JLS chat about new album, arena tours and breaking the US market

JLS are busy boys. Trying to get them all into one room for a conversation is a difficult task. In fact, the only time they can find in their schedule is a two-hour window before filming a TV special with Chris Moyles at the BBC.

While we're talking, various stylists, hairdressers and members of the band's management team vie for their attention. It's hectic, but the quartet seem perfectly happy with the mayhem.

"Have you interviewed many people while they're having their hair cut?" asks Aston Merrygold.

To many, the diminutive singer is the main voice of JLS, the four-piece who emerged from The X Factor three years ago and have gone on to become one of the most successful groups in British history.

"I'm nearly always relaxed," he adds. "Especially when I'm getting all this pampering."

He's also famed for his physique, namely his defined six-pack. Despite recent rumours that the quartet would be covering up during the campaign for third album Jukebox, there's little evidence of that today as he tries on different outfits and parades around in his boxers.

Not only are they launching a chart onslaught, but at the time of our interview the band were preparing for a Michael Jackson tribute concert which saw them perform with remaining members of The Jackson Five.

"It's definitely a big few days for us," says Merrygold, trying on a replica black and blue Jacko outfit and spinning on the spot.

"Can I moonwalk? You bet I can moonwalk," he says, sliding across the floor of the dressing room.

"I think I've improved massively as a singer since I was on X Factor," he says. "If you were an athlete you wouldn't go to one world championships and rest on your laurels after that.

"You'd go back and constantly try to better your personal best or break another world record. It's the same with us and singing - we just want to get better."

Over in the other corner, Woolwich's Marvin Humes is having his make-up done. His hair is just so after a trim - all four have their hair cut at least once a week - and he's changed into his stage outfit.

"We don't take that long," he says as his eyeliner is applied. "Well, we're not as bad as a girlband would be anyway." Take that as inside knowledge since he's been in a relationship with Rochelle of The Saturdays for some time.

Sessions for Jukebox went well. They began in April and finished in September. In that time, the foursome, along with their team of producers, penned more than 100 complete songs.

Whittling that total down to the 12 on the album was among the hardest jobs.

"There are some real classic soul-sounding tracks on this record," says Humes. "I was the first one to hear Take A Chance On Me. Our old label boss was in the room next to mine in a hotel in LA and he was playing this song.

"I heard it and thought it sounded like a Bruno Mars record. I knocked on his door and asked what it was, and he said 'It can be your next single if you want?' I was really impressed. It's not what you expect us to release, and we don't want to just release JLS-sounding records all the time.

"It's not massively out of the blue, this album, it's still us, but it does sound new as well."

There is one older song, Shy Of The Call, on the album. It was the first song JLS wrote back when they were still called UFO.

"We wrote that in one afternoon," says Humes. "The fans have always loved it, so it's great to finally record it."

After grabbing a bite to eat between grooming stages, Oritse Williams is up next.

"We're perfectionists," he says of the new album. "So we always want as long as possible to make decisions. We finally got the artwork and sleeve notes signed off yesterday, but if we could have had a week longer we would've taken it."

Moving on to describe the inner workings of Team JLS, he says the band members manage to stay stress-free thanks to their manager, Phil.

"He's our honorary fifth member, and we get to avoid the stress and pressure because he shields us from it. We'll be there stalling over a decision, and the label will be breathing down his neck so he's caught in the middle.

"Saying that, he knows our diary so we can't fob him off too much. We normally just do what he says."

Last but not least is Jonathan 'JB' Gill. He's particularly excited at the prospect of returning to The X Factor for a live performance and meeting this year's contestants.

Gill knows what it's like to be in their shoes, having witnessed both Leona Lewis and Leon Jackson make returns to the talent show stage while he was a contestant, although it's fair to say the career of JLS would be more inspirational to any wannabe popstar than that of Leon Jackson.

"We're living proof that someone can go on that show a nobody and leave to have a career. We're never going to forget that foundation," he says.

"I'm a huge fan of the show, as I was before we went on it."

Ever since JLS released debut single Beat Again they've been vocal in their desire to break into America. Selling R&B-inflected pop to a US market is never going to be easy - they did invent it, after all - but the London four-piece aren't going to give up just yet.

A UK stadium tour has been booked for March 2012, but before that promotion in the US is at the top of the list.

"We know you have to be visible there if you want to crack America," says Williams. "But we're not scared of the work."

Merrygold adds: "We've already got our fourth album under way. "We wrote so many songs for Jukebox that didn't quite make it, but they're definitely not going to be thrown away.

"We know some of them are perfect for album number four. We never stop."

Jukebox is out now. To book tickets for JLS’ 4th Dimension tour, call 0844 856 0202 or visit theo2.co.uk