OOC: A huge thank you to Scott who came up with the questions for this :)


Riley Hamilton! How are things?
Hello! Things are going great, thanks for asking. I'm really excited to be here today, I've read Rolling Stone all my life and it's kind of surreal being interviewed for it here today. It's one of those pinch yourself moments.

You've been a member of Weekend now for a full 18 months, what is it really like to be in the world's biggest pop band?
It's really hard to sum up into a few words because you go through so much, experience a lot of wonderful things and there's just nothing else like it. There are a lot of ups, a lot of downs, a lot of ups again and then lots of way, way, way downs but that all adds to the experience and makes things so much more interesting. It is extremely stressful at times and one thing a lot of people ask me is how I cope with it all [Laughs]. However, it is also really rewarding and being part of Weekend has allowed me to do things I never thought was possible. I've been all around the world, met and worked with some of my biggest idols, connected with a lot of inspirational people, fell in love with Michelle and I'm also working hard and earning which is something I feared because when I was at school there were hardly any jobs going. None of that would have been possible if it wasn't for Weekend. It sounds cliche but being in Weekend really is a rollercoaster ride.

We're sure you always get asked about the best part of being in Weekend, but what's the worst part of being in your position?
Oh, you're very cheery aren't you? [Laughs]. Well I'd say that the best part is also the worst part. I'm talking about having a lot of influence on millions of people because although there are a lot positive aspects to it, on the flip side it is also a very tricky situation to be in. It's great having influence because I can promote a lot of positive things and hopefully inspire people and you know, just promote a lot of positive things and be a good role model. However, because I'm in a position were lots of people look up to me, I can't slip up or make mistakes because lots of people will imitate it. When Billy got his 'ZAP' tattoo, he was getting tonnes of pictures of people showing off the same tattoo. When I shaved my head for charity, a lot of our Weekenders done it for charity too. So if I did something controversial, there is a high chance that quite a few people will imitate it and that's not something I would want. I'd feel terrible.

You've definitely grown up a lot in the last 18 months or so, but what would you say is the most valuable lesson you've learned in that time?
The most valuable lesson I've learned? Gosh, that's quite a tough one. I've been through so much and learned a whole lot in the past 18 months I feel like a completely different person. The biggest thing I learned though is that not everyone has your best interest at heart. Before joining the band and even up until the beginning of this year, I was really naive and always seen the good in people. I trusted too much and I just let everyone walk over me. I guess I'm an easy target because I'm a bit of a pushover and a big softy. I learned the hard way that not everyone in this world is nice. I used to only see the good in people but things are changing now. I'm not saying that all I do is judge people now, I'm just more wary and cautious than I was before.

Do you ever feel like you get shoved out of the limelight by others?
No, not at all. Of course, the magazines, newspapers and blogs make a beeline for certain members of the band but our fans really appreciate us individually and the love they show for us is incredible. I might not be in Culture Uncut everyday but that doesn't mean I feel like I'm ignored or neglected because I always see and feel the love from our Weekenders everyday. I'd rather go onto my Twitter, check my mentions and read a few lovely tweets from fans than have an article about me doing something mundane like shopping at a certain place being printed up and down the country. Not being in the limelight doesn't cause me to lose any sleep, put it that way [Laughs].

Do you enjoy the fact you can be quite inconspicuous and slip under the radar, or do you ever resent not having the level of fame the others do?
No I don't resent it, like I said before, it doesn't really bother me. To answer the first part of the question - yes. I enjoy being able to just be me and have a private life outside the band and away from all the media. Don't get me wrong, I don't get up to all these naughty things....that's not why I like slipping under the radar. I just like to have a bit of normality in my life, you know? I like being able to disconnect from my job, catch up with friends, laze around the house and just be a regular teenage guy. I feel sorry for Dustyn because he doesn't get to do that, there's always someone spying on him with a camera just waiting for him to slip up. It sickens me how nobody gives him much personal space anymore.

What do you make of all the drama the other members get into?
It's not something that I turn my nose up at and think 'Oh God, what are they up to now?' like a lot of people do. Nearly everyone forgets that it's not just a certain member that's going through the drama. We're like brothers, we do everything today and if one of us in going through something it effectively brings the rest of us into the equation. We all sit and talk about whatever drama is going on and try to help one another out. He doesn't mind me talking about this so I'm just going to say it; when Dustyn had a cocaine addiction, it brought us all down, not just him. He is like our little brother, it's our job to protect him and make sure that he's alright. It was a tough time for all of and we weren't jealous or annoyed at all the media attention he was getting, we just wanted to help him. Same goes for when Oscar's tape leaked. We didn't say 'oh, he just wants attention', we did whatever we could to console him because he was distraught. Oscar didn't intend for it to be stolen and for all those people to watch it. He was a mess when he found it about it and the rest of us picked him back up. The drama only makes us stronger as a unit, it doesn't tear us apart.

Of course, you're not totally squeaky clean yourself...there was the self harming scandal. What happened there?
I was going through a really really dark phase, something so grim that I can't actually explain how I felt at the time because I just wasn't me, I wasn't Riley during that time. It was like something else had taken control of me. People know me for always being a positive thinker and being the 'good boy' of the band so when I suddenly snapped, people knew it must have been something very very serious. I had lost my mum, dad and brother in the space of a year and yes I was devastated but my work schedule and high demand didn't allow me to have time to grieve. I never like to disappoint people or make a scene so if I had to go to work, I would and off I'd go with my professional hat on whilst I kept my personal, private life all bottled up. I think I just compressed things for so long, it suddenly became too much to contain and I reach breaking point - it all boiled over. I don't remember much of the self harm and what was going on in my head during that period of time. All I remember is a lot of crying and swearing, which is something I hate doing.

Is it something that you're totally over, or do you ever find yourself going back to that dark place again?
Well, nobody really gets over the deaths of loved ones ever. In years to come, you'll still be sad that they aren't there and for me, I'm pretty much still in the grieving process. However, I have learned to talk about things now and I've also learned that pushing things to the back of your mind isn't good. Yes, I'm still upset about what happened but I will never self harm again because like I said, I can deal with things now. A problem shared is a problem halved as they say and it is so true.

You spoke about it when it first came into the news...what made you want to address the issue so publicly?
A lot of people self harm as a way of dealing with things. Some people think that they are to blame for whatever it is that's going on so they take it out on themselves as a sort of punishment. Others, like I did, see it as a relief and as a way of letting all the pain go for a while but that is unacceptable. Nobody should have to go through something as horrific as that because they're having a rough time. Just talking to someone really helps and takes the weight off your shoulders. Self harming should never be an option. Another reason why I went public with it was due to the fact that I have a strong influence over a lot of people. Like I said earlier, impressionable fans will look up to me and imitate a lot of the stuff that I do so I just wanted to get it out there and state that cutting yourself and inflicting pain upon your person isn't right. If I heard a story of a young girl cutting herself because 'Riley Hamilton did it', I'd feel absolutely dreadful and responsible for it.

It's all gone a bit quiet on the Weekend front at the moment, what do you guys have planned for your fanatical fans?
Well we released our single 'Out Of My Mind' like a month and a half ago so we haven't really been too quiet. We've got a new single coming out soon and it's probably our biggest one yet. It's titled 'Who We Are', it talks about all the controversy we've been through as a band and the music video is superb, really comical. It was directed by the same woman who did the videos for 'Blurred Lines' and 'We Can't Stop' so it's very....colourful. Also, our album is coming out really soon so our fans have quite a lot to look forward to for the rest of the year.

Do you ever worry that your candle has burned out when you don't release things for a while? Boy bands have a notoriously short shelf life...
I believe in our fans and I believe that they will continue to support us for a long time to come. We're not your stereotypical boy band, we're not squeaky clean, we don't wear matching outfits and stick to the one genre. What I'm trying to say is that we like to keep people on their toes, it's hard to keep up with us and that attracts a lot of interest and hopefully that'll continue. There are five strong yet very different personalities in the band so it creates enough variety to keep things fresh and we all bring something different to the group, meaning that we don't just all wear uniform and blend into the background, we jump out and catch your eye, have our own style and I think that keeps people interested.

Do the tensions still exist in the band? In the past Billy has come to blows with both Dustyn and Oscar of course.
At this moment in time, no. Everything is fine, we're all relaxed and taking our time with this new record. As you know, our private lives are very busy so we've decided not to rush and put ourselves under a lot of pressure. However, I'm just going to come out and say it. I don't think Weekend will be tension free forever and that's purely because things do get straining at times and we're all so different, our personalities and opinions are bound to clash again and again but that's OK. We're like brothers so no matter what nasty things are said, no matter who goes storming off out of the room, we know at the end of the day that we will eventually move on and we all love each other like family. Billy's very volatile and lots of things have been printed about him and his behaviour but I know for a fact that he will defend us to the death and we'd do the same for him.

With everything you've experienced in the last year and a half, do you ever regret becoming a pop star?
I honestly don't regret a thing. This is the best job ever. We get to sing, dance, write, travel the world, meet incredible people, attend glamorous award shows and the call this work!? [Laughs]. Over the past year and a half, the worst things that have happened to me haven't been related to the band at all and instead, it's been personal matters more than anything that's hurt me most. As tiring as Weekend is at times, I'd never wish to have it taken from me and all the struggles that come with being part of the group is really worth it.

And what would you say were the high and low points so far in your career?
Oh I have so many high points! Our debut single going to No.2, having two No.1 singles and albums, being signed to Chaos Records, selling out our first world tour, meeting my now fiancee......sorry, it seems like I'm bragging and I hate it when it that happens. I don't like it when people blow their own trumpet and I never want to come across as if I'm doing that. The low points of my career? I don't think there has been many low points for me, apart from a few personal struggles but again that has nothing to do with my career. I'd say that I felt really low when Oscar left the group for a bit. I thought that we were finished and it was all going to be taking away from us at the drop of a hat. Thankfully, our curly haired buddy came back and soldiered on. Oh, speaking of curly hair, did you know that my hair is even curlier than Oscar's but I crop mine really short? Sorry, that was quite random.



What are your visions for the future, music wise? As I say, it's been all quiet for a while and the fans want to know.
Well we have the new single coming out towards the end of this month and then the album, 'Wild Young Free', soon afterwards. We'll probably release four or five singles during this album era and I can confirm that there will be a tour so that's something else to look forward to. We haven't said anything about taking a break or slowing down so I guess after that it'll be straight into the studio to work on album 3 [Laughs].

Do you ever fear that after a break in your music that there's a chance you could fail to reach the heights you did in the past?
We've already achieved so much in a short amount of time and we've got the best fans in the world, I can't really ask for anything more. If we don't sell as much as we did last year, it doesn't really bother me. I'm not one to look at sales and I don't see success as a chart were all the numbers continue to go up. To me, success is when you finish something that you're really proud of and you know you've worked your butt off. It's also when fans enjoy it and you see all the positive feedback. That's success to me. I don't really mind if sales dip because they aren't the be all and end all to me and I'm sure that the other guys agree too. We have the support from our fans, we've achieved so much at such a young age and we're all proud of Weekend. Couldn't ask for anything more.

I mentioned your fans there....you do have some of the most crazy and fanatical around, what do you really think about them?
Haha, I tend to stay away from the word 'crazy' because that sounds a little bit insulting at times. I like to say that they are devoted. We wouldn't be where we are today without our fans so I'm eternally grateful for them. All around the world, they are showing love, promoting us, supporting the band and have stood by us through thick and thin. I genuinely mean it when I say that we have probably the best fans in the world. They dedicate a lot of time to us and spend so much money on the band, it's unbelievable. We can tell the difference between a devoted fan and someone who clearly has an ulterior motive though.

Do you ever feel like their behaviour, both on and off Twitter, takes things to the edge a bit?
For our devoted fans, I feel like I owe them the world because of the amount of effort they put into promoting us. On Twitter, they have us trending basically non-stop and they've helped us gain even more fans by spreading the word. However, we do know that there are a lot of people out there who are just nasty to others and some who may actually need help....now I'm not taking digs here or meaning to sound nasty, you know I'm not like that but I genuinely worry about some people and can't begin to imagine what goes through their minds. It's one thing to say that they have a crush on me or that they're a huge fan but when there's people that honestly think I'm their boyfriend and saying horrible things about Michelle, it frightens me. I'm scared for Michelle and myself but more so for them. Another thing I dislike is when certain people 'bash' other artists purely for the fact that they aren't Weekend. I've saw fans of Kato and fans of us wishing death upon each other all because they think one artist is better than another. It causes so much negativity and that's the last thing we need. The majority of our fans behave well though [Laughs].

Of course, if it did all go wrong, music wise, it wouldn't be over for you. You've got your fingers in a number of pies, haven't you?
Haha, are you quoting a line from one of my TV projects? [Laughs]. Yeah, I've done numerous things outside of the band but they are not my main priorities in life. I played 'Valentine' in the ITV show 'Diary Of An Escort' which was.....very different for me. It was very racy and took me right out of my comfort zone. Since appearing in that, I've had cameos and guest appearances in numerous shows. I'm now working on a film that has an amazing script, wonderful cast and I can't wait for everyone to see the final result. Again, it's very different to me and also different to my role in 'Diary...'. I am not an actor though, I don't actively seek out auditions for things. Instead, people approach me and asked if I would be interested. When I was asked to play Valentine, they said that I just looked the part and were willing to give me a shot at it despite not even knowing if I could act. It's funny because Oscar, Scott and Billy have all either been to drama school or training on some level yet it's only Dustyn and I that have actually been offered roles!

With your TV show, your music and your new film project coming up, which would you say is your favourite?
Ah, I love them all! I'd say that my biggest passion is for music though. That is my main focus, that is my job - I'm a musician. I love working on 'Diary Of An Escort' and this new film that's in the works, I'm having such a ball filming and stuff but once that's done, it'll be all over and I'll focus solely on music again. I will say though, film and TV has one advantage over music and that's the fact that you're only allowed to work so many hours a week and then you can have time off to rest. With music it's just this constant thing, it's ongoing.

Do you ever prioritise one over the other, or have a part of your career that is more important than the other areas?
I do prioritise music a whole lot more because I am a musician. All the acting projects are just things on the side, like I said before I don't see myself as an actor, I just see myself as a singer who's experimenting with different things. I would never halt progress on a Weekend album in order to take a role but I would reject a role in order to be in the studio with the boys.

And do you not feel there's a chance you'll be burnt out and become a bit complacent by trying to do too much?
I think I'd burn out if I was doing too much but right now I can handle it all and I'm enjoying it. I would never sign up for something knowing that it's going to be more trouble than it's worth. Right now, I'm only really working on this film because our album is complete and 'Diary Of An Escort' won't be back in production for some time because the girl who plays my onscreen girlfriend is pregnant so I'm not jumping between a whole bunch of projects.

Away from your career, of course, you're also now engaged to Michelle Green, how's that all going?
It's terrific, thank you for asking. Like you said, we are engaged now - I know, we're all grown up now! We've been together for a year and a half now and I just thought we were ready to move onto the nest stage in our relationship and we are! Michelle and I are also expecting a baby. It came as quite a surprise because I was told previously that I would never be able to give Michelle a child and a few months later, hey ho what do you know? A baby is on the way! [Laughs]. It's a boy and we've decided on the name, Orson. I think it's a lovely name and if he's anything like his mum, he'll be a lovely little person too.

Do you ever feel a little left out? You're probably the most stable relationship of all Weekend members, but you two are barely ever spoken about...
I don't feel left out, I actually don't really think about all that stuff to be honest. We aren't on the cover of every magazine but I don't curl up into a corner and burst into tears over it. I like being a normal couple and so does Michelle. There's nothing wrong with a bit of normality now and again. People might think of me as the boring one, maybe that's why they stay clear of me! I'm just not adventurous enough.

When will the wedding happen?
Ah, that's one thing we're unsure about. We never set a date to begin with and in fact, we never even said that it will happen at all this year. Michelle and I are both so busy for the next few months, planning a wedding is just out of the question. Michelle is on tour, going to release her 3rd album whilst being pregnant. I've got a few projects coming up plus the Weekend album and tour. We want the wedding to be perfect and done in our own time. We don't want to rush it and make our wedding seem like more of a chore than the happiest day of our lives.

Surely you'll want to go up the aisle before Scott and Jen or Oscar and Eilidh?
Are we in competition now? [Laughs] Many people have been asking that but it doesn't really bother me who gets married first, in fact I think that both Oscar and Eilidh, and Scott and Jen are in the same position as us. They are all waiting for the right time and not rushing into it which I think is the best thing to do. Dustyn and Blake also waited quite some time before they tied the knot too. I honestly think that all of those weddings will happen next year rather than in the next remaining four months.

Being engaged for as long as you have been, and without all the attention the others got, do you ever feel unappreciated?
Not at all. I like the fact that we have some breathing space and that Michelle and I can just be a couple without a camera being shoved in our faces. We couldn't be one of those couples that parade around everywhere together, pose for endless photo shoots, sell our stories and wedding pictures to every magazine.....that's just not for us. We get the odd paparazzi now and again and we've been approached by lots of magazines saying they want to cover our wedding but we've turned all that down.

If you were given a shot at fame again...or the chance to meet your wife to be and settle down without being famous, would you take it?
Oooooh.....that's a tough question. Well, fame isn't important to me. I could live without fame so in that sense, I wouldn't jump right at the chance to become famous again. However, if I never entered the music industry I wouldn't have met my four closest friends, my brothers, so I don't know.....it's quite a tough one to answer. If I wasn't famous, I doubt I would've met Michelle and fell in love with her because she'd be all around the world being a pop star and I'd be sat at home in Beeston, making sure that all the doors and windows are secure. I don't know, I can't answer this one.

And finally, if you had one wish to cast, good or bad, what would it be?
I'd wish to have my family back with me. I was in the band, travelling all around the world when I lost them so I felt like I had turned my back on them. I can't remember what the last words to my dad, mum and brother were because I hadn't spoken to them in a while and I didn't appreciate the time I spent with them because I had no idea that it would be the last. People take so much for granted these days and you have no idea how fast it can all be taken away from you.

OOC: Sorry for the delay, forgot all about these lol. This was supposed to be posted last month so in these interviews Riley and Michelle are still expecting. Blake and Dustyn are also together too :)





Hello Mr. Wellington! How are you today!
Please, just call me Scott. Mr Wellington is my father's name. I'm good, thanks. Feeling rather perky and filled with energy which is unusual for me because I'm never usually up this earlier. You're lucky I'm in this mood, I might actually pay attention in an interview for once [laughs].

In one month it'll be two whole years since Weekend officially formed. How does that make you feel?
I know I can't believe it'll be two whole since we first got together. I remember the day of the audition and how nervous I was, I didn't think that they'd like me because I just didn't really look the part. I still remember sitting in the holding area, looking around at all the other boys and thinking that I haven't got a chance. There was only like twenty guys there which surprised me because it was a big project being run by Lyrica Ocha and not just something that had been thrown together. It was legit. Anyway, I remember looking at Billy and thinking that he'd definitely get in. He just looks the part, doesn't he? I sat there, shaking like a leaf, wearing my mate's clothes since I didn't have anything decent of my own and I was the oldest in the room - honestly, there was like fourteen and fifteen year old boys in the room and I just turned twenty. There was no way I was getting this. Now, two years later, here we are! I can't describe how happy it makes me feel, it just seems so surreal.

Do you think that you've matured much over the past two years?
Me? Mature? Did you really just ask that question? [laughs]. I'd say that I've became more immature! I was always a joker, always the class clown and I enjoy it. I like to entertain people and it's fun at the same time. Now that I'm in Weekend and I get the chance to joke around on TV, have a laugh with fans and prank celebrities there is no way I'm going to stop. I like to have a laugh and nothing will change that. If you want to talk about life decisions then yes, I've matured in that sense. I can make grown up decisions now, I know what I want out of life and what I need to do to get there. I might fool around but I'm no longer a silly teenager any more - I know when to tone it down a bit now.

Do you feel as if you've achieved everything you set out to?
We never actually set out to achieve something on this scale. When we formed we knew that we'd have some sort of platform to get recognised since Lyrica was our manager but we never knew how big things would become for us. We always said that we'd make music that we enjoy and not just because a label wants us to. Another thing that we said was that when we garner a fan base, we make sure they know we appreciate them and that we interact with them us much as possible. Those were the founding principles of Weekend. We weren't aiming for world domination. Initially, we were just going to release in the UK and Ireland but then we started to branch out and before we knew it, whoosh....we took off. I guess with the likes of YouTube and Twitter nowadays, it's easier for artists to get their music across to a much wider demographic and those sites played a huge part in making us what we are today. Before our debut single was even released in America, the video had already received like over fifty million views and that was due to the power of sharing links across all these sites. We've achieved everything we wanted to and a whole lot more.

I know you must get asked this all the time and I assume it's very difficult to put down in words but; what is it like being a member of the world's biggest pop band?
Hectic! Nothing could have ever prepared us for what our lives are like now. It's something you can't really get away from like regular jobs. You can't just turn up, work, go home and forget about it. There's always things coming up, people always want to meet you, you're travelling constantly, you barely have five minutes to yourself, people are stalking you.....it's f***ing crazy, but I love it! Yes, I get really tired at times but it's exciting. So many new opportunities come about every day and it's a wonderful experience. Of course there are negative aspects but if we were to dwell on those all the time it would be kind of selfish. I'm living a life that many would love to have and if I was to just complain about things, I'd look like a right d**k.

What would you say are the downsides of being in such a globally successful and highly demanded band?
[Laughs] I thought I just said that I don't want to dwell on those. Um, well I mentioned earlier that people tend to stalk the band a lot and that can be creepy. Fair enough, people want to meet us and I can understand that but when people put their lives at risk just to get a glimpse at you, it's kind of frightening and you wonder what goes on in their head. I had a girl sleep outside my house in the middle of winter last year just because she wanted to see me. I had to bring her in and contact her family. If I had spotted her earlier, I would've taken her in earlier. She could've died out there! On the subject of stalking, paparazzi aren't very nice either. Those guys are just pathetic, they can sleep outside for all I care. They're grown men and women who will do whatever it takes to get a (preferably) humiliating picture of someone just so they can pay off another month's rent. It sickens me at how low some of them will go.

What is life like when you step off stage and out of the recording studio?
You see, I hardly ever get to become 'Scott Wellington, a typical twenty-one year old guy' because of what I do. I said earlier that it's a full time thing so even when I step outside my front door, I have people flocking towards me because I'm a 'celebrity', even though I don't feel like one and I hate using that word. It sounds so arrogant. Even if I manage to get time on my own, I'm still thinking of our next move. I'm constantly thinking of song lyrics and upcoming ventures so my work is never really done. If and when I detach myself from that environment, I try my best to catch up with my family and especially my little sisters. I want to keep a sense of normality and still be the annoying big brother, not the big shot that flew off to L.A and never looked back on his family. It's hard to keep a lot of relationships going when you're so busy and unfortunately I've lost contact with a few friends but hopefully I can salvage most of that and keep in touch. Also, you might not know this but I also like to be a fiance too.....that's when I have the time though [laughs]. Jennifer and I are engaged and there's a lot of wedding planning going on right now so that's the main thing I'm doing right now when I'm not with the guys.

You mentioned your relationship with Jennifer Armstrong. How is that going?
It's going really really well. I proposed to her on her birthday because I'm just so romantic like that and in no way did I propose just to get a bigger piece of her birthday cake [laughs]. Yeah, she's a great girl and everything is just going great at the moment. It seems like for once in my life, this relationship feels right. We're moving forward at a nice pace, we understand each other and we both make a lot of time for another. Everything is just naturally falling into place and it's amazing. I can be really irritating at times. I'm a joker and a prankster, a lot of people would have gave up on me by now but not Jen. She's got a wonderful sense of humour and we've got a very playful relationship. We've known each other for nearly two years now because I remember she was one of the first major stars to give Weekend support when we first came onto the scene. A lot of people joke about our relationship now because when Jen and I first met, she said that she was like Weekend's mother. She wanted to look after all of us......now I'm cuddling up to her in bed. Hash tag incest, right? [laughs]. Seriously though, everything is going great and this is only the beginning.

You two don't seem to be hogging up all the pages in Culture Uncut like a lot of other couples. Do you envy that or enjoy being low key?
Why would I ever envy that? I feel so sorry for people that constantly have their love life on display on the cover of every magazine. Some people like to have this thing called privacy and I'm one of them. Seeing Dustyn in tears because certain magazines were printing stuff about him and Blake really sickened me. They were going through a rough patch and needed to sort things out between them. The last thing they needed was for it to all be publicised for the world to see. What annoys me more are those couples that actually sell their stores to the press. Taking non-stop dig after dig at ex-lovers like Taylor Swift on coke....just stop already. Oh and those couples who sell their wedding photos and stuff really makes my blood boil. Why would you want people from some trashy magazine to be at your wedding to cover it? To me, weddings and the whole idea of marriage should be an intimate thing and not just some tabloid fodder and publicity stunt. Sorry, went on a bit of a rant there

Your fellow band members are all fathers or at least expecting to be and although some people may not know this, you were once a father a few years ago. Seeing the boys raising children, how does that make you feel?
Before I go on to answer this question, I just want to clear a few things up with the readers out there. You mentioned that I was once a father and for those who didn't know, yes I was. Way before I joined the band, when I was seventeen years old and going on eighteen, I was in a relationship with a girl called Karen. She was a childhood friend and we got closer and closer as the years went by. Anyway, we were very foolish one night, we weren't 'safe' and she fell pregnant. My parents and her parents weren't pleased with us but we didn't care. We were rebellious teens, we thought we could do it all on our own, 'f**k you mum and dad, we don't need you', that sort of thing. Turns out we were so wrong. We didn't have money, we had no clue about how to raise a child and it was just a nightmare. Daisy, our girl, was born prematurely and had lots of health issues. She died when she was five months old and it hit me harder than anyone else. Karen was depressed the minute she gave birth, she even admitted that she didn't know how to love Daisy. I was the one that took care of her. After she passed away, Karen and I just fell apart....I haven't seen her in nearly four years. So looking back on that and seeing the boys become fathers, it makes me happy that they can all provide for their kids and they're really cut out for it whereas I wasn't.

Would you ever consider becoming a father again?
This is quite a hard question to answer. I'd love to become a father again, I don't know who wouldn't want to bring life into the world and raise an amazing little kid but after going through all that I did when I was seventeen, it frightens me that I might relive that. I know, I must be the unluckiest person in the world to have something that tragic happen to them twice but there's always the fear just niggling at the back of my mind. Also, I don't want to rush into things. Just because the other boys have kids or are expecting to become a dad doesn't mean that I'm in a rush to become one again. It's not my main priority to become part of the 'father crew'. Plus, I'd need to ask Jen first. She'd be kind of important in the whole process [Laughs].

You're the eldest of the band. Do you feel as if it is your responsibility to look after the other four members?
I don't feel as if it's my responsibility per say, I feel as if I still have a lot of learning to do myself since I'm still only twenty-one, I can however offer advice if one of the boys are going through something that I've been through. The guys all have a huge network of friends, family and even fans that can help them through things. Like I said, I'm only twenty-one so I'm hardly old and wise. I still have a lot to experience in life. I feel as if we all look after one another since we're like brothers. Dustyn's our little free spirit, him and I are the ones that always cheer everyone up. Billy's the protective one, Riley would give you his last penny and Oscar's very fatherly. We all do our bit to motivate and look after each other.

Of course, you also need someone to look out for you in this intense environment. Which member of the band would you say you are closest to?
Oscar has always been my closest friend since day one. It took me a while to get to know the rest of them and to be honest, Oscar was the only member I really liked because he was the only one that seemed approachable and that I could relate to. When I first met Dustyn, I was really taken by surprise because he was too much to handle. He's just this little ball of energy and it was a all a bit much to take at first. Billy was the strong, silent type. There was an air of mystery around him and he always had a look in his eyes that said 'you're a d***head, I want to kill you' so it took me a while to warm to him. What people might find more surprising though was the fact that I HATED Riley. We're really good friends now and people may think it's impossible to hate such a sweet guy but at the start, we did not get on at all. He was very serious, he overworked himself whereas I saw it all as a bit of fun and never took it seriously. We're cool now though. I'd say that over the past few months, he's like as close to me as Oscar is.

We all know that Weekend have their spats and I'm sure a few quiffs have been pulled along the way. Has your relationship with any of the members been severely tested?
When Oscar quit the band for a little while back in January, I felt really betrayed and upset. He's my closest friend, we're brothers so the fact that he couldn't come to me and tell me what was going on really made me doubt our friendship. I sound like a total girl but I felt like he didn't value me as much as I valued him [laughs]. We got over that though and really, that's the only time I've ever felt awkward with another member. In the early days, the first month or so after forming, I didn't get on with a few of them but ever since we got to know each other I've been fine with them and haven't been involved in any fights or big arguments. We have little arguments like where we'll go for dinner after a show but I haven't personally been involved in a spat that results in me saying 'I don't want to be in the same room as him' or anything like that.

Your band mates, especially Billy and Dustyn, seem to attract a lot of controversy. What is it like being around all that drama? It must drive you crazy at times.
Not really, we're all here to look out for each other so whatever the 'drama' is, we try our best to help each other out. Ask that question to any of the group members and I assure that their answers will be very similar. We don't particularly enjoy seeing one another suffer so we tend to deal with a problem straight away and more often than not, it's dealt with swiftly. The funny thing is, the media tend to blow up a story and make it one hundred times bigger than it actually is and to add more fuel to the fire, the public start butting in and begin to give their take on things when it really isn't necessary. Something might be printed about one of our relationships....say for example, Jen and I were going through a rough patch. That could be dealt with and sorted over a one heart to heart conversation and forgotten. It's not really newsworthy and it makes me laugh at how desperate people are for a story.



Of course, you've had quite a lot of drama recently haven't you? A lot of people haven't been very kind when talking about your position in the band. What do you have to say about that?
People are going to talk no matter what I do. In this business you have to learn to ignore a lot of comments and really grow a pair because a lot of negativity is going to be thrown at you everyday and more so nowadays in the music industry. You've got a lot of teen pop singers dominating the charts and huge fan bases growing by the second, things can get nasty in pop music. Real nasty. People always target Weekend because we seem to be everywhere but a lot of people seem to single me out because they see me as the weakest link. I've been told that I can't sing, I've been told I'm not as interesting as the other four, I'm part Australian, part Kosovan so I've had a lot of xenophobic abuse too. At the end of the day, Lyrica and the others chose me to be in the band because of who I am so I must be doing something right, there must be a reason why I'm in Weekend. People can scrutinise me all they want but it won't change the fact I'm living this wonderful life and they're not.

You have been dubbed as 'the one who can't sing' which we think is completely wrong and inappropriate. Have you ever doubted your singing abilities?
I try not to let things get to me. I know for a fact that I'm the weakest singer in the group but I like to think that I can still carry a tune. Oscar has really powerful, rock and roll type voice, Dustyn's is really similar only his is very throaty and his Irish twang comes through....I adore his voice. Billy's got a very soulful voice, very smooth and silky and Riley's got a naturally high voice like MIKA and Adam Levine whereas mine is softer and more laid back. I might not be able to belt notes like Dustyn or have an extensive range like Riley but I know that I can sing. I have doubted myself a lot and let the negative comments get to me but I always remind myself that it was my vocals that got me put into this group so like I said before, I must be doing something right so my singing can't be that bad no matter what people say, right?

How do you cope with being singled out and seeing the others get more attention? Oscar has over 27 million followers on Twitter, you have over 13 million. Do you feel unappreciated within the group?
I don't feel unappreciated at all. Whenever I get nasty comments, that's when I start to feel down about things but if it's a normal day and I'm minding my own business I don't pull out my phone, log on to Twitter and start cursing Oscar when I see how many followers he has. I don't see this as a popularity contest. You even said that I have over thirteen million followers. Thirteen million! That's a huge amount of people supporting me and those are the people that I aspire to make happy. Not having the most followers doesn't bother me one bit. I love my job and I'm in a good place right now so I can't complain about anything.

You have the least amount of solo parts on Weekend's first album and the re-release. Do you ever get jealous seeing Oscar take the lead and being the poster boy of the band?
No, not at all. Oscar's my closest friend and it's always been his dream to be a singer so seeing him out there centre stage and killing it makes me happy. I couldn't deal with the amount of pressure that comes with being at the forefront of a band. As for Oscar being the 'poster boy' of the band, I think that he's the only one that people who aren't fans of the band see. They sort of know that he's the lead singer and his big curly hair makes him stand out. However, our real fans appreciate us all individually and of course, they'll all have their favourite member that will capture their attention and that member might not be Oscar. We all represent the band and appeal to our own individual group of fans so it's not like attention isn't shared.

Will we hear more of you on this next album?
Well Oscar is our lead singer so again, you can expect to hear a lot of him on the record. This album however does have a lot more shared vocals than the first so you can expect to hear more from me, Riley, Dustyn and Billy. Like I said though, Oscar is still on lead vocals for the majority of the album but we all do our bits here and there. Also, we're more involved creatively on this record so you'll get to see some of our songwriting skills come through and the new album, 'Wild Young Free', really shows off our personalities a lot more than the first record. This album really is Weekend.

In all honesty, how long do you see Weekend lasting? Boy bands rarely make it past the five year mark and tensions have been rising in the band since day 1.
I never like to focus on when we'll split. There's no point in becoming part of something so enjoyable and life changing just to focus on the negative and wake up every morning saying 'this is all going to end one day'. That's no way to go about things, it just dampens spirits. Not all boy bands split after a few years though. Take That and The Backstreet Boys are still going strong so it's not as if there's a rule written down which states you have to split up. If we're still together in ten or twenty years, I'd assume we'd have changed our style a bit but if we were still enjoying it then there's no point in calling it a day just because we'd be of a certain age.

Away from the music and back onto your personal life. Earlier this year you announced that you had an operation to treat the onsets of testicular cancer. Is everything OK now? We don't wish to see you fall ill again.
Yeah, I'm doing great now, thanks for asking. Eh, yeah one day I was in the shower just washing myself....as you do....and I regularly check myself down there, which I recommend that every guy does because it can be a lifesaver. That's an excuse for touching yourself in front of people. You can just say 'What!? I'm potentially saving my own life here!' [laughs]. In all seriousness though, it's very important that you do that because if I didn't it might have been too late. I found a little lump, got it checked out right away and to my horror, I found out that a testicular cancer was starting to form. Thankfully, everything was dealt with right away. I had an operation to remove the cancer and remove something else which people laugh about but it really did save my life. I owe though the doctors so much. It just shows you that it can happen to anyone, nobody is exempt from having cancer and I want to raise awareness about that. Billy and I are now ambassadors for the 'Check'em Lads' campaign.


A lot of your fans can get rowdy. There are often trends started by them such as #WeekendersHateKato and other artists. They've also been known to send death threats to other artists and their fans. What's your take on this?
I don't want to tar all of our fans with the same brush. They don't all start trends like this. In fact, a lot of them are sick of it and actually feel embarrassed when something like that trends. They all support us and want to show us in a good light so when something like, say for example, #WeekendersHateIzzybells starts to trend it really doesn't look good on our camp. As for the ones that cause hate, they just need to calm down a bit and realise that we don't have anything against other artists. We're good friends with a lot of people in the industry and there's no 'beef' as they say. Our fans aren't the only ones that do this and it's silly really.

It seems as though everyone is attacking each other's idols on social networking sites such as Twitter. What's the most shocking thing you've personally been sent by fans of a rival artist?
Oh believe me, I've had my fair share of hateful trends and messages thrown my way over the last two years. 'Scott can't sing' has trended once before and that really hurt because it was one of the first times I had experienced a lot backlash all at once. Most times when I'm a trending topic, there's a lot of nasty things being said. I always remember reading someone's tweet that said 'Scott Wellington, Chief Keef, Suzie, Amanda Bynes and Lil Wayne get no Twitter love. When they trend, you know sh**'s going down' and more often than not, that's true! [laughs]. The most hurtful thing though was when Jen and I started dating and a lot of her fans started to say I wasn't good enough for her. That was hard to cope with but thank God for the block button, right?

It was reported that a girl hanged herself because Oscar Ward didn't see one of her tweets. Riley stated in the past that he almost feels responsible for the deaths of fans. What's do you think about it all?
I think it's terrible that things like this happen. The bad thing is, you don't know who's doing these terrible things just to get attention and who's doing them because they actually need help. Someone pretended to be a cancer charity page in memory of a little girl who passed away. She got lots of celebrity followers and once she had enough, she turned the page into her personal account and it turns out that it was all a hoax. That really sickens me when things like that happens. On the subject of suicide, it worries me just how many people need help out there. I don't know how their parents and friends don't see all their tendencies and don't offer help. I've noticed a few fan accounts and fans in person that clearly need help and I've talked to them, hoping that I can persuade them to get some help or at least realise that I'm we're not gods - they don't need to dedicate their whole lives to us. More often than not though, we hear about these people when it's too late. I'm not saying it's my job to look out for every single person in the world but if someone was suicidal and it was brought to my attention I'd definitely say something, wouldn't you?

One thing is for sure though, your fans love you and will go to great lengths just to get a glimpse of you. Do you have any memorable encounters with dedicated fans?
I remember that we were doing a signing for the 'Lock It Up' CD single in Glasgow last summer and there was this one girl with a form of cerebral palsy and her mother that came all the way from New Zealand just to meet us. Our security are really strict and very intimidating so whenever we have a signing, they're constantly moving people along and I feel bad because people have waited so long to come see us and to be rushed like that and not really given time to interact with us is kind of sad. Well I made sure that this girl knew how much we appreciated her. I had to actually argue with security to let that girl sit and have a picture with us. She was only twelve and she came dressed in her Weekend top, with her single at the ready and she had brought us bags of sweets. She was delighted to see us so I thought we'd might as well make it really memorable and take a few photos with her and we told her to wait behind so her and her mother could come back to the hotel and have dinner with us. It was really funny because you could tell that her mother totally fancied the pants of Riley. I'm not saying that we value her over all our other fans but there was something about her that really struck a cord with me.

It seems as if your life has a lot of ups and downs. Do you ever regret auditioning for the band?
I regret looking like a tramp at my audition, that's about it [laughs]. Seriously though, that's all I really regret about the whole audition process. I have a wonderful life, I've met so many wonderful people and literally changed my life around. There's no way on earth that I'd give it all up. I have to deal with a lot of crap along the way and sometimes it's really testing but when I look past that, I'm really taken aback at how amazing this life is. I've got so much support around the globe, I've met four of the greatest guys on earth, being in the band helped me to meet my now fiancee and I'm getting paid for doing something I love. Who'd ever give that up?

Finally, we ask this question to everyone, if you had one wish, good or bad, what would it be?
You're probably going to laugh but I'd honestly wish for a smaller arse [laughs]. Everywhere I go, people are after it and always trying to grab and pinch it. It's literally a pain in the arse! Come to think of it though, my buttocks seem to my main selling point. People certainly aren't interested in my voice so I need something to get me noticed [laughs]. I don't know what I'd wish for actually.....Oh! I'd wish for a massive hangout with fans and get to know a lot of them. We always consider our Weekenders as friends and extended family so it'd be great to get to know more of them. Yeah, that's my wish.