Exclusive: New Boyzone album is "tribute to Gately"

Boyzone star Keith Duffy has declared the group's new record a "tribute" to late member Stephen Gately.

The Irish boyband release Brothers, their first collection of entirely new songs since 1998, on March 8.

"It's all completely original material. There are no covers on it and there's not really any ballads on it either," he told Digital Spy. "It's a whole new sound and it's a whole new dynamic for Boyzone."

Duffy, who reprises his role as chef Ciaran McCarthy on Coronation Street next week, also revealed that Gately was heavily involved in shaping the album's direction.

"Stephen was a big part of picking the tunes that are on the album. I think Stephen would really want us to continue and to release the songs and the album," he said.

However, Duffy also admitted that the group have yet to make any long-term plans.

"I don't know what's going to happen after the album," he said. "Whether we tour again and whether we perform together again, I really don't know. For now we're going to release this album as a tribute to Stephen.

"I'm on Corrie for six months as well so I'm not going to be available for any kind of promotion. I'm just going to let the album work itself - if it's a hit, it's a hit, and if it isn't, it isn't."

Duffy returns to Coronation Street on Monday night.

> Click here to read our full interview with Keith Duffy