One Direction: Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne Interview

By: Lynn Barker

Still in NYC, the guys of boy band phenom One Direction are as energetic and positive as ever as they launch their new movie and get excited about their next album which streets around Christmas time. They buzz on parents, their fave concert locale, and turn the tables by giving their advice to the parents of their fans!

Here come Liam, Zayn and Louis...

The guys: Thanks for comin today! What’s new? (sitting down, looking at microphones) I feel like I’m doin’ a really important speech. (making beatbox noises) Hello, my name is Zayn. Let’s have tea and biscuits!

(Please Note: This interview is from an audio recording of the guys in New York. Since we were not present, it is almost impossible to tell which of the three guys is talking so we will only indicate which band member said what when we are sure.)

Q: What piece of advice did your moms give you growing up about your singing that you still think about today?

• One Direction: My dad would always give me loads of advice and fill my head with advice where my mom would just say “Just do your best because that’s the best you can do”.

• One Direction: Awww, that’s nice. I remember just bein’ at home and my mom sayin’ I had a good voice but I never really believed her because every mom has to say that to her kid. That’s why I went to “X-Factor” in the first place.

• Liam: I think my mom just filled me with confidence. Mum just thought I was the best of everything like every mother really. “Ah, Liam, nice tie”.

Q: Where do you guys get your inspiration from? Some of your lyrics are well….very mature in a sense for your ages.

• One Direction: I think it depends on who we’re working with. With this new album we’re working with Julian (Bunetta) and he’s got a lot more life experience than what we have but it’s always on a level with us.

• One Direction: I think the lyrics can be interpreted in any way you wish.

• One Direction: They’re ambiguous.

• One Direction: Maybe you just have that kind of mind, I don’t know (laughter). But we’re mommies’ boys so don’t know what you are talking about (laughter).

Q: With all your concerts all over the world, what was your favorite place so far?

• One Direction: For me, on this tour so far, in America it’s when we went down to Miami because we got a few days’ off. Whenever we get a day off is our favorite place to be honest with you but we were on a boat for a few days…

• One Direction: (singing) We’re on a boat… la da

• One Direction: And it was good fun. We did a bit of fishin’ and chillin’ out. It was great.

Q: Some of your parents got so emotional in the film after you left the “X Factor” and didn’t come back home. What was it like seeing your parents like that on screen?

• One Direction: You felt guilty a little bit.

• One Direction: In a way it was kind of nice actually because we don’t really see that side of our parents talking about us being away from home so deeply as that but to get their side of it for once was quite nice. Bless my dad.

Q: What advice would you give to parents whose kids look up to you?

• One Direction: Funny that we’d give advice to parents. I don’t feel mature enough for that!  But I think you should always encourage anyone you know, whether it’s your kids or not, if they really want to go for something, don’t think you can’t get there. If you want it hard enough, at least give it a go because otherwise you’ll never know.

• One Direction: It’s just as crazy for us because just to think that we’d be here like three years ago and be in this band would be crazy but, obviously, we’re here so anything is possible. If you dream hard enough and try hard enough you can do it.

• One Direction: I think our parents might fear the fame thing but I think we’ve done all right. I think being in a band kind of helps us with that. Obviously, there are some tough sides of being in the spotlight. I don’t think anyone should ever fear a great opportunity. Just go for it.

Q: (A lot of young people) saw your trip to Ghana and wondered what they could do at home to help (disadvantaged people).

• One Direction: Anything is better than nothing.

• One Direction: One of the things we’d do when I was at school is we’d fill a shoebox with toys or little bits of things you like that kids in other countries don’t have the opportunity to have. Everyone’s got toys they don’t use anymore so just fill a shoebox. There will be a site on the internet you can send it to.

Q: What kinds of music do you guys listen to?

• Liam: I listen to a lot of rock music which people wouldn’t expect I guess. I’m big into rap.

• Zayn: I feelin’ rap myself. Hip Hop is good at the minute.

• Louis: I’m less of a rap man myself. I just like acoustic, kind of chilled music.

Q: As a band, what do you look forward to as you accomplish so much?

• One Direction: Sunday dinner from me mum! Eating home-cooked food.

• All: Yeah!

• One Direction: I said something in the film actually, I like the Benjamin Button theory of living life backwards and going into that settled down life with the wife and kids. For me I find that quite exciting. I can’t wait to have kids….but I’m not gonna rush it! Don’t worry about that.

Q: Anything you really liked not make it into the final film?

• One Direction: My church football game didn’t make it in.

• One Direction: There’s a shot of you kicking the ball so you are telling a fib there. You weren’t watching close enough. There is one of the game, I promise you.

• One Direction: Really?

Q: Are you guys going to bring the video diaries back?

• One Direction: To be fair, we really do want to. It’s just hard to find the time. As well, those video diaries were quite funny and I’m scared that if we bring them back, there is so much anticipation around it that it’s not gonna be good enough. That’s the scary thing for us at the moment.

• One Direction: Yeah but it’s just finding the time. We genuinely want to keep doing them but…

• One Direction: How fun is it for us to watch them back? It’s fun for us to do them as well. We just can’t fit it in.

One Direction This is Us is in theathers August 30^th!

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