Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Songs about a Girl
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.chrisrussellwrites.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: British
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | no2017061638 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/no2017061638 |
| HEADING: | Russell, Chris (Rock musician) |
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| 001 | 10450714 |
| 005 | 20170512073717.0 |
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| 010 | __ |a no2017061638 |
| 035 | __ |a (OCoLC)oca10804659 |
| 040 | __ |a TnLvILS |b eng |e rda |c TnLvILS |
| 100 | 1_ |a Russell, Chris |c (Rock musician) |
| 374 | __ |a Rock musicians |a Authors |2 lcsh |
| 375 | __ |a male |
| 377 | __ |a eng |
| 670 | __ |a Songs about a girl, 2017: |b title page (Chris Russell) about the author (Chris Russell formed pop/rock band The Lightyears with his best friends at school) |
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and musician. Cofounder of the rock band The Lightyears.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Chris Russell is a writer and musician based in London, England. He is the cofounder of the rock band The Lightyears. The group has played alongside members of the bands Journey, The Who, and Queen and has preformed at major music events, including Glastonbury Festival. Later, Russell began releasing novels for young adults. He told a contributor to the website of Red Button Publishing: “My career as a writer emerged directly from my career as a musician, so they occupy equal space in my heart. The best thing about band life is being in a gang; the best thing about writer life is being on your own.”
Mockstars
Russell mines his own history for inspiration for the plot of his first novel, Mockstars. The protagonists of the volume are two lifelong friends named Chris and George. Throughout school, they were part of the orchestra, but they ultimately started their own rock band, Satellite. Now they are in their early twenties and are still playing gigs around town. They haven’t made enough money to move out of their parents’ houses. Chris and George decide to reevaluate their band and try to rock harder, like their early inspiration, Bon Jovi.
In the same interview with the Red Button Publishing contributor, Russell discussed the main theme of the novel. He stated: “When I was a kid, my granddad said to me: ‘Find a way of making money from something you love, and you’ll be happy.’ He was right, and in broad terms that’s the message in the book.” Russell continued: “Mainly, though, I just hope to put a smile on the face of anyone who’s in a band, used to be in a band, wishes they were in a band or has had the misfortune of marrying someone in any of those categories. Also, I hope to encourage men (and women!) of a certain age to venture up into the loft and dust off their old Fender Strats.”
Songs about a Girl
In 2017, Russell released Songs about a Girl. He summarized the plot of the book in an interview with Amanda Mastrull, contributor to the School Library Journal website. He stated: “It’s basically a romance in the world of a world-famous boy band. It tells the story of a teenage girl, Charlie Bloom, who is an aspiring photographer. She gets swept up into the kind of intoxicating universe of Fire&Lights, who are this chart-topping boy band, and her life is turned upside-down by them.” Russell also told Mastrull: “The obvious thing for a book that owes a lot to fan fiction is the sort of classic self-insert fulfilling of a fantasy. I thought it makes the whole thing so much more interesting if she’s not a fan of the band. That helped me to help Charlie to be able to see the band as real people rather than as icons because she hasn’t seen them as icons prior to meeting them.” Russell continued: “She almost sees them as real people first. I think probably that is one of the reasons why Gabriel and Olly and Aiden and Yuki are so drawn to her.” Charlie is approached by Olly, a former classmate, to become the band’s backstage photographer. Her best friend, Melissa, persuades her to accept the offer. As Charlie tours with the immensely popular band, she becomes closer with both Olly and Gabriel, the lead singer. However, she begins suspecting that Gabriel stole lines from her mother’s diary for song lyrics.
A critic in Kirkus Reviews described Songs about a Girl as “a drama filled with saccharine moments of romance and angst, populated by characters that can’t seem to escape their two-dimensionality.” However, a Publishers Weekly reviewer remarked: “Russell’s debut is highly relevant in an age of social media furors and the constant churn of news.” “This recommended, thoroughly delightful book … has broad appeal for a wide audience of contemporary YA fans,” asserted Mastrull in School Library Journal. School Librarian writer Ellen Krajewski called the volume “a thoroughly absorbing tale of family relationships, friendship and betrayal.” Ayesha Zahid, contributor to the Cuckoo Review website, suggested: “The end of the book is bittersweet because it concludes with a baffling cliffhanger but overall the book provides a worthy read.” “If you are big on boy bands, then this book is definitely one to add to your collection,” noted a writer on the Serendipity Reviews website.
Songs about Us
Charlie and the Fire&Lights boys return in Songs about Us. In this volume, Charlie is back at home after the whirlwind tour with the band. She is becoming accustomed to normal life again, reconnecting with her dad and Melissa. However, Gabriel wants her to come back to work with the band. Ultimately, she agrees and joins the boys on the road. A shocking revelation shows Charlie and Gabriel that they may have an important link to each other. Meanwhile, Charlie still deals with strong feelings for Olly. In an interview with Verity Harris, contributor to the United by Pop website, Russell explained how his personal experience in a rock band inspired the narrative in Songs about Us. He stated: “I started The Lightyears when I was thirteen with my best friends from school, and since then we’ve been lucky enough to tour across four continents together, having all kinds of wacky adventures. So while I’ve never been in a world-famous boy band, I do know what it’s like to be on the road with three other guys, chasing a dream, and I’ve used that experience to (I hope!) make the relationships between the members of Fire&Lights as authentic as possible.”
Sophie O’Loughlin, review on the Writing.ie website, commented: “This book is extremely well written. … It’s much more interesting than your generic teen romance due to the fact that the author used to be in a band.” Writing on the Cuckoo Review website, Elizabeth Gibson remarked: “The family history angle, the friendships, the characters of Yuki and Aiden, and Charlie’s passion for photography and her determination to be the best she can be all made for a thrilling read.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2017, review of Songs about a Girl.
Publishers Weekly, April 3, 2017, review of Songs about a Girl, p. 79.
School Librarian, autumn, 2016, Ellen Krajewski, review of Songs about a Girl, p. 187.
School Library Journal, May, 2017, Amanda Mastrull, review of Songs about a Girl, p. 106.
ONLINE
Bookseller Online, https://www.thebookseller.com/ (March 31, 2015), Caroline Carpenter, author interview.
Chris Russell Website, http://www.chrisrussellwrites.com/ (January 7, 2018).
Cuckoo Review, http://review.cuckoowriters.com/ (July 25, 2016), Ayesha Zahid, review of Songs about a Girl; (September 9, 2017), Elizabeth Gibson, review of Songs about Us.
Johnson & Alcock Ltd. Website, http://www.johnsonandalcock.co.uk/ (January 7, 2018), author profile.
Mockstars Website, http://www.mockstarsthenovel.com/ (January 7, 2018), author profile.
Red Button Publishing Website, https://redbuttonpublishing.net/ (June 25, 2014), author interview.
School Library Journal Online, http://www.slj.com/ (July 26, 2017), Amanda Mastrull, author interview.
Serendipity Reviews, http://www.serendipityreviews.co.uk/ (July 16, 2016), Vivienne Dacosta, review of Songs about a Girl.
Songs about a Girl Website, http://www.songsaboutagirl.com/ (January 7, 2018), author profile.
United by Pop, http://www.unitedbypop.com/ (September 15, 2017), Verity Harris, author interview and review of Songs about Us.
Writing.ie, https://www.writing.ie/ (January 7, 2018), Sophie O’Loughlin, review of Songs about Us.
About
When I was thirteen, my best friend and I went to a Bon Jovi concert at Wembley Stadium. We thought it looked like fun, so we started our own band - a band that, ten years later, would become The Lightyears. Since then, we've been lucky enough to tour all over the world, from Cape Town to South Korea, playing at Glastonbury Festival and O2 Arena and supporting members of legendary rock bands such as Queen, Journey and The Who. And though we never made it anywhere near as big as Bon Jovi, we did get to play Wembley Stadium, four times, to crowds of over 45,000 people.
Music aside, writing was my first love. In 2014, I published a novel called MOCKSTARS, which was inspired by my tour diaries for The Lightyears. Shortly afterwards, following a three-month stint ghostwriting for a One Direction fan club, I came up with the idea of a YA novel that combined an intense teenage romance with the electrifying universe of a chart-topping boyband. That idea became the trilogy SONGS ABOUT A GIRL, which was signed up by Hodder Children's in 2015, and has sold in multiple territories worldwide. SONGS ABOUT A GIRL and SONGS ABOUT US are available now from all major bookstores.
The band in our school days (that's me on the far left!).
The band in our school days (that's me on the far left!).
...And here we are 12 years later, about to play Wembley Stadium.
...And here we are 12 years later, about to play Wembley Stadium.
QUOTED: "My career as a writer emerged directly from my career as a musician, so they occupy equal space in my heart. The best thing about band life is being in a gang; the best thing about writer life is being on your own."
"When I was a kid, my granddad said to me: 'Find a way of making money from something you love, and you’ll be happy.' He was right, and in broad terms that’s the message in the book."
"Mainly, though, I just hope to put a smile on the face of anyone who’s in a band, used to be in a band, wishes they were in a band or has had the misfortune of marrying someone in any of those categories. Also, I hope to encourage men (and women!) of a certain age to venture up into the loft and dust off their old Fender Strats."
An Interview with Christopher Russell, author of Mockstars
Here at Red Button, we’re delighted to present our fourth title and our fourth fantastic writer, Christopher Russell. Mockstars is a brilliantly funny novel based on the tour diaries of Christopher’s band, The Lightyears. Dubbed ‘The Inbetweeners meets Spinal Tap’ by Alex Marsh, author of Sex & Bowls & Rock and Roll, it’s a true-to-life tale about friendship and chasing the rockstar dream.
Chris Russell author pic
Q: Mockstars is based on your own experiences with your band, The Lightyears. What was it that spurred you to write the book, and how much of it is fiction?
CHRISTOPHER: When I was thirteen, I started a band with my best friend George. Our heroes were hair-rock superstars Bon Jovi and so our earliest songs were written mainly on the theme of What It’s Like Being A Cowboy. This takes quite a bit of imagination when you actually grew up in Goring-on-Thames, and ever since then I’ve been entertained by the ridiculous things people do in the pursuit of being considered ‘rockstars’. That’s essentially what Mockstars is about. As for the fiction−reality balance, we have a motto in The Lightyears: ‘Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.’ I’d say it’s about 60:40 in favour of reality … but I’ll let you folks decide which bits belong in which category. (Hint: one of the scenes you’ll assume I made up did, rather worryingly, actually happen.)
Q: Mockstars is a comic novel and comedy is perhaps the trickiest thing to get right. What are your top tips for writing good comedy and who would you say are your influences there?
CHRISTOPHER: The comedy in Mockstars is equal parts Blackadder, Monty Python, Hitchhiker’s Guide…, Wayne’s World, Withnail & I, Red Dwarf and Family Guy. And from those sources I learnt (or perhaps stole) the idea that the best humour − or at least my favourite humour − sits in the sweet spot between absurdity and mundanity. So it’s Arthur Dent travelling the cosmos in his dressing gown, or Wayne’s unhinged ex-girlfriend buying him a gun rack for their anniversary, despite the fact he owns no guns (‘Stacey, we broke up three months ago! Are you mental?’). That’s what makes me laugh. That and people falling off stuff, obviously.
Q: Mockstars focuses on characters in their early twenties and has been compared to the hit TV series The Inbetweeners. Why do you think people like these sort of ‘coming of age’ tales so much?
CHRISTOPHER: Humans are naturally sentimental creatures, and we like to be able to compartmentalise our memories into specific boxes (hence the vast numbers of movies focused around the phenomenon of ‘Prom Night’, for instance). The Inbetweeners has universal appeal because almost everyone went to school and, at some point, experienced the sting of teenage awkwardness. And, cleverly, because they’re still just kids, we forgive the characters for being emotionally stunted and obsessed with boobs.
Q: You’re a musician and a writer. Do you feel you identify as one more than the other?
CHRISTOPHER: These days ‘writer’ may have a slight edge, mainly for practical reasons: I can do that on my own, any time, anywhere, whereas gigging with the band involves extracting four grown men from various ends of the country and assembling them in one place without bodily injury or upsetting anyone’s long-suffering other halves. But my career as a writer emerged directly from my career as a musician, so they occupy equal space in my heart. The best thing about band life is being in a gang; the best thing about writer life is being on your own.
Q: You and the other members of The Lightyears have been friends for a very long time. How much would you say they have supported and influenced your writing? And how vital is a support network to a writer?
CHRISTOPHER: A few years ago, one snowy January, George (our lead singer) sat me down and said: ‘This year, I think you should write a book. About me.’ I have a history of doing whatever crazy thing he suggests (the first one being: start a band), and so I did. And, in all seriousness, the book wouldn’t exist without him. In general, the boys have been jolly sporting about my wanton assassination of their characters, and the truth is we’re a band woven together by stories, so the novel is just an extension of that. As for writer support networks, my advice is: get one. When I first tiptoed cautiously into the publishing world, I didn’t know anyone at all, and then I joined the networking collective Byte the Book and within a few months had made connections all across the industry. Indeed, that’s where I met Red Button! Publishing is the friendliest industry in the world and, in my experience at least, everyone’s welcome.
Q: Mockstars will also be released as an enhanced ebook exclusively through the iBookstore. Tell us more about that.
CHRISTOPHER: Mockstars features a number of original songs which slowly emerge from the story as the book goes on. Lyrics appear, ideas develop, and eventually the band begin playing them at gigs. We’ve written those songs in real life and plan to bring them together in an album further down the line. As a precursor to the album, we’ve recorded live versions of some of the tracks with a view to embedding them in an upcoming audio-enhanced version of the ebook. If I’m feeling fruity, I may also pop some Mockstars sketches in the enhanced edition. Watch this space …
Q: Advances in digital publishing mean that many books are now published with audio and video enhancements. What would you say music adds to the reading experience that other enhancements can’t?
CHRISTOPHER: I’m biased, but music is truly unique as an art form. Its ability to transport, engulf and move people is pretty much unparallelled in human experience (with the possible exception of hallucinogenic drugs, but you can’t buy those in HMV). Art, literature, dance − these art forms often divide people across social and cultural boundaries, but I’ve only ever come across one person who ‘didn’t like’ music. It’s a universal currency.
Q: The digital age has totally transformed both the book publishing and music industries. What parallels have you noticed between the world of publishing and the music industry? Do musicians and writers face any of the same challenges in your view?
CHRISTOPHER: When I first emigrated from music to publishing, I did wonder whether I was jumping from one burning building to another, and there are definitely parallels in the challenges facing the two industries. Publishing is on a bit of a time-lag behind music, which is bizarre for me because it’s rather like living in an echo chamber, hearing the same conversations I heard five years ago but in a slightly different context. The most important difference between the industries, however, is that everyone’s really, really nice to each other in publishing. Most of the platitudes you’ve heard about the music industry are true; it can be pretty ruthless and very few people escape it unscathed. Don’t get me wrong − I love the music industry − but it is also a snake-pit, and unless you’re thick-skinned it will chew you up and spit you out. Publishing, on the other hand, will always bake you a nice flan and pat you on the head, even if you can’t write for toffee.
Q: What sort of fiction do you read yourself?
CHRISTOPHER: My favourite novels of all time are American Psycho, Catch-22, A Clockwork Orange and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I am also fanatical about Bill Bryson, and my favourite music books are Kevin Sampson’s Powder, Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity and Slash: The Autobiography (did you know that guy once rocked so hard that he DIED in a LIFT? For real, man. Came back to life, kept on rocking. Far out).
Q: What are you working on now?
CHRISTOPHER: I’ve already written the first draft of my second novel, but the content is top secret (my agent, Ed Wilson at Johnson & Alcock, has me under a strict rule of silence). I can tell you that it’s music-related and written for the YA market, but that’s about it, I’m afraid. If I revealed any more, I’d have to kill you. All of you. And I’m busy enough alphabetising my stationery collection as it is.
Q: What do you hope readers will take away from Mockstars?
CHRISTOPHER: When I was a kid, my granddad said to me, ‘Find a way of making money from something you love, and you’ll be happy.’ He was right, and in broad terms that’s the message in the book. Mainly, though, I just hope to put a smile on the face of anyone who’s in a band, used to be in a band, wishes they were in a band or has had the misfortune of marrying someone in any of those categories. Also, I hope to encourage men (and women!) of a certain age to venture up into the loft and dust off their old Fender Strats.
CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO BUY MOCKSTARS
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To organise your own interview with Christopher or request a review copy of Mockstars email Caroline and Karen at redbuttonpublishing@gmail.com
About
By admin 5 years ago 0 Comments
Chris and George are best friends, and they want to be rockstars.
Unfortunately, a childhood spent playing in the school orchestra and listening to Jimmy Nail has left them a little fluffy round the edges, and at the age of 23 they’re still living with their parents and driving to gigs in a plum-coloured Dadwagon. More importantly, it’s becoming clear that their acoustic duo Satellite doesn’t resemble Bon Jovi nearly as much as they’d planned.
So how do two ordinary boys from the Home Counties go about taking on the cut-throat world of rock ’n’ roll…?
They’re just going to have to fake it.
“Back in the nineties, when everybody else was at illegal raves taking ecstasy, what were you boys doing?”
I look at George. He shrugs.
“Jigsaws,” I reply.
“We’ve got a LOT of work to do…”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mockstars is inspired by Christopher Russell’s international tour diaries for rock/pop band The Lightyears. To find out more about the band, visit www.TheLightyears.com.
Follow Mockstars on Twitter @MockstarsNovel. Click here to buy the book.
MOCKSTARS BOOK TRAILER:
Christopher Russell is a writer and musician based in London, and the author of Mockstars.
When he was thirteen, Chris started a band with his best friend George – this band became The Lightyears, and they are still touring the world and getting into all sorts of scrapes. Mockstars is based on his experiences with the band, and you can find out more at www.MockstarsTheNovel.com. He has also worked as a music reviewer and features writer, and is currently writer-in-residence for Byte the Book.
Scientifically-speaking, Chris is 96% hair.
Mockstars Cover.jpg
Johnson & Alcock Ltd | Bloomsbury House | 74-77 Great Russell Street | London | WC1B 3DA
(020) 7251 0125
I’m Chris Russell, author of Songs About a Girl.
On top of writing books, I’m also a musician, and have been in a band called The Lightyears since I was thirteen.
It was always my intention to bring Fire&Lights to life by writing and recording some of the music in the novel, and below you can check out the Spotify link and lyric video for 'Dance With You', the single that the band release in book one. Enjoy!
***Please note: This song contains spoilers, so it's strongly recommended that you read the novel before you listen to it. :)
Dance With You
Hodder signs three with musician Chris Russell
Published March 31, 2015 by Caroline Carpenter
Hodder Children’s Books has signed a three-book deal with debut YA author and musician Chris Russell in a pre-emptive offer.
Naomi Greenwood, senior commissioning editor for Hodder Children’s Books acquired UK and Commonwealth rights for the trilogy from Ed Wilson at Johnson & Alcock Literary Agency.
The first book, Songs About A Girl, is described as “a modern love story about heartbreak, pop music and the power of teenage obsession”. It tells the story of fifteen-year-old Charlie Bloom, who receives the invitation of her dreams to take backstage photos for chart-topping boyband Fire & Lights. As she is launched into a world of bloggers and paparazzi, she becomes caught between the dark charms of the band’s star member, Gabriel West, and his squeaky clean bandmate Olly Samson. At school, Charlie’s growing notoriety makes her a target for bullies and as her connection with Gabriel deepens, she discovers that all of his songs are mysteriously about her.
Greenwood called it “a deliciously addictive read that transported me straight back to my teenage years of obsessive crushes and intensive heartbreak”. She added: “This is a must read for any fangirl that has ever dreamed of saying ‘I’m with the band’ – but what I love most is that this is more than just a wish-fulfilment story. At its heart is a compelling mystery, combined with an intense romance and a brilliant depiction of obsession and passion. This is an impressive debut from Chris who writes with real warmth and authenticity. I’m delighted to welcome him into the Hodder family.”
Wilson added: “Chris is a rock star, all tight trousers and flowing locks, and he writes like a rock star. Songs About A Girl is going to hit summer 2016 like Led Zep at Knebworth.”
Russell is a writer and musician based in London. He performed at venues including Wembley Stadium and Glastonbury Festival, and also worked as a ghostwriter for a One Direction fan club. In addition to writing the books, he is writing the songs in them and plans to create an album alongside each novel in the trilogy.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Hodder are publishing Songs About A Girl. Naomi definitely shares my passion for the boyband universe of the book, and I can’t wait to get started. Apart from anything else, it gives me an excuse to listen to One Direction all day and call it work.”
Hodder Children’s will publish Songs About a Girl in Summer 2016 with book two to follow in 2017.
QUOTED: "a drama filled with saccharine moments of romance and angst, populated by characters that can't seem to escape their two-dimensionality."
Russell, Chris: SONGS ABOUT A GIRL
Kirkus Reviews.
(Apr. 15, 2017): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Russell, Chris SONGS ABOUT A GIRL Flatiron Books (Children's Fiction) $10.99 5, 30 ISBN: 978-1-250-09516-9
Between internet trolls, gossip, and competing male egos, Charlie Bloom discovers that hanging out with a famous band isn't the dream the rest of the girls at school think it is.When Olly messages Charlie about taking backstage photos of his famous band, she's surprised. The two of them never hung out when he went to her school, before he became famous. Despite reservations, she agrees and discovers she actually likes the boys in the band, all as white as Charlie save mixed-race Yuki (white/Japanese). She loves taking the pictures, and she especially seems to share a magnetic pull with Gabriel West. But how deep is their connection, really? An eruption with her best friend, a school bully, and a family mystery make things even more confusing for Charlie. Russell's debut novel strives to explore the magic that can occur in teen relationships but never quite manages to escape the confines of sentimental stereotypes. The dialogue often feels canned: "You don't need me. You're Gabriel West. You could have any girl on the planet." A few interesting details, such as the blue knit hat that belonged to Charlie's dead mother, help add texture to an otherwise flat reading experience. A drama filled with saccharine moments of romance and angst, populated by characters that can't seem to escape their two-dimensionality. (Fiction. 12-15)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Russell, Chris: SONGS ABOUT A GIRL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2017. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A489268552/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=81bf834b. Accessed 25 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A489268552
QUOTED: "Russell's debut is highly relevant in an age of social media furors and the constant churn of news."
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Songs About a Girl
Publishers Weekly.
264.14 (Apr. 3, 2017): p79. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Songs About a Girl
Chris Russell. Flatiron, $10.99 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-1-250-09516-9
After being approached by the massively popular boy band Fire&Lights, 16-year-old Charlie Bloom reluctantly becomes their backstage photographer. Promised anonymity, Charlie begins to bond with the young band members, who recently catapulted to fame after winning a TV competition, and is drawn into their charm and genuineness. When the band drops a new single, a shaken Charlie realizes that the lyrics mirror those inked in her mother's journal, written years before the car accident that ended her life. As Charlie develops relationships with two vocalists, kindhearted Oily and damaged Gabriel, she attempts to unravel the mystery of her mother's veiled past and connection to Fire&Lights. Confronting the fickleness of fame and the damaging effects of rumors and harassment, Russell's debut is highly relevant in an age of social media furors and the constant churn of news. Charlie's burgeoning interest in two very different partners highlights the complexities of attraction, but her relationships with women--including her best friend, late mother, and the school bully--are perhaps the most compelling. Russell concludes with many questions unresolved; readers will be eager for the story's continuation. Ages 12--up. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Songs About a Girl." Publishers Weekly, 3 Apr. 2017, p. 79. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A489813810/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=330e61fc. Accessed 25 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A489813810
QUOTED: "This recommended, thoroughly delightful book ... has broad appeal for a wide audience of contemporary YA fans."
2 of 4 12/25/17, 10:19 PM
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Russell, Chris. Songs About a Girl
Amanda Mastrull
School Library Journal.
63.5 (May 2017): p106. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
RUSSELL, Chris. Songs About a Girl. 368p. Flatiron. May 2017. pap. $10.99. ISBN 9781250095169.
Gr 9 Up--Aspiring photographer Charlie Bloom is surprised to receive a Facebook message from Oily Samson, formerly a student at her school and currently part of the biggest boy band in Britain, asking her to take some backstage photos of his band, Fire&Lights. Her first impulse is to say no, but with some prodding from her best friend, Melissa, a huge Fire&Lights fan, the shy teen accepts the offer and both enjoys and excels at it. Musician and debut YA author Russell manages to make all of this plausible, a testament to his well-written book, which is elevated beyond simple wish-fulfillment fiction. He also weaves in an intriguing mystery surrounding the band's lyrics, penned by aloof front man Gabriel, which bear striking similarity to the poems in Charlie's deceased mother's diary. Fans of novels about bands and music will appreciate the look at life on the road with Fire&Lights, a group with parallels to One Direction, and understand Charlie's dilemma in choosing between Oily and Gabriel when both like her. Russell does well in capturing the point of view of a 16-year-old girl, also exploring Charlie's strained relationship with her father and the harassment she receives from the band's jealous fans. The ending will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next title in this planned trilogy. VERDICT This recommended, thoroughly delightful book is a great fit for readers of novels such as Charlotte Huang's For the Record and has broad appeal for a wide audience of contemporary YA fans.-- Amanda Mastrull, Library Journal
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Mastrull, Amanda. "Russell, Chris. Songs About a Girl." School Library Journal, May 2017, p.
106. PowerSearch, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491032176/GPS?u=schlager& sid=GPS&xid=89d25cf6. Accessed 25 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491032176
QUOTED: "a thoroughly absorbing tale of family relationships, friendship and betrayal."
3 of 4 12/25/17, 10:19 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Russell, Chris: Songs about a Girl
Ellen Krajewski
School Librarian.
64.3 (Autumn 2016): p187. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2016 The School Library Association http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
Full Text:
Russell, Chris
Songs about a Girl
Hodder, 2016, pp496, 6.99 [pounds sterling] 978 1 444 92915 7
Charlie Bloom is a talented amateur photographer but likes to keep a low profile. When she is contacted by Olly Samson, ex pupil at her school and one of the members of boy band Fire & Lights, to take some backstage photos she turns the opportunity down. However, her best friend, Melissa, has other ideas. Melissa, a computer whiz, sends an email on Charlie's behalf and accepts Oily's offer. So begins a roller coaster experience for Charlie. She finds that she likes the company of the boys in the band and begins to have feelings not just for Olly but for lead singer Gabriel, with whom she feels a strange connection. All of Gabriel's songs seem inexplicably linked to Charlie's past. While she struggles to understand the connection with Gabriel her photos appear regularly on the fan blog but when photos are leaked Charlie finds herself the victim of trolling. A thoroughly absorbing tale of family relationships, friendship and betrayal. Fans of Non Pratt will love it.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Krajewski, Ellen. "Russell, Chris: Songs about a Girl." School Librarian, Autumn 2016, p. 187.
PowerSearch, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A463755543/GPS?u=schlager& sid=GPS&xid=1232d74e. Accessed 25 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A463755543
4 of 4 12/25/17, 10:19 PM
QUOTED: "This book is extremely well written. ... It’s much more interesting than your generic teen romance due to the fact that the author used to be in a band."
Songs About Us by Chris Russell
w-ie-small
Article by Sophie O'Loughlin ©.
Posted in Book Reviews | Young Adult.
“A modern love story for fans of Zoella – and for anyone who has ever dreamed of being ‘with the band’.
Two months on from the explosive finale to book one, Charlie’s life is almost back to normal again: rebuilding her relationship with her father, hanging out with best mate Melissa, and worrying about GCSEs. All the while, Gabe’s revelations about her mother are never far from her mind. And neither is Gabe.
It’s not long before Charlie is pulled back into the world of Fire&Lights – but the band seem different this time. But then again, so is she…
Meanwhile, tensions between Gabe and Olly continue to run high, leading to more turmoil between the band members and press than ever before. But when Gabriel and Charlie stumble upon yet another startling truth that links them together – everything they have stands to implode in front of them.”
Having read and loved the first book, Songs About a Girl, I was needless to say rather excited when this book came in the post.
It starts with an immediately gripping first chapter as Charlie, the main character, reminisces on her time with the band “Fire & Lights” from book 1. She then receives a text from one of the band members and the action of the book begins.
This book is extremely well written. I was hooked from the start. After being on holiday for the past month and reading 5 different books I was finding it difficult to find something new that would grab my attention, and this was it. It’s much more interesting than your generic teen romance due to the fact that the author used to be in a band so you get almost a backstage pass to what it’s like to be a famous band on tour.
Overall I thought this book was pretty good. There was a good amount of drama and tension. I wasn’t so keen on the overused love triangle, as it seems every YA book has a love triangle somewhere, but it wasn’t the only focus of the book.
The cliffhanger ending leaves me waiting excitedly for book 3.
(c) Sophie O’Loughlin
Order your copy online here.
QUOTED: "I started The Lightyears when I was thirteen with my best friends from school, and since then we’ve been lucky enough to tour across four continents together, having all kinds of wacky adventures. So while I’ve never been in a world-famous boy band, I do know what it’s like to be on the road with three other guys, chasing a dream, and I’ve used that experience to (I hope!) make the relationships between the members of Fire&Lights as authentic as possible."
One Direction inspired Chris Russell to create the Songs About trilogy
Fire&Lights are the fictional band you need in your life.
By Verity Harris On Sep 15, 2017
Chris Russell is a musician, author and a professional Directioner, but the list of reasons you should pick up his books are endless. In 2013, Chris finished a stint ghost-writing for a One Direction fan club and since then his love obsession for the band and the fandom increased. It was from this experience Chris decided to put pen-to-paper, or fingers to keyboard and pen ‘Songs About A Girl’ the first book in the YA trilogy.
We managed to catch up with Chris amongst his hectic schedule to find out all about what’s next for Fire&Lights, how his Harry Styles love is progressing and how it felt to be picked by Zoella to feature in her book club. Make sure you read to the end to be in with a chance of winning a signed set of books.
For those who haven’t heard of the ‘Songs About’ series, how would you entice them to pick up a copy and start reading?
Basically, take One Direction, throw ‘em into the centre of an intense romance, chuck in a mysterious back-story … and you’ve got ‘Songs About a Girl’ 😉 Pop music, obsession, intrigue and heartbreak.
Songs About Us Chris Russell
Image Courtesy of Hachette
‘Songs About Us’ is the second in the trilogy, did you find it easier to write compared to ‘Songs About A Girl’?
Writing a book is never easy — regardless of what stage of your career you’re at — but when you approach a sequel, you have at least established all your major characters, and you know where you’re headed with the story. You face fresh challenges every time, of course, and keeping the momentum across three novels takes some dedication. But I think the secret is to never be complacent and make sure you’re learning all the time.
You’ve previously spoken about how One Direction influenced the trilogy, can you tell us a bit about that?
I LOVE HARRY STYLES. (Wait – did I say that out loud?) In a nutshell, the trilogy arose out of a three-month period I spent ghost-writing for a One Direction fan-site in Australia. After just a few days immersed in the 1D fandom, I woke up one morning and went … “OMG. I AM A DIRECTIONER”. I found the whole experience incredibly intoxicating, and soon realised there was a novel in it.
If you had to incorporate Harry Styles into the next book, how would you do it?
It would definitely be fun to have Harry do a cameo in the final novel – I do a similar thing with Elton John in ‘Songs About Us’. Though technically I’m not sure Fire&Lights and 1D could exist in the same universe! Of course, ideally, Harry would come and hang out at my local artisan cafe and we would sit around drinking lattes, discussing YA fiction and, just, y’know, shootin’ the breeze … but it’s possible that might not happen.
Harry Styles Wild
Image source
Did you always know you wanted to do something relating to music?
Pretty much since my teens, yes. I was a HUUUUUGE Bon Jovi fan as a kid, and I just always thought that flying around the world, playing gigs and singing songs seemed like a jolly fine lark. I had no idea that music would eventually turn me into a novelist, but I’m delighted it has!
You’ve also written songs to accompany the books to really bring Fire&Lights to life. Can you tell us a bit about the writing and recording process behind them?
I had to write the songs at the same time as writing the novel because the lyrics play an important role in the story. This wasn’t easy (especially once I got my book deal and had to re-write some of the scenes and, as a result, some of the songs!), but it was extremely rewarding. As for the recording of ‘Dance With You’, I got together with a bunch of mates — all of whom are professional singers in one form or another — and recorded the track with four male vocals, just as if Fire&Lights were a real band. It was tons of fun and I’m really pleased with the finished product. (nb. The lyrics to the song do contain book one spoilers – so read the book first, if you can! :))
You’re in your own band, The Lightyears, too! Do you incorporate a lot of your real life experiences into your literature?
I started The Lightyears when I was thirteen with my best friends from school, and since then we’ve been lucky enough to tour across four continents together, having all kinds of wacky adventures. So while I’ve never been in a world-famous boy band, I do know what it’s like to be on the road with three other guys, chasing a dream, and I’ve used that experience to (I hope!) make the relationships between the members of Fire&Lights as authentic as possible.
Which member of Fire&Lights do you relate to the most?
Yuki is definitely my favourite. I suppose I share his sense of humour – although he’s a lot more quick-witted than I am, because I’m able to spend hours thinking up his jokes! Which is CHEATING REALLY, YUKI HARRISON.
‘Songs About Us’ has been included as part of the Zoella & Friends Book Club, can you tell us a bit about that?
I’m so grateful to Zoe and WHSmith for inviting me to be a part of this summer’s book club. It’s helped me to connect with lots of new readers, which has been amazing, and seeing my novels in airport bookstores has been a real thrill! While we’re on this subject, you should all check out my book club picks – Will Hill’s ‘After The Fire’ and Brigid Kemmerer’s ‘Letters To The Lost’. Absolutely stunning YA reads.
Without giving anything away, ‘Songs About Us’ ends on a huge cliff hanger! Have you finished writing the final instalment in the trilogy?
I’m writing it right now! Well, not right now, obvs. But I’ll be getting back to it just as soon as I’m done here. 🙂 I am SUPER excited about all the shenanigans that go down in ‘Songs About a Boy’ … but I’m afraid I won’t be revealing any of them in this interview (mwahaha, etc). You can pre-order the book here (beware, though: the blurb contains book two spoilers!!).
Chris Russell Songs About Us Gimme
Image Source
One reader recently reached out to tell you about a tattoo she’s getting based on your book. Did you ever think people would find such a connection with your books?
I never imagined anyone would consider getting a tattoo based on one of my books – it’s unbelievably thrilling! Hearing from readers is one of the best parts of the job, and I still light up like a Christmas tree every time it happens.
Lastly, what advice would you give to someone looking to become an author?
Three things. Read widely (there’s no better research), write voraciously (sounds obvious, but the life of a writer offers a million distractions!) and live curiously. If you do all three of those, you can’t go far wrong. 🙂
Phew! Thanks for that Chris. If you want to be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of ‘Songs About A Girl’ and ‘Songs About Us’ just follow the instructions in the tweet below.
Terms and Conditions
No purchase necessary
This giveaway is open to residents of the United Kingdom only
One (1) winners will be randomly selected from all applicable entries
Winners will receive one (1) signed copy of ‘Songs About A Girl’ and ‘Songs About Us’
No alternative prize is available
Giveaway closes on Sunday, 24th September at 9pm BST
United By Pop will contact the prize winner via Twitter direct message
Winner must provide United By Pop with their full name and mailing address to receive their prize
If the winner does not provide these details within 24 hours of being contacted, they forfeit their prize
Chris Russell
Fire & Lights
Songs About A Girl
Songs About Us
QUOTED: "The family history angle, the friendships, the characters of Yuki and Aiden, and Charlie’s passion for photography and her determination to be the best she can be all made for a thrilling read."
BOOK REVIEW: Songs About Us by Chris Russell
September 9, 2017 11:00 am
Out Now
Published by Hodder Children’s Books.
Review by Elizabeth Gibson.
Books 1
From Westlife and Take That to The Vamps and One Direction, boybands will be a familiar part of life for most millennials. Even though I am personally more interested in folk and indie music than pop, the phenomenon of boybands and how they are so deeply adored does fascinate me. I was looking forward to finding out what Chris Russell had to say on the subject in Songs About Us.
The sequel to Songs About a Girl, Songs About Us centres on Charlie Bloom, a gifted teen photographer who is asked to take backstage photos for the popular fictional boyband Fire&Lights. Charlie finds herself the object of two members’ affections, and is faced with the decision of whether to stick with misunderstood Gabe or take a chance on gentle Olly. If that all sounds cheesy and fan-fiction-esque, it is. However, fortunately there is much more to this novel than the romance, and it is the other layers of plot that make Songs About Us a success.
Firstly, there is an emphasis on family, and how complicated it can be. Charlie’s flawed relationships with her father and grandmother are dealt with realistically and sensitively. Desperate to learn more about her late mother, Charlie does some detective work and ultimately unearths an amazing secret but also some darker revelations. This mystery aspect to the novel is what really appealed to me and kept me turning the pages; I was significantly more invested in the truth about Charlie’s mum than in whether Charlie would end up with Olly or Gabe.
A second vital element to the novel is friendship. Charlie’s best friend Melissa is a brilliant character – intelligent and proud of it, a bit wacky and very loyal. I love her interactions with Charlie and the glimpses of their everyday life away from the spotlight. There are also the FireLighters, a mysterious pair of possible new friends who I initially found slightly tedious. However, as the story progresses, their role increases and their personalities develop.
Charlie’s friendships with the two band members she has no romantic involvement with – Yuki and Aiden – are also lovely to read about. As someone from outside the world of fame, Charlie can often tell when something is wrong with the boys, where those around them cannot. Yuki’s issues in particular probably affect many young people who become famous very quickly, and it is good to see them discussed. Aiden’s realisation about himself is something that a lot of readers will relate to, and isn’t seen nearly enough in YA literature.
I picked up Songs About Us unsure of what to expect. What I got was a great book that I honestly had trouble putting down. The Charlie-Gabe-Olly triangle is corny and unrealistic, and had the novel been purely about that I would have been bored. Luckily, the family history angle, the friendships, the characters of Yuki and Aiden, and Charlie’s passion for photography and her determination to be the best she can be all made for a thrilling read.
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QUOTED: "The end of the book is bittersweet because it concludes with a baffling cliffhanger but overall the book provides a worthy read."
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Songs About a Girl’ by Chris Russell
July 25, 2016 11:00 am
Out now
Please click here for more info
Reviewed by Ayesha Zahid
25336218-2Songs About a Girl by Chris Russell is an intriguing book about an ordinary schoolgirl who has a strong passion for photography. An ex-pupil at her school, who is now a member of the chart-topping band ‘Fire&Lights’, invites our protagonist Charlie Bloom to be the band’s personal backstage photographer. It is this moment that changes her life overnight. Despite it being a once in a lifetime opportunity, things become increasingly difficult for Charlie and she begins to collapse under the pressure. From beginning a puzzling love triangle and being tormented by social media to trying to uncover the truths about her past, Charlie Bloom certainly doesn’t have an easy ride.
As the blurb indicates, the book is about ‘Heartbreak, romance, fame and pop music’ and although this gives the impression of a typical, teenage romance book, there is some great depth to this story and it definitely seized my attention, interest and curiosity. As the story progresses, we unravel greater mysteries and you cannot help but question what will happen next. This book is more than a simple teenage romance and once you begin to read it, you will undoubtedly realise this.
The end of the book is bittersweet because it concludes with a baffling cliffhanger but overall the book provides a worthy read. Due to the genre of this novel, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for an easy-read to pass some time then I would highly recommend it – it will certainly keep you hooked. If copies begin to fly off the shelves we might even be treated to a sequel.
QUOTED: "If you are big on boy bands, then this book is definitely one to add to your collection."
Songs About a Girl by Chris Russell
The usual crowd of Year Eight girls were huddled round their phones, squealing, their voices bouncing back and forth across the canteen. It was part of their daily ritual to read their favourite fan blog aloud over lunch, but today they were being particularly...well...squeally. I could hardly concentrate on my book.
Published July 28th 2016 by Hodder Children's Books
Pages - 496
Summary
Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band Fire&Lights, she can't pass up the chance.
Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs...
****
Everyone knows I LOVE a good love story. Throw in one of the biggest bands in the world and I'm completely sold on a book. Songs About a Girl is a gorgeous page turning romance from start to finish. This is the book that teenage dreams are made of!
I loved this book as much as I loved Love Song by Sophia Bennett! I got completely lost in the story.
(*whispers* I really do have a thing for boy bands.)
The beginning of the book has a similar pattern to Love Song, where Charlie gets invited to work for the group. Charlie is an amazing photographer and it seems local boy, turned heart throb, Olly hasn't forgotten it from their time together at school. Charlie is soon caught up with the drama of being photographed regularly with the band and social media nearly breaks her. You really get to see how nasty people can be, when they are jealous.
There is a subtle love triangle in the story between Charlie, Olly and broken boy, Gabriel West, which never reaches a tense ultimatum. It's all dealt with quite amicably. All I can say is that the right guy gets the girl in the end.
I loved how innocent Charlie was and how she got swept up in this unknown, paparazzi filled world. You get a real picture of what it must feel like to look out at all the adoring, screaming fans and how exciting yet often scary it can be. Fire and Lights heavily resemble One Direction and you realise what a shock to the system it must have been to go from being a normal person to one of the biggest stars in the world.
I loved the ending! Oh it made my heart swoon! I want to know what happens next! Please, please, please let there be a sequel! I want to know what happens with the other three gorgeous boys in the group. Surely Charlie's best friend, Melissa, ends up with one of them!
A gorgeous summer read full of love, glamour and music, not to mention a whole soundtrack to download to go with it.
If you are big on boy bands, then this book is definitely one to add to your collection.
Posted by Vivienne Dacosta at 08:00
Reactions:
Labels: boy band, chris russell, hodder children's books, love, love song, songs about a girl, Sophia Bennett
QUOTED: "It’s basically a romance in the world of a world-famous boy band. It tells the story of a teenage girl, Charlie Bloom, who is an aspiring photographer. She gets swept up into the kind of intoxicating universe of Fire&Lights, who are this chart-topping boy band, and her life is turned upside-down by them."
"The obvious thing for a book that owes a lot to fan fiction is the sort of classic self-insert fulfilling of a fantasy. I thought it makes the whole thing so much more interesting if she’s not a fan of the band. That helped me to help Charlie to be able to see the band as real people rather than as icons because she hasn’t seen them as icons prior to meeting them."
"She almost sees them as real people first. I think probably that is one of the reasons why Gabriel and Olly and Aiden and Yuki are so drawn to her."
Chris Russell On Boy Bands, YA Lit, and “Songs About a Girl”
By Amanda Mastrull on July 26, 2017 Leave a Comment
Photo by Chris Russell
In Chris Russell’s debut YA novel, Songs About a Girl (Flatiron), British teenager Charlie finds herself in the inner circle of the world’s biggest boy band, caught between boy next door Olly and mysterious Gabriel and facing an intriguing mystery involving the band’s lyrics. It’s engaging and super fun and should be on everyone’s radar.
Songs About a Girl is the first book in a planned trilogy. The second book, Songs About Us, published in the UK in July 2017.
From his home in London, Chris spoke to SLJ about the book, how he came to write YA (he’s in the band the Lightyears), the period he spent writing gossip updates for a One Direction fan site, and the project he has for Songs About a Girl that finds him writing and recording original songs from the book. Listen to the songs (they contain spoilers!) here, and read our chat, which was edited for length and clarity, below.
For people who haven’t read it yet, how would you describe Songs About a Girl?
It’s basically a romance in the world of a world-famous boy band. It tells the story of a teenage girl, Charlie Bloom, who is an aspiring photographer. She gets swept up into the kind of intoxicating universe of Fire&Lights, who are this chart-topping boy band, and her life is turned upside-down by them.
How did you come to write a YA boy band lit novel?
Technically the journey started when I was about 13 and I started a band at school with my best friends. We kept the band going, and when we finished university we decided to try and make it our full-time career. I used to write tour diaries about our various adventures and wrote a novel, which was loosely based on the Lightyears. My first book, Mockstars, was told very much from the point of view of the band, whereas I knew I wanted this book to be from the point of view of an, in quotes, “ordinary person” who gets thrust into that world. I’ve always been fascinated by well, pop music in general, but by boy bands and by fame, and it just felt like a natural fit for the next thing I was going to do. So I called the band Fire&Lights, which is sort of a slightly cheeky, in-joke reference to the Lightyears, but the band members themselves are not based on us. I’ve been asked that and have to be like, “No, they’re quite a lot younger and prettier than we are” [laughs].
But everything that I’d learned from being in a band and being on the road and the dynamics of a band, I plowed all of that into creating Fire&Lights. Although at first all you see of the band is the outer shell, and the fame and the excitement and their celebrity personas, for me, it was really important that I went behind that. Charlie describes them as ordinary boys living extraordinary lives. I wanted people to feel like they knew them and that they were getting to see something that the fans don’t get to see.
You specifically didn’t have Charlie come into it as a fan of Fire&Lights. How did that allow you to explore fandom and fame?
The obvious thing for a book that owes a lot to fan fiction is the sort of classic self-insert fulfilling of a fantasy. I thought it makes the whole thing so much more interesting if she’s not a fan of the band. That helped me to help Charlie to be able to see the band as real people rather than as icons because she hasn’t seen them as icons prior to meeting them. She almost sees them as real people first. I think probably that is one of the reasons why Gabriel and Olly and Aiden and Yuki are so drawn to her. All they get all day every day is people who adore them, and here’s someone who’s kind of weirdly immune to that. And so they drop their guard for her.
Olly is going through this extraordinary thing, thrust into the spotlight, so it’s not inconceivable that he might reach out to somebody from home who knew him before all that. Was that important in framing the story?
Yes. At the end of the day it’s still wish fulfillment of a fantasy, but I think people do want a plausible foundation for the story. And also you know, I think probably Olly’s character arose from that as well. Charlie says about him a couple times that he’s the one who kind of hasn’t changed or at least he hasn’t changed in negative ways. He’s in touch with his previous life, and he doesn’t have delusions of grandeur, even though he is grand. Even though he is that incredible pop star, he doesn’t walk around with that on his sleeve. You’ve got this dichotomy in the book between the ordinary, everyday world of Charlie’s existence of going to school and then you’ve got the polar opposite of that which is the lights and the concerts and the paparazzi. And both of those things have to be real. Otherwise you don’t feel the impact of it. I wanted it to almost be like she’s stepping from a black-and-white world to a Technicolor world.
I also loved the mystery surrounding the band’s lyrics. It completely drew me in and really propels the plot. What made you include that?
The first thing I came up with was the basic premise of a boy band and a teenage girl and some kind of connection. And then I was listening to “Story of My Life” by One Direction, which was my favorite One Direction song until they released “Steal My Girl.” I thought about that classic thing that has been in pop music since the Beatles, which is you sit at home and listen to your favorite band and there’s this little voice inside your head that’s going, “This song is about me.” And I thought, what if that song really was about you? And then I got Songs About a Girl, and I suddenly thought there’s more to this—it’s not just the basic story of Charlie getting involved with the band and the shenanigans that go along with that. There’s a deeper element to it. And that really appealed to me because I wanted to investigate family, the importance of family and the importance of memories, and how music ties in with that. I’ve always been really fascinated by how a song can unlock a memory.
Photo by Chris Blizzard
You’ve turned it into a project as well, recording songs from the book. Did you always know you were going to actually write the songs?
I always knew I was going to do that. Right from the very beginning, I wanted to create something that, in theory, if you took it to its logical, infinite conclusion, is creating the band. So that meant that I had to first of all create an authentic band, and also a band that you’d want to get to know. People talk about how the great thing about the Beatles is that you knew who they all were. You know, so there are four guys and it’s like the Ninja Turtles, it’s like any great squad. I wanted to create a band where each member was really intriguing in his own way. I also knew that the lyrics were going to be part of the story, which meant that I had to write those songs in tandem with writing the book. It was a challenge when it came to editorial, because my editor would say, “We need change this,” and I’d be like, “No I need to rewrite the song!” My dream in the long run would be for there to be a movie or a TV show out of which would emerge a band. I’ve made some basic recordings of some of the songs from the book, but that’s just me on my own. Since then, I’ve recorded “Dance with You,” which is the main song from the book, with some friends. We’ve got four male voices on it, and it’s been produced to have that sort of modern pop sound. I’ll be releasing that soon.
“Dance with You” is so catchy. I’ve had it stuck in my head.
It’s always tricky when you’re creating things that go beyond the story world because on the one hand you’re kind of stepping on the reader’s imagination. Part of the magic of books is that you imagine all that stuff. But I think especially now, when writing and reading have become more multimedia experiences, it’s fun to have a little bit of that stuff on the side. I’m planning to create some Fire&Lights merchandise and T-shirts and that sort of thing. I got an illustrator over here to draw the band for me recently. I was thinking of doing a Fire&Lights tour T-shirt.
I love that type of thing! You also have a Twitter for them for them, right?
Yes, I do, I have a Twitter for the band. It’s @fireandlights and the band are not always active because sometimes I’m writing novels. But it’s really good fun. People are starting to follow it and starting to interact with the band. It’s a nice way of kind of expanding on the characters. Unsurprisingly, Yuki does most of the tweeting, because he’s kind of the funny one. But you get their different personalities coming through.
I read that you did work for a One Direction fan site. Can you tell me about that?
Yes! This is part of the story. I’d written my first book and had this idea sort of filtering through my brain for Songs About a Girl. Before it was fully formed, at the time I was doing a lot of freelancing. This particular job was described in quite broad terms: “We need a ghostwriter for a fan site of a British pop band. Your job will be writing daily updates on what’s going on with the band and interacting with our users” and that sort of thing. So I applied for the job as I applied for various jobs and then heard back from them and they hired me. It was weird because they didn’t tell me who the band was until they hired me. I think they were worried it would put people off. They said, “By the way the band is One Direction. Are you cool with that?” and I said, “Yeah, I love One Direction.”
Wait, so you liked 1D before you got the job?
I appreciated them as a musician because I think their songwriting is really good. The songs, it’s not all them, but everything about One Direction is just really well put together. But I would appreciate it from a distance. And within about two or three days of doing this job, which involved writing probably three or four little gossip updates a day (“Louis has been spotted with so-and-so” or “Harry has cut his hair”), I became so immersed in their world that I basically woke up one day and went, “Oh my god, I am a Directioner. I am genuinely now obsessed with this band.” And not only that, but I’m interacting every day with largely teenage fans of the band. I was experiencing firsthand that fandom in a way that as a man in your mid-30s you normally wouldn’t, because you wouldn’t normally be in that space. And that’s part of the reason for the “Fire&Lights Forever” blog that you get on page 2 that reappears throughout the book. The kind of stuff I was writing, I then used that in the story. The important thing was I was just totally head over heels for 1D by the end of it. I think to write a book like this, you can’t be cynical about it. You have to genuinely love pop music. Because otherwise, it’s just reporting fandom. Whereas I think you need to, in whatever way, live that fandom. I don’t know whether the book would have necessarily happened in quite the way it has if I hadn’t had that experience.
What can readers expect from the sequel?
They’ll get more insight into the band members and find out more about them and their inner lives. And the mystery deepens and some questions are answered and more questions are asked. I like to think it’s the same kind of idea, but it gets more intense, and the stakes get higher. But it’s also lots of fun, or at least it was fun to write. My aim with it was to make it something you want to devour and you just want to read it all and be part of it. Hopefully, I’ve achieved it.
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