So what’s next for 1D? Well, we’re all very excited about the movie. When we watched it for the first time it made everything seem so much more real. It’s very weird watching a film about yourself. It’s crazy to think how it could potentially change the way people see us because it’s so personal. The fans know us to a certain extent, but the film shows everyone the real us. It reveals literally everything.
We never dreamed we would be making a film, but it’s definitely one of the things that’s meant the most to us. Although after my appearance on iCarly, I don’t think I’ll be going down the road of serious acting any time soon…
Work on our third album is going really well. I love writing and being creative and it’s amazing to be involved in making something that people will listen to and enjoy. After we did a session where we were writing “Last First Kiss,” I went home and carried on writing, and I was texting the guy who was producing it with us with more and more ideas. I worked really hard on it, so when people say it’s their favorite song on the album it’s the most rewarding thing in the world. Singing songs is one thing, but when you’ve actually written something and you hear people in the crowd singing the lyrics it’s such a buzz. You can’t beat that.
Looking ahead, I just want all of this to carry on. This is everything I’ve ever wanted to do and I don’t ever want it to end. I can’t wait to play stadiums. How cool will that be?
When we first got put together as a group it was a really strange but amazing moment for us all. The week we spent at Harry’s house after Boot Camp getting to know each other will always be really special to me.
Releasing our first single, making our first video and going to Radio 1 for the first time will always be incredible memories for me too. So many brilliant things have happened to us over the past few years, but rather than sitting back and trying to make sense of it all, I find that the best thing to do is roll with it and take each day as it comes – I think it would drive me a bit crazy if I thought too long and hard about everything, though occasionally of course it’s nice to reflect on all the good times we’ve had.
Sometimes I lie in bed at night and try to get my head around everything that’s gone on. It’s hard to believe that it’s happening to me. It’s frustrating, because I would like to be able to totally step outside of things and look at them from someone else’s point of view, but no matter how hard I try I can’t. I remember Liam saying to me that things didn’t really hit him until he saw the movie. We’re unbelievably proud of what we’ve achieved, and so grateful to the people around us and our fans.
Before I auditioned for The X Factor I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my life, and to think that I’ve ended up being famous and a pop star is crazy. I was thinking about university, but I was unsure whether or not I would get there because I didn’t really have the work ethic… Back then all I wanted to do was go out and party all of the time, so I guess in a way auditioning for the show kind of saved me. I never, ever expected all of this to happen, and it sort of took away the pressure of having to make a decision about what I was going to do with my life. I think I would have liked to go to uni for a year or so, but I think three years would have been pushing it!
Louis with Kevin the pigeon!
Louis engrossed in a Beatles movie about their first trip to America.
I can’t imagine my life without One Direction now. We’ve been to some incredible places and met amazing people. Michelle Obama and her kids came along to one of our shows, which was very cool.
Of all the places we’ve visited, Australia really stands out for me. It’s like the UK, but with amazing weather! The first time we went over there Liam and I learned to surf – that was around the time when things began to go really crazy. We’d been down at the beach surfing for about 15 minutes and then we looked up and there was a helicopter above us.
Getting to see the world is one of the best things about being in the band. Being able to say you’ve been to all of these places and getting to share the experience with the others is so special. I never want to waste any chances we get to explore, so as soon as we arrive somewhere I’ll search out some good things to do. When we have a day off I make sure I never spend it lazing around, because it would be such a waste. I also try to pick up a few words in other languages as well, even if it’s just yes, no and hello. I like to think I’m good at French, but I’m not really! I can just about get by, but I would love to learn more. That’s one of my goals.
You learn so much when you’re traveling. For instance, I learned that in Japan it’s considered offensive to have your tattoos on show, so we wore long sleeves everywhere we went. Liam and I both bought robots in Japan, which was quite random; they’re designed to play soccer against each other, and they can walk, clap, do press-ups and pick themselves up if they fall over… Liam’s isn’t working at the moment, so he needs to get it fixed.
The robot is probably the most extravagant thing I’ve bought, but the most ridiculous is an interactive mirror. It’s in my lounge, but I really should put it in my bedroom, because you can program it to display the weather, the news and Facebook updates. People always comment on it, but I haven’t had a chance to set it up yet and I really need to get around to it.
We’ve done so many cool TV shows around the world. Obviously the VMAs were huge, but for me the best show to perform on is the UK X Factor. It’s where we came from, so it’s almost like we’ve got a point to prove when we go back. We also see a few old faces in the crew. It feels scary, but also quite comfortable.
Despite all of the craziness that’s been going on, I can honestly say that we’ve all managed to stay grounded. It’s always been really important to me that I stay close to my friends and family at home. I speak to them on the phone all the time, and they come and see me at shows too.
It would be easy to make a lot of new friends in the industry and get swept away with everything, but when you see your old mates and they treat you the same way they always have done it brings you straight back down to earth. I think if you were to lose touch with the friends you grew up with you’d really notice it. It’s the same with the other guys in the band – we would never let each other get big-headed. If anyone got above themselves we would just laugh.
My mom has always really encouraged me in everything I do, so I guess in some ways you could say she’s my inspiration for all of this. It was my mom who took me to my first audition, which was for a school production of Grease. I want to do all of my family proud, and one of the best things about doing all of this is that I can treat my family and friends and my girlfriend when I want to. That means a lot to me.
It’s hard for all of us to get our heads around how big things have got, but it must be even crazier for the people close to us. We live it day by day, but they see it all through the TV and the press, so it must be quite intense. Everyone loves it, though. My family love coming to the gigs, and my mom has collected loads of press cuttings about us – she’s even got a full-sized cardboard cut-out of me! She’s got access to my emails too, so she can keep up to date with everything I’m doing. It’s hilarious.
Louis getting ready for surfing in LA. 6 September 2012
From day one we worked really hard to find the One Direction sound, and we did that by getting involved in the songwriting, so it means everything to us that our music has done well. We were all nervous about releasing the albums, and when Take Me Home went to number one in 37 countries we were stunned… It’s almost a bit daunting, but it makes us feel really proud.
We got a lot of instant fame off the back of The X Factor, but it was easy for people who hadn’t heard our music to be skeptical about it at first. In a way, we had even more to prove. That’s why we had to totally nail both albums and make sure they were full of songs that we believed in and loved. When they were successful it was incredible.
We all love music, so there’s no way we could have done a world tour with a load of tracks that we don’t like! We’re involve
d with the music every step of the way – and more than ever on the third album.
My favorite song of ours to date is probably “Moments,” which Ed Sheeran wrote. I like how my voice sounded on the recording. I also like “Loved You First,” and “Back for You,” because Liam, Zayn and I all wrote on it. It’s about our girlfriends, so it’s very personal to us.
Getting awards for our music is great; it feels like the ultimate recognition. The VMAs are massive, so to win there was ridiculous, but I guess the BRITs will always be the most special to us. The first year we went we were only eligible for one award and we really didn’t think we were going to win, so when we did, it was the best feeling in the world. Performing this year and winning another award was the icing on the cake. The BRITs have been such a big deal for me since I was a kid. I remember seeing the TV advert for the BRITs 2013 and hearing my voice open it. That was a weird moment.
Louis and Zayn talk to fans online.
Thank you, Germany! Thank you, Bambis. 22 November 2012
We’re lucky with awards because we usually get given one each. I thought it would look a bit flash if I displayed them around my house, but actually, in the end, I decided that I’m really proud of them, so why not have them on show? I’ve now got a desk in my hallway and they sit on there, along with my Sellotape and envelopes!
People often ask how different our fans are around the world, but actually I don’t think they’re very different at all. Japanese fans are more reserved, but at the same time they’re really fun and giddy and they’re always so excited to see you.
The fans mean everything to us. We’ve got the most incredible support, and because of that we get to do what we love every day of our lives. There are a lot of fans whose names we know and who we see around all the time. We’ve got to know loads over the past few years actually, and it’s so nice that they’ve stayed so loyal. We always do our best to stop and chat to the fans and find out something about them. Sometimes, if things are really manic, we’ll get moved along by security, but we always try to wave and say hello and sign autographs at the very least.
We often get funny presents from fans. Sometimes, because they’ve read interviews in which we’ve mentioned things we like, they’ll bring them along to give to us. In our early days I said in an interview that I really like carrots, and even now I still get given them. I could have started my own carrot business by now. Most people just want us to follow them on Twitter, though, so we do that a lot, and we try to tweet as much as we can to let everyone know what we’re up to.
We are all so excited to be doing the Take Me Home tour – for a start, we love being on the road as it’s always such a laugh. And the tour is eight months in total, which is madness.
I always pack at the last minute when we’re traveling, so once I’ve got my bag or case out I tend to grab whatever’s nearest. The one thing I always take with me is a hat, in case I’m having a bad hair day. I also like to take my laptop, iPod and PlayStation to keep myself amused.
I find it really easy to relax when I’m traveling, and it’s nice to be able to spend proper time with the other lads after the show and talk about it on the bus. That’s when we get to spend really long chunks of time together, so we can mess around and vibe off of each other. It’s also a great time to phone friends and family, as sometimes you have no choice but to chill out and take time for yourself. I like flying as well, because if you’ve had a really busy few days ending in a long flight, you can totally switch off there, watch a few films or have a sleep.
We always get up to mischief if we’re away from home. We’re good at finding ways to amuse ourselves. One time, when we were in France, Liam and I were bored so we snuck out of the dressing room. Our tour manager, Paul, thought we were safe and sound in the room, but we found a fire exit. Then we took a photo of ourselves standing in front of a big group of fans – and texted it to him. He panics enough about us as it is, without us doing anything, so we were in stitches, but for some reason he didn’t find it all that funny.
Touring is brilliant. After working so hard on the music it’s great to be able to go out and perform it live to people – and no two performances are the same, so you know that every night you step out onstage it’s going to be a new experience. It’s great getting feedback on our music from the fans too – and we get to see so many on tour.
The Take Me Home tour means so much to us, because it’s a world tour and absolutely huge. Selling so many tickets was incredible, as we all worked so hard on every single detail.
Preparing for it was a big part of the fun. We have so much involvement in every aspect of One Direction, and we’ve always got loads of ideas. We got to have a say in everything, and chose the set list for the tour too.
We spent a good few months getting everything prepared for the tour and by the time we went out on the road we were so ready for it. We don’t pretend we’re the best dancers, but we’re enjoying our tour choreography because we’re learning new stuff. We love the covers we do – “Teenage Dirtbag” and “One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks).” They’re a bit different to our genre and it feels great to experiment.
There’s nothing better than coming offstage after a brilliant show when you’re buzzing and you know it’s gone well. It’s especially nice if friends and family are there because you can have a little get-together in the dressing room or go out for a drink. We’re not very rock and roll when it comes to our dressing room, though. Other bands totally trash theirs, but we usually end up having food fights…
While we’ve been on tour we’ve spent loads of time writing new songs. I think with every album we get more and more confident with our sound. I can’t believe we’re onto our third already. We’ve had so much time to fill while we’ve been traveling that I’ve been constantly writing down ideas and talking to the other lads about them.
I can’t believe that we’ve also managed to make a movie during this time. We all felt emotional just watching the trailer, so when it came to the actual film we were stunned. It was crazy to see how far we’d come.
In the film we wanted to show exactly what it’s like being in One Direction, and we wanted to put some of the show in there too, so that people can relive it. It’s all the things that people don’t usually see. Everyone sees us out and about having a great time, but we do also work really hard, and I think that comes across. We’re still totally normal and some of the stuff we do, like playing FIFA on the PlayStation, is what millions of other people do when they’re sat at home. We’re just five lads who happen to be in a band and have a lot of crazy stuff going on around us.
The movie was a real eye-opener for all of us, because it’s not something we’d done before. We had cameras following us around when we did The X Factor, but this was probably a little bit more intense. I’ve done some acting before so I have been around cameras at other times, but we all got so comfortable that we’d end up forgetting they were there. We’d do something stupid and only afterwards think, “Oh dear, they’ve just captured that…”
I don’t know if I’ll end up doing any more acting in the future, but I’ve always had a bit of a passion for it, so it’s definitely something I’d consider if I got the opportunity. But who knows what will happen? My main hope for the future is that we all remain the best of friends throughout everything. I would hate it if anything affected our friendships.
I really can’t see 1D ending any time soon, and none of us wants it to. We’re all having the time of our lives, so why would we want to do anything different?
Everything has changed dramatically for all of us since we auditioned for The X Factor. Before the show we were all leading very normal lives: we’d wake up, go to school, have a laugh, do homework, play soccer, eat our dinner and go to bed. It was the same every day and I never used to look past the end of the week. Now I could tell you what I’m going to be doing on 13 November 2014. In that respect life now is pretty strange…
I guess the most obvious change
s are the fact that we’re in a band and it’s gotten so big, and that not one of us is from London and yet we all live there now. In fact, I moved from a different country to be there!
My town has around 25,000 people in it and it feels as if everyone knows each other, but I can drive through the streets of London and not know one single person. It’s been a pretty dramatic move, but outside of work I still do the same things I always did.
If I get a Saturday off I’ll go to soccer, see my mates and have a Nando’s meal, or watch Sky Sports all day on the telly with a guitar in my hand. Out of the spotlight nothing’s changed, but when we’re in it, everything has. I can’t really go shopping on my own anymore, so I do most of my shopping online. And if I go to the cinema with the lads we’ll go to a late show so it’s quiet and no one knows we’re there.
I’ve got so many good memories from my time in the band that I could talk for days. 2011 was a crazy year for us. We kicked it off by winning a BRIT award, then we had two number-one albums in America, won VMAs, played at the Olympics and at Madison Square Garden… So much.
Performing at Madison Square Garden was one of the best moments of my life. We had a runway built onto the stage that was T-shaped. We came up from the bottom of the stage and I remember looking directly up and seeing the scoreboard with Madison Square Garden written on it and I just nodded to myself. I couldn’t believe we were there.
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