SEVEN years is a long stint in the notoriously fickle pop industry. Staying at the top for seven years is nothing shy of a marvel.
"We never wanted to be on the cover of NME – we just wanted to be a great pop band."
The Saturdays have done just that. Singing, dancing and hovering around the UK top ten since they began in 2007. Set to release their sixteenth single and an album of greatest hits, Confidential caught up with Saturday band member Rochelle Humes...
The Saturdays taxi driver wasn't happy
So where did it all begin for the five girls? "We used to watch Girls Aloud show every night and be mesmerised," says Humes. "We were so hungry for it all. And for them to give us that helping hand and for their fans to welcome us into the world of pop like that – we’ll always be so grateful."
In seven years The Saturdays' fan base has continued to grow, culminating in the release of their new album featuring all their greatest hits - usually the route for a band breaking up or attempting an awkward comeback. No throwing in the towel for this quintet, Humes says the album is as current as ever.
"We’ve always been current, and the album and tour will both be a look back at what music’s been like over the last seven years," says the singer, who has been in the music industry since her teenage years as part of S Club Juniors. "Listening through the album it’s so weird to hear them all together – it’s like your life flashing before your ears.
Rochelle Humes, The Saturdays"It's been seven years and we're now releasing our sixteenth single so it's quite nice to have all our hits on the one CD. It's something we're very proud of and it brings back nostalgic memories too."
Their new tour will see the group visit twelve different venues across the UK and Ireland throughout September. Visiting Manchester is one of the highlights on the list for Humes. "Manchester has the best shopping," she says happily. "One of my best friends lives in Manchester so I like to visit quite often. Plus we always like performing in Manchester as the crowd knows how to have a good time."
For some music fans, The Saturdays brand of happy pop songs is deemed too cheesey to grace the covers of music magazines. Yet, this is never what the girls wanted, at least according to Humes.
"We started at a time when it was just a sea of indie bands,” explains Humes. "Girls Aloud and the Sugababes were the last girlbands standing, but we wanted to try and continue what they’d started. We never wanted to be on the cover of NME – we just wanted to be a great pop band. It seems very uncool to some people to just be pop, but then we’d appear at festivals, like when we played on the main stage at V, and everyone wanted to sing along and have a good time."
The girls will tour with their new album throughout September
The Saturdays are a guilty pleasure it seems. With four studio albums, three headline tours and also thirteen singles all charting in the UK Top 10, it seems there are many of us happy to sing along to hits such as 'Higher' and 'All Fired Up'. So what's next for the girls I ask, world domination à la The Spice Girls?
Humes laughs, "There will be more singles and more albums as well as more marriages - not for me I hasten to add - and more kids."
Three of the five are mothers, but all remain committed to the band
With three of the five members now mothers, you could be forgiven for thinking their attention would shift towards family life and away from the band. Humes is keen to point out that all the girls are happy to be working mothers. "My mum always worked and I've been surrounded by working women all my life," explains Humes. "I suppose I'm lucky in the sense that my daughter can come long to work with me and with her father. She's our number one priority."
As well as children, many of the girls have other projects alongside the band. Humes in particular has just launched a clothing line with Very and has regular TV presenting jobs with her husband, JLS's Marvin Humes. Whilst some gossip magazines have hinted that these solo projects are a sign the band might part ways, Humes is adamant they won't.
"We've always had our own little side ventures alongside the band, but we'll always still be a group; the group is priority for us."
The Saturdays play the O2 Apollo in Manchester on 14 September.
Tickets are available here.
The Greatest Hits album is out 11 August.
Follow Niamh Spence on Twitter at @missnspence
