Music
Most conspicuous by his absence is Celebrity Big Brother star Kenzie, who left the group to form Friday Hill alongside two other original members. Blazin' Squad's debut single 'Crossroads' stormed to the top of the charts back in 2002, but Stuart tells Digital Spy what 2006 and beyond may hold for the rejuvenated band...
Can you tell us a bit about the band's history?
"We were all mates and went to school together. We used to do MCing, messing around and that. We went to the studio when we were 15 and recorded a track, and from there, we got signed off that track. Released loads of singles and that's where we are today."
You're now a four piece. What actually happened when the band split?
"Lee wanted to go solo, so he went solo and then we thought that we might split up a little bit and make more money, so Kenzie and that decided they wanted to go down a more indie route, and then us four wanted to stay doing the more poppy hip hoppy stuff, and the other two just wanted to go and get jobs."
Was everybody happy to go their separate ways?
"Yeah, we all still speak to each other and are happy about it. We go down the pub and that?"
How are your relations with Friday Hill? Who do you keep in touch with the most?
"If none of us are working, we go out every weekend. I speak to Flava, Kenzie and that. About once a week. Still good mates."
How has the split affected the music that you do?
"It hasn't affected it too much, cos we're not taking too much away from what we used to do. Still the same music, but we've added a bit more singing to it, so it's a bit cooler, but it's still got that urban edge to it."
Has the band dynamic changed since the split - is it different working with a four piece?
"It's weird, cos when there were ten of us, it was a laugh, you were with ten of your best mates anywhere you want, but if you went to a photoshoot or an interview, it would take SO long to do things, cos you had to do ten solo shots, ten people had to have their hair done. There's someone who wants to eat at a certain point in the day cos they're hungry. It takes so long to do photoshoots and interviews, you do it with a four piece and it takes half the time. It's more efficient as a four piece, it's a lot easier to get things done, everything's a lot quicker and a lot smoother."
Are there any other benefits, like getting to sing more?
"With ten of you, you write a song and you fight to get on a song...you have to write the best bits to get on the song, but now there's four of us, it's easier to write a proper song as a group, because you're all gonna get on the song. It's a lot easier, it works better."
Are you missing anything as a four piece?
"I think it's easier. Everyone knows their point, knows their place, you know, the only thing missing is that after work, someone who you might do stuff with [isn't there]."
Just after the split, was there a point at which you nearly gave up your musical career?
"I wouldn't say gave up, but there was a point of waiting and wondering - some of the boys went straight out and started working at record labels and that. All four of us wanted to stay in the music industry and do that. At the end of the day we wanted to stay in music."
What happened between the split and the reformation of the band?
"There was a lot of sitting around in a dressing gown eating Rice Krispies! The four of us said we're going to give this a crack, we're going to do it, and we went in the studio and started writing some songs - we found the first single, and that's all we've been doing. We started doing a couple of gigs earlier in the year just to get back in the groove of things - we've done a few under-18s clubs and Butlin's - and that's all that happened really, just a lot of sitting around and waiting."
What are your musical aspirations, and who do you admire?
"Someone who inspired me - I think he's a wicked singer - is Lee Ryan, however weird that may sound! I think he's wicked in just everything, his attitude towards things as well. The way he can sing is amazing. What I want is for this first album to go all right, and to go onto the next album - that's my main concern at the minute. I just want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as it can for this album, then we can step things up for the second one."
On that note, can you tell us a little bit about your forthcoming album?
"Yeah, we've got a single out on September 4, called 'All Night Long', which is quite a summery track. It's like a typical Blazin' Squad song, but with a bit of an edge. We've recorded about seven tracks for the album already, so hopefully over the next month or two we'll go into the studio and finish the rest. It's a different sound - I think our second single is going to be a ballad, then some more up-tempo stuff on the album, and some deep and meaningful songs - songs like 'Flip Reverse' and 'Here 4 One'. As an all-over sound it's like what we used to do, but a lot better. They actually sound like songs now, whereas before they didn't."
When is your album released?
"We haven't actually got a release date for the album at the minute, but at a rough guess probably next year. I think we're going to have the first single out in September, and the next maybe just before or just after Christmas, and then probably the album. maybe around March, but there's no dates set yet."
Looking back, what is your most stand-out moment in your musical history?
"I like the performance side of things, that's my favourite, so when we performed at Party In The Park to like a hundred thousand people, that was unreal. That there were that many people there watching you, it was a bit bizarre. And when we sold out at Wembley, because you know those 10,000 people are there to see you, and they've all paid money just to come and watch you - it's a nice feeling, that people like you."
You were called Reepa, why have you dropped your name?
"Because I'm not twelve anymore, and I didn't want to associate myself with death. So I thought I'd grow up a little bit and go by my real name."
I've read somewhere that you never really like to answer this question, but I'll try it anyway! Where did the name Reepa come from?
"To be perfectly honest, I don't answer because I don't know! Everyone asks me, it's like... Moose, who used to be in Friday Hill, come round and he'd go "Reepa"....and it's quite a cool name, and it kinda just stuck. It's the only name that's stuck that everyone used to call me - there's not actually a real thing to it. The record label tried to make me change it at first because they didn't want to associate it with death, but I said I couldn't think of anything else."
A couple of your bandmates have been on reality TV shows such as Big Brother and The Games, do you think that's something you'd be interested in doing?
"Yeah but there's certain ones that I wouldn't do. I couldn't do I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here just for the fact that I wouldn't have the balls to do it, but Big Brother and The Games I'd do. I've been to a couple of interviews with some reality TV shows, and they get more and more pathetic every time you go to one - like the one where they want you to dress up as a girl band, you're like "
'you're having a laugh!'"
Who are your celebrity friends?
"Harvey, who used to be in So Solid, Lee Ryan, they're the people I go out with, but when you go to the roadshows, you speak to everyone - like McFly, James and Matt who used to be in Busted, Duncan, you sort of speak to everyone. But the only people I've ever gone out with are Harvey, Lee Ryan and Anthony Costa."
Do you get recognised a lot on the streets?
"I used to, but we haven't done anything for about a year and a half now, so I don't as much now. But every now and then you have a mad day where everyone knows who you are, and you can go through a few days when no-one even notices. A couple of years ago, I went to Lakeside and there were about 40 girls chasing me down the shopping centre, and the security had to come out and ask what was going on. So at the minute, no - but hopefully it'll come back again!"
What was the first record you bought?
"Ever? I can't even think...to be fair I don't actually know. It might have been the Michael Jackson greatest hits thing, I don't know if I had records before that, and I don't know what they were."
Do you or the band have any plans to collaborate with anybody?
"Well we haven't thought about it or anything yet, but we wrote to Andy Abraham from the X Factor. He lives just round the corner from us, and we were speaking to him, and he said "We'll have to get together and do a tune or something" - although he might just have said that to make conversation! I think we're going to try and get a collaboration on the album, but I think we have to wait for the right person."
Final question: What else are you listening to at the moment?
"At the minute The Kooks - I'm liking the Kooks, they're wicked. And a bit of funky house really, a little rap - I'm listening to really random stuff. To be fair I've got Take That greatest hits in my CD player at the minute which is quite sad!"
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