what I was going to do or how things were going to pan out.”
It’s been two years since Westlife ended, but for Egan, it has been a positive period.
“I’m just living my life, enjoying it and taking it day by day while trying not to think too much about the future or the past.”
When will he retire? “I don’t know, maybe when I’m 60?” Egan answered with a laugh.
“Honestly I don’t think about things like that. I just live today today and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.”
Source: www.nst.com
