The KIDZ BOP Kids – Ashton, Lois, Max and Twinkle – came to chat to Dan on Fun Kids!
Their new album KIDZ BOP 2018 is out now and features loads of the biggest songs around right now, sung by the KIDZ BOP Kids.
They’ve also got a new Christmas song so Dan found out what it was like filming the for it in the famous Hamley’s toy store in London!
He also hears more about their exciting plans for 2018.
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Transcript of the Interview
Bex Lindsay
This is a podcast from the children’s radio station Fun Kids. Listen on DAB digital radio across the UK or online at funkidslive .com
Dan Simpson
It’s Dan from Fun Kids. We’ve got Kidz Bop in the studio. How you doing guys? Awesome. So let’s do a nameroll call from from left to right just to get everyone clear with who who is behind Kidz Bop go.
Twinkle
I’m Twinkle.
Max
I’m Max.
Lois
I’m Lois.
Ashton
And I’m Ashton.
Dan Simpson
Brilliant Kidz Bop, thank you so much for coming into Fun Kids today. You’ve got a brand new album out Kidz Bop 2018 how are you feeling about it must be quite excited.
Max
Definitely exciting. Definitely. So much fun recording it. So much fun, now it’s out and so much fun recording all the music videos.
Dan Simpson
Well tell me more about what it’s like to be in a band. Kind of being kids because I guess your mates there at school. They’re bored in class they’re learning. Whereas you get to like play shows all around the country get to make music, bring out albums, Ashton. What’s that like?
Ashton
Well, it’s like real really fun because this album’s got 22 songs in it, which is really cool. And like, just to record most of them is amazing. Because I get to be in the booth. And hear it back and listen to the guys and it all coming together. It’s really good.
Dan Simpson
So talk to me about a day in the booth then. Where you’re, where you’re all singing together, is it is it easy to kind of make sure you know what you’re doing. Or because you are all mates, do you kind of get a little bit distracted from time to time what goes on on a day of recording?
Ashton
Erm well, we do it separately and then they put it all together. But when we do the choruses we do it together. And but it’s really fun because like, there’s like a window then you can like see inside about what we’re doing. And I think we just kind of like when we get in there. We’re like, okay, now it’s time to work. We just kind of concentrate. But then when we come out then we just have fun. Yeah.
Max
There’s nothing holding me back.
Ashton
Yeah. But either way, like, it’s not that we have to like, really like, like, there’s no pressure on us. It’s just really, really fun. Because like all the people that are in the booth with us, they’re just so nice and friendly. It makes us feel like really, like makes us feel comfortable in there.
Dan Simpson
I was talking about your mates. So obviously being at school right now. And things like that. What’s, how did you become part of a band like Kids Bop? It’s a big thing all over the world. We kind of play their tunes. How did you get part of this band?
Ashton
Well, there was a countrywide audition. And all of us went for it. And it was it was pretty cool. There’s obviously a lot of people that went for it. And then near December I think we all got we heard back from Kidz Bop, and it was just unbelievable and phenomenal. Just amazing.
Yeah,
Dan Simpson
I saw you. Earlier on this year. You were a Kidtropolis?
Ashton
Yeah!
Dan Simpson
And you were rocking the stage out there had a great fun, what’s it like then performing on stage dance, and you’re singing in front of loads of people who know who you are and love the tunes that you’re playing?
Lois
Well, I think it’s really fun because we do it together. And then we get like a really good boost from each other. And also on one the last days, I think Twinkle’s brother put his hand out for a high five. And then all the little kids…
Twinkle
…I remember that. I remember that. Yeah.
Ashton
And then they all came up for high fives and things. It was really nice.
Dan Simpson
So I want to let you in on a little secret. That not many that not many people know. I can’t sing. I am terrible at singing.
Ashton
I doubt that
Dan Simpson
No, please, Ashton.
Ashton
You can do this.
Dan Simpson
Ashton, I know, you’ve been nice, but I can’t sing. When did you discover the first moment that you could actually sing and you open your mouth and something that didn’t sound like a strangled cat would come out? Tell me more about that. Tell me more about the first time that you realize that you could sing?
Ashton
Well, actually, I was actually was going to a few classes. It was like acting, singing, dancing altogether, like musical theatre kind of stuff. And I think we were doing a play and I got this role and I was really really happy about it. And I was like rehearsed knows I need to get it right on the day. And it came out and my dad actually has a video of it. And I was probably like the first time. I sang on my own like my own and actually did something. I was so happy after that. I was like, Oh, my….
Dan Simpson
Max, how about you? Did you have a massive moment like that?
Max
Not really, not a massive moment. It was just from a young age. I’ve always loved singing, dancing in the kitchen in front of the TV, dancing to Michael Jackson or stuff like that. Yeah.
Dan Simpson
Let’s go a bit more behind the scenes then. So you’re in we’re in the studio right now. You’re on the radio. You’ve been in the vocal booth. You know, you’ve made the video. What happens when you’re not in Kidz Bop? Ashton’s you go to school like everyone else?
Ashton
Yeah, we go to school Monday to Friday and we have fun there and then like on the weekends, we rehearse for what’s coming up with Kidz Bop or do whatever we’re doing with Kidz Bop.
Dan Simpson
Does your hair look like that when you’re at school as well?
Ashton
I make sure I did like every two minutes.
You know what actually I do.
Max
When I’m in school with Ashton. He’s always like he’s always like, oh…
Dan Simpson
Lois, you gotta talk talk me through Ashton’s hair for me very quickly. Look at it to tell Fun Kids all about the brilliance of Ashton’s hair.
Lois
It’s very poofy
And, like square. It’s not usually square because everybody at school likes to brush their hands through it.
Dan Simpson
But it bounces back.
Lois
Yes, very like, like jumpy like marshmallow. You put your hand on your hand goes woo!
Dan Simpson
So I’ve seen the video for the Christmas tune that you released All I want. No sorry. I Wish It Could Be Christmas every day. And you lived out like a kid’s dream. You got to be in Hamleys. One of the biggest toy shops in the whole world when no one else was in there. Max, tell me more about that. What was it like making the video?
Max
Oh is great. We’re on scooters we’re just running around and we were just being followed by a cameraman just saying “Okay, do what you like” I mean come on. This is the biggest toy store in the world do what you like means I didn’t know just pick up the toys, cuddle the teddy bears just every thing was great.
Lois
It’s like because there’s so many things you didn’t know what to do. But like when you go in there “I’ll just do this” but like when you have someone telling what to look you’re like what what like I didn’t know want to do, its kind of weird
Max
But it was it was lovely being in there it was just like yeah, especially all the toys I was just hugging every one of the toys I thought it was like this massive bear in there as well. Yeah, because we got to like open the shop. That was the best bit we was in there when nobody else is in the shop getting to run around go on scooters. And then we actually got to open the shop where everybody could go in
Dan Simpson
And you started the countdown to Christmas
All
Yeah!
Dan Simpson
So we’re a few weeks away still a few weeks away to the big day on day on Fun Kids I I’m gonna I’m gonna let it out there just in case you’ve not done your list yet you’re so busy being pop stars doing your hair obviously. I will go from left to right. From Twinkle all the way down it just tell me what you want for Christmas just so we’ve got it on the record what you’re waiting for.
Twinkle
Oh,
Dan Simpson
Come on. You know what you want for Christmas Twinkle.
Twinkle
My friends already decided. I don’t know how he does it. Um, I really don’t know. Do you guys have any ideas?
Max
I’m not sure I was really honest. Okay, let’s think of one thing.
Dan Simpson
Anything in the whole world apart from Ashton’s hair, what do you need?
Max
Another day in Hamleys will sort me out on what to choose on Christmas Day. I’m not sure…
Dan Simpson
Now you’re famous for putting your own like spin on big tunes. As you say. There’s nothing holding me back. What’s that like to hear a song on the radio that you know that you love? And then get to do like a Kidz Bop version of it, Lois, what’s that like?
Lois
Oh, well, I think it’s really cool because we take like the bad words and stuff out says like, it has like a range of adults and kids can hear it as well. So I think it’s really cool just to like, be able to do that. I think
Dan Simpson
Now Kids Bop had some big pop stars that have come through the ranks, like Ross Lynch, Zendaya they’ve all been in Kidz Bop in one way or another Ashton, how does that make you feel about the future?
Ashton
To know that I’m a Kidz Bop kid and those people will also Kidz Bop Kids and they’ve gone on to do amazing things that hopefully we will do.
Dan Simpson
Yeah, I’m I’m very excited to see that. Hopefully you love you know what you want for Christmas by then? You know, I think right? Well, so the new album is out soon the new album, the new album is Kidz Bop 2018 and we’ve got some Christmas tunes you know all around. So new singles, you’re going to sing us something from the new album aren’t you.
Unknown
Yeah.
Dan Simpson
Yeah, I think we should take away
Max
Yeah, this one’s Stay, first of all.
All So stay, a minute, just take your time. The clock is ticking. So stay. All you have to do is wait a second. Your hands on mine. The clock is ticking. So stay
All
Yeah.
Ashton
We also going to sing one of our songs from our Christmas party album, which is I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.
All
Well, I wish it could be Christmas every day. When the kids are singing and the band begins to play. Oh, I wish it could be Christmas every day, when the bells, ring out, for Christmas.
Dan Simpson
Kidz Bop in Fun Kids. Thank you so much for dropping by guys the album is Kidz Bop 2018 the single, the Christmas song I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday. So excited. Thank you so much, guys.
All
Thank You! Bye.
Bex Lindsay
So that was a podcast from the children’s radio station Fun Kids. Listen on DAB Digital Radio across the UK or online at funkidslive.com