Tony Cowell
You could say Il Divo are the original classical boy band. They were first discovered by Simon Cowell and now, with over 30 million albums sold, the band - made up of Carlos Marin, Urs Bühler, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller – are celebrating their 15th anniversary. Here, they explain why they had to break away from Simon’s record label last year and talk about their new sense of freedom… The last time I saw you was at my brother Simon’s This is Your
Life show, where you performed – do you remember that?
Sébastien: Oh my goodness, that was over 10 years ago! Of course we remember – we were just at the beginning of our career and starting to enjoy all the attention from fans, particularly the ladies. Back then, it was all new to us.
Did you ever imagine you would still be so successful after all this time?
David: No! Even Simon said at the beginning that we’ll have to see how it goes. So, because he made the initial investment, I think all of us thought if we lasted two years, then that would be amazing. In 2003, there was no social media, and yet the first album did amazingly well, so Simon said, ‘Let’s do another one.’ Every time we made an album, we sort of prayed that it would work. Fifteen years is a long time – but we’re still alive, and we haven’t killed each other!
You’ve sold over 30 million albums – what’s the key to your popularity?
Sébastien: I’m not sure! Maybe because we can sing in different languages, and we all have different personalities on stage. We have a very loyal fan base, particularly here in the UK. We see the same faces wherever we perform, which is quite a shock. But I suppose we were the first classical crossover boy band when we started.
How difficult was the decision to quit the record label?
Urs:
It was very difficult. It was a sad moment for us. We sat down with Simon in LA last year and it was all positive, but nobody appeared to have a clear vision of what we should do next. Then our contract lapsed, so we decided to go it alone. But Simon will always remain a friend – he made us what we are, and we will always be grateful to him.
Sébastien, how difficult is being on tour, away from your wife [Renee] and children [twins Luca and Rose, nine, and Jude, six]?
It is tough to be away, but that’s part of my job. Still, I think my children struggle when I’m away. Life changes when you have a family, so now I’m trying to schedule time within
‘In this business, you never know what’s around the corner. We’re four very lucky guys’
a tour when I can go home and be with them.
You had a difficult childhood, didn’t you, Sébastien?
I did, yes. My father left home when I was six years old and my mum had to keep everything together and manage me, and she had no work. We lived in a one-room apartment with very little money and some help from Child Services. I learned to look after myself, but I’ll never forget the experience, and that is why I try extra hard to be with my own children.
What does the future hold for Il Divo? Would you like to carry on for a few more years yet?
Carlos: In this business, in this life, you never know what is around the corner. If I had known 15 years ago that I would be very successful for the next 15 years, I would have lived a much, much calmer life. You just never know when it will be your last album – your last tour. We take nothing for granted – we are four very lucky guys.
You famously performed for the Queen in 2012 at Windsor Castle – was that a great occasion?
David: Yes, of course – one that we will never forget. I remember being very nervous, because it was such a huge honour for us. Those opportunities do not come around very often.
Did you all have an input as to which songs should go on the new album?
Carlos: Yes, because now we do everything ourselves – we choose the songs, we do the production. We have this new sense of freedom. It is both scary and exciting. The first single from the new album is a cover of Adele’s Hello – sung in Spanish. Has Adele heard your version?
Urs: When I heard the original, I thought it lacked power and I wanted to put our own stamp on it. We finally got permission from Adele to do a Spanish version, and I hear she absolutely loves it.
You embark on a UK tour this month at some amazing venues, including castles and open-air theatres – are you excited?
David: Yes, it’s very different and quite a challenge to sing live in open-air venues. But I hope the fans enjoy this tour. It’s very much a summer thing to do – so we are praying there is no rain!
l Timeless, the new album from Il Divo, is out on 17 August. For tour information, see ildivo.com