Ganze Woche Magazine Vienna Austria - April 18^th 2005 (translated)

After the release of your greatest hits album last autumn, are you working on your new album?

Yes, last time I focused myself on writing the songs for the new album.  It’ll be a great album it’s the most exciting stuff I’ve ever written.  This new album is more like my second one; ‘Destination’ with a lot of up-tempo ‘feel good’ California – styles like in ‘Lovin’ each day’ i.e. a happy chorus.

When will it be released?

I will probably have it ready for Christmas I wanted to wait until next year.  I released eight albums in 10 years.  I don’t want people to become sick of me ya know? it’s not good if you do too much so I’ll wait.

If you look at your beginnings with Boyzone, did you ever think you’d come this far?

First of all I wouldn’t be here without Boyzone, so it was a really great time for me.  I couldn’t imagine to come that far and you never think that when you are at your beginnings.  I mean I am really very happy now because I’m married I have children and a career.

You mentioned your family how is your private life, what is your role in the household?

Very normal I’m just the father ya know, there’s no discs hanging on the walls.  I go to the grocers store, pick the kids up from school I’m as normal as any father.

So how much is a pint of milk?

A pint of milk? I buy litres so I guess a pint is 42 cents.  I’m really very normal.  I try to do as much as I can in the house.

How do the kids accept that you are away from home now?

They’re getting to an age when it is getting more and more difficult, because they’re getting older.  I mean Jack is six and he always says “Dad I miss you when are you coming home”. I never stopped touring but I don’t spend much time away.

How do they accept that they will get soon another brother or sister?

They are very excited they already have names picked and everything.  Jack wants to call the boy ‘Power Ranger’ and Missy wants to call her sister ‘Ballerina Barbie’.  We’re all really excited and can hardly wait.

When you look at your marriage with Yvonne it is one of the most stable marriages in the celebrity world……

Yeah I mean I get scared sometimes because it is.  I see people that I thought would last forever split.  I often read magazines and several newspapers and the most shocking news was that with Brad Pritt and Jennifer Aniston. I thought that they would be together for all times.  I couldn’t believe it actually.  I feel scared because Yvonne and I will be together forever there’s no reason why we would be apart.  You never know what’s going to happen in the future, but I’ll tell you now I would never be apart from my wife.  I pay attention to my wife and that’s what works.  I don’t go drinking with my friends; I don’t go playing golf for a week.  We’re very lucky as a couple.

You were very young when you became famous; so I guess that many women came to you, how did you know that Yvonne was the right person for you?

I had fun before I came together with my wife I mean I was a young man and as a young man I  had the same fun as any other young man at that age. Yvonne and I were friends since I was 14

How did you realise she was the one?

Because we were friends before, we didn’t have a sexual relationship until 4 or 5 years after we became friends.  A foundation was already there and it wasn’t necessary to date other girls.  Maybe that’s the reason we’re still here today.

Do you write songs for her?

Yes I have written songs ‘First time’ on the last album was one of the songs that I wrote for Yvonne, and on the new one there are two songs I wrote especially for her.

Do you have a title for the new album?

No there is a song called ‘Connected’ that could be a good title because it will be the first single

What do you sing to your children?    

Missy loves that ‘Shut up’ song – from…

Black eyed peas!

Yeah she just loves it and she always keeps singing ‘shut up shut up’ …and Jack likes ‘Who let the dogs out?’

And what do you like?

I like Van Morrison, Keane, the Killers and Feist.  Feist is really good have you heard of her?

Yes she comes to Vienna this Thursday!

Really? Oh she is great especially that song she covered ‘Inside and out’ I downloaded it today from iTunes. It’s such a fantastic song I love it.  Will she be here on Friday?

Maybe I don’t know exactly

Oh maybe I’ll be back in Vienna on Friday to watch her

What was the highlight and lowest point in your life, but also your career?

The lowest point in my life was when I lost my mother to cancer, she died 7 years ago and that was a really hard time for me.  The highlight in my career was to sing with Cat Stevens aka YUSUF Islam.  It was an incredible opportunity I always loved his song ‘Father & Son’ I performed it quite a few times, also with Boyzone and he’s such a wonderful person and it was really great to work with him.

Why is the song so special to you?

As a child I always remember it was played in our house.  I have never been a father before so it is more relevant than ever to record it these days.  Yusuf allowed me to make it my own and it will never be too late to cover this song because it is so wonderful, it’s a great honour.

Are you religious?

Yes I’m a Catholic and very religious

So you understand Yusuf?                     

Yes we speak regularly about religion I ask him questions, he talks to me.  I think we should all ask these questions because maybe then we would live in a better world.  95% of wars have a religious background.  It would be better to ask questions than to fight.

Did you watch the Pope’s funeral?

Yes I think he was a good Pope although he was old fashioned when the topic was about homosexuality or contraception, which is wrong I believe.  But nevertheless he was a good Pope he wanted to connect all confessions and to establish a better world.  I think that the Catholic Church needs to move into the 21^st Century.  The world is changing God gave us minds to talk and we should move forward.

You mentioned your mother sometime ago you established a cancer foundation, dedicating it to her.  You will do another Walk Ireland next month, what do you do exactly on this tour?

I walk from the top of Ireland to the bottom and collect donations.  Two years ago, I walked for the first time it was 260 miles.  Our goal is to create awareness of cancer my mother died because she wasn’t aware of it.  If she was more educated about cancer I believe that she would still be here today.  This time I’m walking a bit longer 400 miles for about 3 weeks.

Ronan you are also known for your collaborations with other singers like Jeanette, LeAnn Rimes and lastly Yusuf Islam.  Who would you like to record a duet with in future?

Sure, I would love to work with Bono or Sting I mean I like to sing duets.  I was very lucky to get the opportunity to work with LeAnn Rimes, Yusuf Islam and Elton John.  I’ll make some phone calls in the next few months and I hope that some of the mentioned will say ‘yes’

I know that you are also a very good show presenter you presented the MTV Awards twice and other shows.  Do you still get offers of television and would you do the presenting job again?

Yes I get these offers but I’m not interested I’m a singer ya know not a presenter, I don’t want to be a show presenter.  The most bizarre job was to present Miss World and it was so difficult because they changed the script one night before the show and only 3 or 4 of the girls spoke English, so it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.  I’ll never do that again.

Ronan was interviewed by music journalist Esned Nezic, to see a PDF doc of this interview please visit his website by clicking on the link in the title of this interview.

Thanks to RKCA!