The Script’s Mark Sheehan’s son inspired the name of their fifth studio album.
The Irish band – comprised of Mark, Danny O’Donoghue and Glen Power – are set to drop their new LP ‘Freedom Child’ on September 1 and, although a lot of the tracks address terrorism, it was the lead guitarist’s seven-year-old son who helped him come up with the title because he asked him about the recent barbaric acts shaking the globe.
Speaking to Newsweek International, Danny said: "It came from Mark’s side. His seven-year-old came up to him one day and asked, ‘Dad, what’s terrorism?’ That’s not an easy thing to answer, no matter how old you are."
The trio have tried to incorporate politics into their new release as they believe musicians are in a position to raise awareness on a level that is understood by fans.
Danny explained: "Now more than ever, musicians need to stand up, they need to be the megaphones for people who have no voice. You have a microphone – what are you going to talk about? What you’re wearing? I don’t think it’s been reflected in pop culture at all. I think we’re too busy, as a whole entertainment [industry], we’re too busy trying to entertain people instead of going, ‘You know what, there’s something we need to talk about right now.’ "
The ‘Man Who Can’t Be Moved’ hitmakers think artists are too "scared" to make music that focuses on controversial topics but are hopeful that Ariana Grande has helped break through that barrier with her One Love Manchester charity gig, which she hosted after 22 innocent people died when a suicide bomber targeted her concert in the city.
Danny said: "Years ago music was a counterculture to what was going on … people would write political songs, it was the voice for the man. Now, people are too worried or too scared/ Nobody wants to chip in on a conversation about terrorism because they might be thought of next… This is before Ariana Grande put it under a magnifying glass [with her One Love Benefit concert in June]. You’d find it very hard to find artists to make a big stand if that hadn’t happened. It’s only when it’s on your doorstep."
The Script’s Mark Sheehan’s son inspired 5th album
