Host: Alex Purkiss (AP)
Blazing Squad (BS)

AP: Hello, and welcome to today's show. I'm Alex Purkiss. Now, joining me today, are a squad, who four years ago burst onto the scene, as a ten-piece. They're now a four-piece – so they're going for quality not quantity…it's the Blazin' Squad. Hi guys. I'm going to start off with a couple of questions for you guys. So, as there are a lot fewer of you this time round – why are there only four of you left?

BS: Well basically about two years ago we all decided to go our own separate ways and, well, about a year and a half ago between us we all decided the best route would be to cut the band down so everyone could go off and do what they thought they wanted to be doing, and us lot really wanted to carry on doing that urban/pop kind of like music that we were doing already, whereas Friday Hill, wanted to go a bit more indie.

BS: Yeah because those guys are doing a completely different other thing.

AP: Why did you decide to carry on with the same name?

BS: Well I think because we left such a big fan base behind, and I thought, Friday Hill obviously took some of that fan base when they came back with their music but we thought, – if that fan base is there we might as well still give them what they wanted before we were out.

AP: Well, we're happy with that because it means we get to use a smaller lens to fit you in the camera frame. So, I mean, are you still in contact with those guys?

BS: Yeah, all the time, all the time. I mean they weren't just our band mates they were like our school friends as well.

AP: It's good to know it's all amicable. OK, we're going to go to a question from a guy at home. It's from DJ Stammer.

BS: What's goin' on Stammer?

AP: He asks, “What happened to the rest of your group, aside from the guys who went on to form Friday Hill?”

BS: Well Krazy – he's been recording some solo stuff now, he's been working over in America with some producers over there so we should hear from him soon. Tommy B's working at MTV and doing bits and bobs at record labels, and Ollie, he's going to do something completely new now, he's like starting off doing sales but I think he wants to start up and make his own business now and do a completely different thing. Kenzie, Flava and Strider went off to do Friday Hill.

AP: Speaking of Kenzie, when he was in the Celebrity Big Brother house, were you all happy with that? Do you feel it hindered or helped?

BS: I think it helped because he did come across really good, you know he came second, so obviously people liked him. And people liking him, obviously gave the band that he came from a good output as well so…

AP: Sure, and that links us nicely onto the next question from Heather. She says, “Platinum, I love you”…

Platinum: I love you too, I love you too.

AP: “I think you're the best in the group.”

Platinum: It's all good. It's all good.

AP: So what was it like to be in the game, were you gutted when you didn't win?

Platinum: It all started so nicely, but you know what, I was gutted that I didn't win, because I should've won because in the speed skating, I was the fastest in that event.

BS: And the other one, the water skiing, but you won three events.

Platinum: I won three events, but the speed-skating was the one that definitely would have had me still battling for the first place, but when I fell twice, that totally – twice, that totally

BS: You fell off the bike as well didn't you?

Platinum: I didn't fall off the bike.

AP: Well I hope that answers your question Heather. I mean, I take it you're all quite competitive guys in an inter-Blazin' Squad games, who's a gold medallist?

BS: I dunno.

BS: You notice it all went quiet there?

BS: Me and Sam took up golf, not proper golf but driving range, smacking the balls and we took that quite competitively.

BS: I was the borough champion three years in a row; I got gold medals three years in a row, what can I say?

AP: Well I think you all seem pretty competitive, judging on that.

BS: Yeah, yeah we are.

AP: OK, we've got another question come in from Becky. Becky wants to know “Will the new album be different to the last?” Obviously before you've gone down the sort of pop/urban route, do you want to carry on going down that route?

BS: I think it will be different, it will be different.

BS: It's not going to be a complete different thing.

BS: It ain't going to be like heavy metal, it'll still be like pop.

BS: It'll still have the Blazin' Squad vibes, like the happy songs, the dance songs, the serious songs. You'll enjoy it.

AP: Sure, because obviously, for example, Friday Hill – their sound is completely different to how I'd imagine it to be. Obviously one of them's playing the guitar in the band so that's gone down a completely different route. I think everyone was probably expecting to see something a little bit different from Blazin' Squad.

BS: Nah, it's not going to be, it won't be like, exactly the same. It has changed but it's still the same sort of like Blazin' Squad. You're not going to see us with long hair and like guitars.

AP: You're veterans now, you've been doing it for seven years. I hope that answers Becky's question. Going back, as I was saying, the seven years, you're all about twenty now, and you all formed at thirteen which must've been, I mean, that's quite mature in itself, to do that at thirteen, because at thirteen I was still building dens and stuff, but I mean, to start out then, how did it all come together?

BS: I mean when we were thirteen, we were doing it but we weren't taking it as seriously. It was just a hobby, like after school we'd go round each other's houses, make a tape for someone or write some lyrics, it was just for fun. And then when we turned sixteen, that's when it became our career, so we started taking it a lot more seriously.

AP: Sure, but I remember thinking at the time, looking back at how young you were, it almost appeared as if you, when you turned up on the scene, it seemed really straightforward and easy for you, because you went straight in at number one, with Crossroads.

BS: We were really lucky.

AP: And to start like that, you must've been one hell of a ride.

BS: Yeah, it was totally crazy, because the song we were actually going to release instead of Crossroads, was like, it was straight out garage and like that was what we were all into really back in the day. And then like Tommy, Tommy said to us – “Aww, let's do a cover of Crossroads, we button it and then that'll turn into the single”. And that went straight into number one.

BS: And I think the reason we were so successful as well, is as we were so young when it came out, a lot of the pop industry at that time were people our age so they could related to us more than Westlife or something, because we were closer to their age.

AP: I'm going to go to a question from the guys at home. Natalie wants to know, this is to Melo-D, “Performing at such a young age, do you feel you've missed out on your youth?”

Melo-D: No, not really. I mean if I was solo, if I was a solo artist, then I would say yeah but when there were ten of us we still had a laugh and did a lot of the things that you would normally do as a teenager and also, we came home a lot and spent a lot of time with our friends and that.

BS: Yeah, really, people go on about it, but it really wasn't all that awful.

AP: I think you going on about it felt like going on long holidays, I mean that must've been amazing.

BS: That was the best, that was. We'd wake up in a different place every morning, and just like go for a walk around that area, you know what I mean?

BS: It's like what Sam said earlier, like footballers have the World Cup, musicians have the tour, it's like the same sort of thing - like the highlight of the career.

AP: What was your favourite place?

BS: Ireland, anywhere in Ireland.

BS: Ireland was wicked, Ireland was wicked but for me it had to be doing Wembley because like, that's like your home, your home arena.

BS: It's the biggest arena that's closest to us.

BS: I mean.

BS: Even Hammersmith Apollo, it's smaller than Wembley but it was still really good though, it was amazing.

AP: I mean to sell out venues as big as that must be one hell of an experience.

BS: Yeah, it was great.

AP: Ok, Daisy wants to know, and this is to Spike-e, “Do you guys plan on going to University? Do you feel that your success may have made you miss out on your education?”

BS: Do you know what, do you know what, our parents made sure that we got our GCSEs so you know what I mean, if it all goes to pot we can always go to college.

AP: I hope that answers Daisy's question. Touching upon that, obviously you're saying about missing out on university, did your parents have quite a hands on role within, when you first started out? Were they quite parental when you signed your contracts, and went through the whole process?

BS: They were quite protective because we were so young, to make sure we didn't get like, a bung deal, or screwed over because we were so young and we didn't know anything about the industry and coming into it. So they were always on top of it, kept a firm eye on us but as we got older and into it they have backed off and left it to us.

AP: Sure. Do you get more of a hands on role with it now?

BS: Yeah definitely, yeah it's all down to us now. We're men.

BS: Apparently.

AP: Excellent. OK, so obviously you've got a new single coming out, and a new album in the pipeline. Tell us a little bit about that; let us know about what sort of sound is going to be on the new album, what sort of flavour it'll be.

BS: A variety of all different stuff.

BS: Yeah but I think, I think on our first album we had a big mix of stuff, it was a bit too much.

BS: There were some ballads and happy songs.

BS: I think really you know where we are with this album, and the other album it's like really mixed up. Like there's some like hip-hop and then there's like ballads and then there's songs touching on like serious issues and stuff, but I think this album, this is where we want to be, you know.

AP: Because before, it must've been a hell of a compromise to have ten inputs, ten views.

BS: It's a lot less complicated in the studio now because we write as a unit now rather than everyone writing their own separate bits, we're writing together as a unit so it's working out a lot more better like much better.

AP: Sure. OK, a question from Imogen's come in. She wants to know, Plat'num, any collaborations on the new album?

BS: You know what, we were talking about this the other day and we were at a road show in Swansea with like a whole lot of other celebrities down there, and we were speaking to Andy from X-factor and he said he'd like to do a track with us.

BS: But hopefully, hopefully we were talking about it the other day and we were thinking about maybe doing a collabo with you know, Leo the Lion who did a song with the Streets and maybe thinking him but. we ain't asked anyone yet. We haven't mentioned it to him yet!

AP: OK, Hillary wants to know, what inspires your rhymes guys, who's the best rapper. Reepa?

BS: I dunno because a lot of like American artists like 50 Cent inspire us like to do the rapping side of things, but it all started with the underground garage, or like the rock pirate radio stations.

BS: They were like our very first influences.

Reepa: That was what influenced us to start doing it in the first place. Like, Pay As You Go Crew, So Solid, pirate radio stations and stuff.

AP: Do you have rap-offs together? Do you have little competitions?

BS: We used to, we used to, we used to have some fun, but we don't really do it no more.

BS: I think we're better at knocking our stuff down than freestyling really, you know what I mean, but he's a good freestyler, Sam is.

AP: So, between yourselves and say, GLC, who do you think'd win?

BS: Oh us, us without a shadow of a doubt!

AP: OK, so what are your plans for the future? Obviously we've touched upon the fact that you've got a new album, a new single coming out. Tell us a little bit about the new single for example, what's that called and when can we expect it?

BS: It's called ‘All Night Long' and it's out on September 4th and this basically, I think this is just a follow up from what we used to do and it's just so we can move forward, it's just like warming us back into the industry. We like the tune, when we recorded it we said this has got to be the first single.

BS: It's got that summer vibe.

BS: It's just got the old Blazin' Squad vibes about it.

BS: It's old skool Blazin' Squad with a new mature feel to it, you know what I mean, it's definitely the right song for us to hit back with, you know what I mean?

AP: So it's enough of the old stuff to please the old fans, with something a little bit of new to it.

BS: And the next single after it won't sound too dramatic after it either.

BS: Yeah, because if this first single doesn't bring in new fans, the second one will because it's quite a bit different, that's where we're starting to make the change – with the second single.

AP: So, I mean, apart from obviously the stuff you've done in Blazin' Squad, have you adventured down any other avenues for example producing, acting or…

BS: Plat'num's started producing, I produced, I did a remix of our new single ‘All Night Long' which is out September 4th. I did a remix of that and it's actually on the single so if you buy that, you'll definitely be getting to hear my remix – first tune I've ever produced and released.

AP: It's a big moment for you isn't it? Your moment to shine, your moment of glory, push all the others to the back. OK, well just to go through the question from Dawn Anderson, who wants to know, and this is to Melo-D, “What's your favourite Blazin' Squad song?”

Melo-D: Oh, I think it'd have to be ‘Where the Story Ends' because that was one of the first songs that we wrote, we wrote the whole thing, the whole song, and also the video was great for like, years to come, we can look back on that video and it's just memories of stuff that we've done so I say ‘Where the Story Ends'.

AP: Excellent. OK, I hope that's answered your question Dawn. Just to say, we've passed five minutes now, if you want to get any more questions in, please type your question into the box at the bottom of the screen, with your name, where you're from and we'll get them across to the guys. Keep them coming in, because we've got loads to get through. OK, and we've got a question in straightaway from Helen. She wants to know, when not performing, what do you guys like to do to relax?

BS: Go to the pub.

BS: Me and Sam like to go to the gym and just pump some iron.

BS: We've been slacking though. We've been slacking – we did go but I can't go gym in the heat, I feel like I'm missing out on the sun.

BS: Yeah you need a beer garden if it's sunny.

BS: I thought watching the World Cup would've been relaxing as well but that turned out to be more stressful.

AP: Yeah, of course, but I mean you've got loads of dark winter days when you can get down the gym.

BS: Yeah that's it, you can't miss out on the sun really can you?

AP: Yeah absolutely. I mean, touching on the World Cup there Melo-D, what've you made of all of that? How was Sunday, were you commiserating?

BS: You know what, we did not actually get to see when they got knocked out, we were actually on the stage performing.

BS: As it started we walked onstage.

BS: We saw the whole game, extra time, and then we had to go onstage.

BS: And then we were running back and going ‘what's happened?' and our tour manager just went like that, and I just went ‘awwww'. And the way that we lost as well, with Rooney getting sent off because of Christiano Ronaldo and that, it just made it like, bittersweet, you know, just horrible, worse than it needed to be.

AP: But I mean, have you been able to catch most of the games?

BS: Oh yeah, we've watched all the games.

BS: I think France or Germany'll win it now. I want Germany to win it.

AP: Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. Helen wants to know, “If this all ended tomorrow, what would you miss the most?”

BS: The money and performing. Performing's just like, awesome innit when you go out on stage.

AP: Do you suffer from a lot of nerves when you go on or are you just raring to go?

BS: Nah, I like being on stage, I like being on stage.

BS: Sometimes the more nervous you are the better you feel because all those nerves turn into like adrenaline…

AP: And you give it your all.

BS: Yeah exactly.

AP: What's the best place you think you've been able to play at? What's been your favourite moment in Blazin' Squad so far?

BS: When we were at Wembley, when we came out there was this big drape down I just remember when the drape came up and we were standing there.

BS: We did a club called Tall Trees, that was just crazy. The thing that made that so wicked was because it was totally sold out, and people were still trying to come and buy tickets, and it was like, it was a massive room like, it was all the way round there, then it went out the door, saw people outside the door, like trying to still see us.

BS: I just walked off stage and my ears were just ringing.

AP: I mean, that must be the best thing about that. Well, thanks for today guys, we're going to wrap it up there. Obviously new single, out September 4th, which is a great day, that's my birthday.

BS: Happy birthday for then!

AP: I'll be enjoying that day with a bit of Blazin' Squad.

BS: You know what to ask for, for your birthday then!

AP: Yeah, that is going to be top of the list. OK, and obviously if you want to go onto it it's www.myspace.com/blazinsquadofficialsite.

AP: Thanks for getting me out of trouble there. OK, and thanks very much, thanks guys.

BS: Cheers, nice one.

BS: Thank you.

BS: Thanks for that.

BS: See you later.

BS: Peace out.

AP: Cheers guys.