We love what we do and that people want to see us...
IRISH SINGERS BRIAN McFADDEN AND KEITH DUFFY TELL NAOMI CLARKE ABOUT HOW THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS EVOLVED AS THEY HEAD OUT AGAIN AS BOYZLIFE
“IF you would have told me 30 years ago when I started in this business, that I’d still be in a boyband when I was nearly 50 I would have said ‘Nooo,’” admits 49-yearold Irish singer Keith Duffy.
“But I’m looking forward to getting back on the road again. We love what we do and the fact that we still have an audience to play to and people still want to see us – we’re very grateful.”
Keith, who rose to fame in the Irish boyband Boyzone in the 1990s, has been performing alongside fellow Irish star Brian McFadden of Westlife in recent years.
They first came together for what was meant to be a one-off tour in 2016, which saw them perform hits from both of the Irish groups. It was here that the “supergroup” Boyzlife was born.
The duo went on to release their debut album, titled Strings Attached, in 2020, and followed it up in 2022 with their second record Old School.
Their dulcet vocals and Irish charm continue to draw in fans, with many supporting them since the early days of their careers.
“Most of our fans have been following us for 25-30 years,” Keith says over a video call.
“If we have new fans, it’s because it’s their children or their grandchildren.”
The singers have continued to adapt as the music industry has evolved during their careers, but they admit they have found the move from physical records to streaming and downloads a challenge.
“The music business has all changed now, and the kids are so clever with online stuff,” Keith adds.
“But the most valuable marketing tool, still to this day, is radio.
“For those guys to play us... it’s very difficult to get on the radio. So we have to rely on the nostalgia of our music.”
And there may be no better time for them to lean into listeners longing for the past as there has been a surge in reunions in the last few years. From Girls Aloud and Sugababes to Blink-182 and Blur, they have all had a go at “getting the band back together” in the hope of recapturing the allure of the 90s and 00s.
Keith and Brian are hoping to create their own nostalgic moments on their upcoming UK tour, which will see them celebrating the Boyzone and Westlife hits that made them.
The 14-date tour is set to kick off in January in Poole, Dorset, before moving to cities including Birmingham, London and Glasgow
For each tour they have added a musical medley section, having previously blended tracks from various boy bands like the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and Take That. This time round, Brian, 44, says they are keen to take on a girl group medley, featuring everyone from the Spice Girls to The Supremes. Ahead of the tour, and as they play festival dates across the summer, including at Rewind and The Weekend festival, the singers have been trying to get themselves in shape. “We talk about it,” laughs Brian. “For six weeks now we’ll have no drink and we’ll get in great shape’ and then the tour has already started and we’re like ‘Oh, what happened to that?”
Keith, has a somewhat different attitude, smiling: “Seven years ago, I was sitting in the gym at eight in the morning waiting for him to turn up. Seven years later, I’m still waiting for him to turn up.”
While the pair continue to adjust to how technology has changed the industry, they welcome how it has made life surrounding touring much less stressful.
“I think the one difference between now and then, is that we’ve freed up so much more time that we can actually just enjoy being on tour,” Brian says. “It doesn’t feel like work like it used to.”
Alongside preparing for the tour, the pair have continued to write, and promise that there will be new music later this year.
And if they haven’t got enough to keep them occupied, the pair have followed in the footsteps of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who took over ownership of Wrexham football club in 2021, by buying into Chorley FC.
The team plays in the National League North, but the singers have set their sights on getting the club promoted next season. The Lancashire town also drew them as it reminded them of the area they grew up in within Dublin. Both now live nearby, Keith in Manchester and Brian in Rochdale.
“The thing that I have noticed is how quickly you get emotionally invested in something like this, it’s been driving me mad,” Brian admits. “I’ll be sitting there watching the games, and they’ll go 1-0 down and I’ll feel like I’m going to absolutely die.
“I didn’t even know who Chorley (FC) were this time last year, and now I’m nearly crying every time somebody scores against them.”
■ Tickets for Boyzlife’s upcoming 2025 tour and their festival appearances are available now