Although S Club 7, a U.K. based pop group and stars of a TV series just released their new album "7," one group member is already looking ahead.
"We already started recording it [the group's third album] a couple of weeks ago," says the group's blondest member, Jo O'Meara on the phone from the U.K. "It's a mix-match. We're writing more this time on the third album, which is nice cause we get a bit of input in it as well. Can't really say where the third album is going yet."
If S Club 7 is to release a new album, it logically follows that there must be a new TV show to accompany it, since the group's popularity is based on both their up-beat pop songs and their cute physical appearance. But, Jo says in addition to the continuation of "S Club in L.A." S Club has big, big plans for next year.
"The next big thing we'll be doing is a movie," she says. " I can't talk too much about it, don't know much about it myself but there is one."
Don't let Jo's interest in the future fool you. The singer/actor/dancer is still excited about "7", which she describes as being "just a better album" than the group's debut album "S Club".
Although "7" carries on the essence of the group's debut album (fun, light-hearted, catchy pop songs), the group sounds stronger and more synchronized than they did on their first album. But, like the first, it is Jo's strong voice that comes pelting out at the listener on almost every song.
"I've never actually had voice training," she says. "I taught myself to sing. I used to spend hours in my bedroom when I was younger. I just got a lot of influence from a lot of different artists and created my own voice."
Does her talent cause jealousy with the others? "Not at all! Not at all!" Jo exclaims. "I've been singing since I was 13 ... It is a fact that there are stronger singers, but there's also stronger actresses and there's stronger actors and stronger dancers. Everyone in the band has got what they specialize in."
Jo quickly runs through a quick list of her six bandmates and their talents saying that Rachel Stevens, Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt, Jon Lee, Tina Barrett and Paul Cattermole are all either good dancers or singers.
"That's it really," says Jo as she finishes her list. "I don't know if I missed anyone. You can never remember every one in the band."
The U.K. tabloids don't seem to have any trouble keeping the group members straight. Although S Club 7 isn't the subject of as many rumours as some pop stars (like Victoria Beckham a.k.a. Posh Spice), the very young group of singers and television actors have all had their names in the papers.
"We've been quite lucky so far, we've not had any really bad press. You do have days when you get all down in the dumps about it all and whatever, but you just have to carry on with it. The weirdest one [rumour] I've heard so far was me and Bradley dating - that's a lie!"
Four young, pretty girls and three young, cute boys all in one group could possibly spell a romantic disaster, but Jo sounds a bit put off at the suggestion that there could ever be inter-band dating among the S Club-ers. "We're too much like brothers and sisters to get interested in each other that way," she says. "None of us fancy each other, it's just not that way."
But it's a fact that thousands of U.K. pop lovers and a growing number of North Americans fancy S Club 7. Until the group comes to Canada on a promotional tour later this year, fans will have to satisfy themselves with the TV show and the "7" album. As far as Jo is concerned, the fall is the perfect time for young fans to listen to "7".
"Basically, we're just about making kids aware ... with school in especially ... you get put down so much at school and people disbelieve that you can do things, and we're just basically there to say that if you work hard and try hard you can achieve whatever you want to really, as long as you're prepared to work for it."