SWISS tenor Urs Buhler says the past 15 years with classical crossover vocal quartet Il Divo have been intense, in the best possible way.
However, despite all the accolades, the highlight has been new album Timeless and the group’s subsequent tour of the same name.
“That is because we parted with our record company and Simon Cowell about one-and-a-half years ago; the relationship had kind of run its course,” Buhler said.
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READ NOW“We just really felt at this point that we are the four people in the world who know best what Il Divo is and where Il Divo wants to go. So we took matters into our own hands and created this new album.
“I’m very proud of it and think it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done. It makes me think back to record company executives telling us ‘Do you think you can A and R an album? Who do you think you are?’. So 10 or 12 years ago you just sang and shut up. Thankfully that has changed.”
Buhler, Carlos Marin (Spain), David Miller (USA) and Sebastian Izambard (France) chose their track list by selecting one song per decade, starting with Adele’s Hello back to Charlie Chaplin’s Smile from the 1930s.
Based between Andorra and LA, Buhler said he loved their version of Hello, sung in Spanish, and could remember hearing the song on the radio the day Adele released it.
“I was immediately hooked on it and I thought to myself that was something we could do and even add to the experience of that music,” he said.
“I was very proud when the preliminary mix came back from the studio from our producer. I listened to it in my living room and thought ‘Yes! That is how I wanted to hear that song’.”
Others songs include The Way We Were (French), Angels (Spanish) and Right Here Waiting for You (Spanish).
Buhler, who surprisingly started his music career in a metal band and is still a big fan of Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi, said fans would hear the entirety of the new album at their Perth Arena concert on October 16, along with Il Divo’s all-time favourites.
“We’ll also perform solo numbers again where each of us has chosen a song, an aria, which is personal to them,” he said.
“And we have dancers with us for a few numbers. It’s a very colourful, beautiful and diverse show.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Il Divo’s Timeless tour
Where: RAC Arena
When: October 16
Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au