There’s been a large One Direction-shaped hole ever since Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik went separate ways to pursue their solo careers. Luckily, we now have New Hope Club!
If you haven’t join the club yet, then you might want to familiarise yourselves with the British trio, which consists of Blake Richardson, George Smith, and Reece Bibby. The Brits have been conquering Southeast Asia one city at a time and Kuala Lumpur was one of their pitstops.
Before we get into our interview, here are some fun facts about these talented lads.
Blake Richardson
- Blake is the youngest member in New Hope Club
- D.O.B.: 2nd October 1999
- Zodiac sign: Libra
- He is part Greek
- His mother is a teacher
- Favourite animal: Monkey
- Favourite colour: Orange
- He’s the dancer in the group
George Smith
- D.O.B.: 9th March 1999
- Zodiac sign: Pisces
- Favourite animal: Tiger
- Favourite colour: Green
- Massive “Star Wars” fan
- Knows all the lyrics to Ed Sheeran’s rap verses
Reece Bibby
- Oldest member in New Hope Club
- D.O.B.: 13th August 1998
- Zodiac sign: Leo
- He auditioned as a solo singer on “The X Factor UK”
- He got selected to be in Stereo Kicks but they later broke up
- Massive “Game of Thrones” fan
Last week, we sat down for an interview session with all three of them at DoubleTree, Kuala Lumpur. The boys not only reflected on the earlier moments of their music career, but also gave us an update on what has been going on with their lives. Here are some interesting things we learned:
1. How Reece came into the picture.
George and Blake cited that they have very similar interest and music taste with Reece and things “clicked naturally”. When it came to working on music, it didn’t really felt like “work” to them and it was actually a fun process.
2. The reason things didn’t work out with Stereo Kicks
“We were forced into a band (in “X-Factor”) that we didn’t really want to be in. None of us really wanted to be in a boy band. We were just very different people. But it gave me experience and brought me out of my shell cause I was quite shy before. It was a good stepping stone for me so I don’t regret it but I didn’t enjoy it,” Reece told us.
3. The inspiration behind the name New Hope Club
Was the band inspired by the Star Wars film, “A New Hope”? A friend actually pointed out “A New Hope” and another person suggested “Milk Money Club”. By combining those two together, New Hope Club was born.
The “new hope” part reflects the new band’s desire to bring their music to a wider platform, while the “club” side of it was an invitation for everyone to join in on the fun and be part of the team. This is quite befitting that New Hope Club’s first EP was titled, “Welcome To The Club”.
4. The importance of writing their own music
Bands that they look up to like The Beatles, Oasis, Catfish and the Bottlemen, all wrote their own music. New Hope Club also hopes to put their own stamp in their brand of music. Besides showcasing their artistry in writing, the trio also play musical instruments. As a music fan, there’s definitely more respect towards artists who are certain of their own identity.
5. New Hope Club has not 1 but 2 songs on the animation, “Early Man”.
“Good Day” was a song written specially for “Early Man” (featuring the voices of Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, and Maisie Williams). Although the songs came about last minute, the outcome for “Good Day” and “Tiger Feet” – both energetic and rock ‘n roll – turned out pretty awesome.
Special thanks to our friends from Universal Music Malaysia for having us. For more information on New Hope Club, hit them up on Facebook or Instagram.
