Interview: Carl Pemberton of Journey South

2:30pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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CARL Pemberton, one half of Journey South, is busy preparing for their forthcoming tour.

"The new tour is going to be quite gruelling because there are so many dates, but that's a good thing at the same time," he says.

Adding, after a brief pause: "I say gruelling but it's a lot better than being a plumber, which is what I used to do."

The brothers were runners-up in the 2005 edition of TV's The X Factor talent show, losing out to winner Shayne Ward and binman Andy Abraham who came second.

But, three years on, the Pembertons are on their second bumper UK tour and have hardly caught their breath since Simon Cowell told them they were out of the competition.

"We did a tour in 2006 and after that we've been playing festivals and various gigs around the country five nights on, one night off," says Carl.

"It's not a wild rock n roll lifestyle, though. When you gig as much as us you need to be in bed for a sensible time. You need to be the one in the bar that says, 'That's enough, I'm going up to bed'."

Surely the brothers who rocked Saturday night TV aren't getting all sensible on us?

"I think we must be getting more sensible now we're getting on a bit," Carl laughs.

"I'm 27 and Andy's 31 now, you know. But seriously, when you're at a professional level and you know people have paid to see you, you can't go on stage tired and croaky because you don't want to let the fans down. We're not very rock 'n' roll are we?"

Perhaps another factor causing Carl to calm down is the fact that last year he became a dad for the first time.

"Luke is 11 months old now and I'll really miss him when we go on tour.

"My wife will bring him to see the show. I'd never be without him for weeks at a time. I'm a real family man. My family comes first before anything."

The down-to-earth brothers saw their debut album, Journey South, enter the charts at No 1, selling a massive 220,000 copies in its first week and going on to sell over half a million copies just in the UK.

A 41-date sell-out tour followed and the boys spent most of 2007 writing and recording for the new album, Home. Their 2008 tour will showcase songs from the new album alongside tracks from the first one and cover versions that they performed on The X Factor.

"We're really chuffed that we're still here and still touring," says Carl.

"It's great that we can still pull in the crowds. I think it's because we've just kept our heads down kept working and writing. We're just known as a live act and people like to go out, have a few beers and see a good band."

Typically, the brothers refuse to let fame and fortune turn their heads.

"My life didn't change dramatically overnight," says Carl.

"I'm still with the same girl, who's now my wife, and we've got a baby. It's not dramatically different - it all just got better really.

"I was a plumber before but now I do what I love as a job. From that aspect my life is fantastic.

"Our feet are still firmly on the ground though and we're not really into all that celeb thing.

"I don't think I'd be comfortable being a celebrity, going out all the time and being in the papers - I just love playing music."

• See Journey South's Home tour at Bolton Albert Halls on May 15 and at Burnley Mechanics on May 28.