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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie rocker breaks silence over band break-up rumours: 'This question is coming up a lot'
After weeks of whispers and mounting panic, Calum Hood has finally broken his silence— emphatically denying that pop-rock sensation 5 Seconds of Summer is on the brink of collapse. The usually reserved bassist, 28, who will drop his first solo album this week, jetted back to Sydney for the big reveal. Calum, who toured the globe with 5SOS for 14 years, performed an intimate debut set at Pleasure Club in Newtown on Thursday for Nova's Red Room. He is the fourth and final member of the Aussie boy band to unveil a solo project, and said he understood the raft of solo releases had set alarm bells ringing for fans. It is practically unheard of for so many members of a chart-topping band to pursue solo careers while the group is still together. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. But Calum insists the Aussie hitmakers are not only sticking together, they're 'quite thriving.' 'Emphatically, 5SOS is not over and actually, quite thriving,' he said. 'This might be a bit weird to people but we revel in doing things people think we shouldn't do.' He admitted that bandmates Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford — who have all released solo material since 2020 — had provided a 'good blueprint' for his own foray into the solo spotlight. Clifford released his debut solo single in April ahead of the release of his album Sidequest next month, while both Hemmings and Irwin have dropped two records each since 2020. Calum's solo effort, a synth-heavy, atmospheric collection of tracks, took over two years to create as he grappled with the all-too-common artist anxiety. 'You know me, I'm an anxious boy anyway, but I never had that with the band; I was never anxious about releasing 5SOS songs,' he confessed. His new tunes are pure 'sad boy' vibes, exploring heartbreak and the brutal reality of distance on relationships when you're constantly touring. Calum Hood has played several solo gigs to promote his solo album release but said that his full-time gig with 5SOS is calling him back One track, Dark Circles, even delves into the 'fantasy' of a world without 5SOS. 'Obviously it's a question that's coming up a lot with all these solo things happening. Is the band OK?' Calum pondered, before quickly reassuring fans: 'The answer is the band is great, but (for that song) it was on my mind that if sh*t hit the fan, it would be devastating for me. I've spent half my life in the band, it has shaped who I am.' 'There's a big joke amongst the fans that "Oh, he's actually talking", which is really funny.' 'In the band, I guess I'm the more reserved one but I actually have a f***ing lot to say!' While Calum has played several solo gigs to promote his album release, he warned fans not to expect a solo world tour anytime soon. He hinted that his full-time gig with 5SOS is calling him back. 'It was such a big deal for me just to release this music,' Calum said. 'When there is another record, if there's space and the time allows and it feels good, then we will see what happens about touring.'
News.com.au
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Calum Hood assures fans 5SOS is ‘thriving' as he releases solo record
Calum Hood has 'emphatically' reassured fans of global chart-toppers 5 Seconds of Summer the band is not splitting up. The bassist is the fourth member of the Aussie stream kings to unveil a solo project with his debut album CHAOS order CHAOS released this week. Back home in Sydney for the big reveal, Hood said he understood fans and music industry commentators assumed the raft of solo releases from himself, Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin and Michael Clifford signalled the end of the pop rockers after 15 years. It is incredibly rare for several members of any act to pursue solo careers while their band was still active with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, KISS and Fleetwood Mac among those who flexed their solo muscles as the group continued. 'Emphatically, 5SOS is not over and actually, quite thriving,' Hood said. 'This might be a bit weird to people but we revel in doing things people think we shouldn't do.' Hood said the solo efforts of his bandmates had given him a 'good blueprint for how to do it'. Clifford released his debut solo single Cool in April ahead of the release of his album Sidequest next month while both Hemmings and Irwin have dropped two records each since 2020. It took Hood more than two years to craft the atmospheric, synth-heavy sound for the songs for CHAOS order CHAOS as he battled the inherent anxiety artists suffer when they start a new project. 'You know me, I'm an anxious boy anyway, but I never had that with the band; I was never anxious about releasing 5SOS songs,' he said. His solo songs are mostly of the sad boy variety, dealing heartbreak and the tyranny of distance playing havoc on relationships with family and friends when you are always on the road. One track Dark Circles explores the 'fantasy' of what life would be like if 5SOS didn't exist. 'Obviously it's a question that's coming up a lot with all these solo things happening. Is the band OK?' Hood said. 'The answer is the band is great, but (for that song) it was on my mind that if shit hit the fan, it would be devastating for me. I've spent half my life in the band, it has shaped who I am.' The band's bassist said fans have been shocked by one particular aspect of his solo project as he has travelled the world recently to promote the record. 'There's a big joke amongst the fans that 'Oh, he's actually talking,' which is really funny,' Hood said. 'In the band, I guess I'm the more reserved one but I actually have a f … ing lot to say!' While he has played some acoustic gigs to launch the project, Hood has no plans to go on a world tour, hinting that he is required to get back to his full-time gig with 5SOS. 'It was such a big deal for me just to release this music. When there is another record, if there's space and the time allows and it feels good, then we will see what happens about touring.'
