The Unexpurgated interview with Hi-5

So children’s entertainment group Hi-5 are in town at the moment, here to promote their new feature, Some Kind Of Wonderful, which isn’t a movie per se, but more of a reality TV-style documentary about the search for new cast members, after the departure of Casey Burgess and Tim Maddren. The movie also serves to introduce the new members to their fans, namely Mary Lascaris, who bears a passing resemblence to Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway; Ainsley Melham, who looks like one of the 1D guys; and Dayen Zheng, who previously joined the group last year as a touring member, after Fely Irvine left.

In person, the group are as perky and lively as they are on TV, despite suffering from jet lag. The newer members defer to Lauren Brant and Stevie Nicholson a bit, but they’re not afraid to hold their own. They joke about a lot, often interrupting the others with quips, and they don’t mind ragging on themselves. In fact, they’re such an incredibly fun bunch (you hear that word, fun, a lot when you’re chatting with them) that you feel like you want to run away with them too.

THE MOVIE LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS HAD FUN. DID YOU REALLY?

LAUREN: It was quite fun for Stevie and I, although it’s not fun to say goodbye to old cast members, but we were so excited about who would be our new cast members and what new energy they would bring. We had so much fun making it, because we hosted all the way through and we get to do the fun stuff. When these guys were doing their serious auditions – like singing and dancing practices – we got to hang out and ask them questions and make them do dares. For both of us, it was fun.

YOU MEAN IT WASN’T TOUGH AT ALL?

L: Well, we did have really long days, during the audition process, just straight auditions from 9 to 5, and then it starts all over again the next day.

STEVIE: The thing with Hi-5 is that we’re not just looking for great singers and dancers, but also role models for children whom families can trust, and also friends. We would be spending so much time together that we had to look for people we knew would fit in within this lovely environment that we have. And we were quite lucky in finding these three. It’s just been a ball since then. We’ve had so much fun as a group.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?

MARY: The whole journey has been so great and overwhelming. One day we’re in Melbourne, the next day we’re in Sydney and now we’re in Singapore. It’s just amazing. I can’t believe everything has happened so quickly and it’s great to be with these guys and having so much fun. I’m just loving it.

DAYEN: I toured with Hi-5 for 2012 and I was lucky enough to can an insight into what it was like being in the group. I auditioned again because of the TV series that we’re doing this year and it was a different experience from Mary and Ainsley, because I’d toured with them before. For me it was more about being able to work with the new energy and it’s fun.

AINSLEY: This is my first big performing gig. And stepping out of uni after studying and stepping into this group with this fantastic people – who are friends and work mates – and to give back to the community as well and make kids smile is such a fantastic experience that I’m so thankful for.

DURING THE AUDITIONS, DID YOU GUYS EVER GO, “OH YEAH, I’M GOING TO GET THIS GIG”?

A: Oh, not at all.

L: As if! I would have been like, “I’m killing it!”

A: That room was filled with a stack of fantastically talented people!

M: And they were all great people. We still talk with them and a lot of the time, it didn’t feel like an audition. We were just making new friends.

D: I think that’s the beauty of Hi-5 too. We weren’t just auditioning for a role, we had to show who we really were as people and you had to show people that. I think the most special thing about the audition was that there was no competitiveness. Oh, obviously it IS an audition and there’s that “who’s going to get the job” thing, but most of us were just there to show who we were as people and what could work as Hi-5.

A: As soon as we started up, we went through Hi-5 boot camp and learnt all the songs and dance steps, but these guys have been so great and supportive.

WAS IT HARD GETTING THE WHOLE VIBE GOING?

L: One thing that’s always important with us is that we get a good vibe between us, and it’s almost like a silent thing. We can be on stage and you always know what you’re going to bounce off each other. That was the one thing that Stevie and I were looking for with the new group, to get that “secret language”, because the five of us are together all the time. But it’s been super easy from Day 1. I know we’ve used the word “fun” a lot but it really has been. We play games, everyone has nicknames for each other, and all those little things.

WHAT NICKNAMES? TELL US.

L: But that’s all in the Hi-5 circle. Remember I said secret language? Yeah, that part’s secret too.

S: It could be as an extra feature on the DVD.

L: Yeah!

S: But it is fun and it’s great to come back to Singapore with this new bunch because Singapore has always been such a big base for Hi-5 outside of Australia. Hi-5 has been around for 14 years and Singapore was the first overseas country to really embrace Hi-5 and that’s what set us off on this whole course we find ourselves in. That’s why it’s quite special for us all to be here now, with this new line-up, and to introduce them to the Singaporean fans, because they have been so generous. This is where Hi-5 sort of, really started all those years ago outside of Australia. This has always been a special place for us.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PRESSURE TO PERFORM FOR YOUR FANS HERE, ESPECIALLY FOR YOU TWO, MARY AND AINSLEY, SINCE YOU’RE FAIRLY NEW?

L: I love coming to Singapore to see our fans because they’re just so cute. They love dancing and they love singing and I’m really excited to see all of them. I know some of them will have their eyes wide open and they won’t be able to say anything, but apparently, it’s completely sold out, so I’m guessing everyone is going to be quite pumped, which is cool. So it’s interesting to see the response we’ll get from Singapore. I think it’s going to be really good. I’m excited.

M: There is a bit of pressure, but today, we got to meet a few kids when we were at the radio station. And there was this kid and the mum said, do you want to take a picture with Mary and I just took a step back, like, wow somebody in Singapore knows my name and I’ve never met them before. So tomorrow, it’s going to be another, I don’t know, few hundred kids… It’s daunting but it’s exciting.

A: I think it’s not so much about the pressure, but you sort of realise the scale of which you are working on. I mean you fly into Singapore and you rock up to one of the biggest cinema theatres here in Singapore and they tell you that it’s going to filled and you’re performing, you go, wow, it’s so much bigger than you first imagined. So you just grab the bull by the horns and run with it.

HOW IS NEW HI-5 GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FROM OLD HI-5?

L: Well, Ainsley is the best tap dancer in the world, so there’s probably going to be a fair bit of tap dancing. And Mary and Dayen both love baking, so I’m thinking that we’re going to have massive Hi-5 tea parties. But you know, with a new cast there’s always new energy. We’re not replacing anyone, we’re not trying to replicate the same thing we had last time, so it’s really a completely new group and just getting to know the new members is going to be exciting. Even day to day, we’re figuring out, “Oh this person can do this funny voice” or “this person has this hidden talent”, seeing all the fresh fun energy that they’re bringing in.

S: In the few days before we came to Singapore, we actually recorded some new songs for the new album. It’s the first time we were in the recording studio together, and I’m so excited for the fans to hear the sound of this group. The music is important to us, but the sound … we were in there going, “This is cool, this is sounding great”. We cannot wait for the fans to hear the new lineup, because the sound is fantastic.

SO TELL US A DIRTY LITTLE SECRET ABOUT EACH OTHER?

L: Who do I want to pick on?

I LIKE THAT EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT DAYEN RIGHT NOW.

D: They all like to look at me. They all like to laugh at me a lot.

L: She does funny stuff.

D: I’m just a little bit funny.

A: The thing that I can think of is that whenever I’m hungry, I always know that I can count on Dayen to come with me to get food.

L: Because Dayen is always hungry.

A: She loves her food. And she’s so little – you don’t know where it goes. So every time I’m like, ‘Dayen, I’m hungry’, she’s like, ‘yes, so am I, let’s go get some food!’

S: She’s the master.

DAYEN, WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD?

D: I don’t have any favourites, but I have my food moods. I’m really moody with food. Like right now, I could really do some Singapore chilli crab and kang kong. And the bread that you dip the sauce in!

M: Now I wanna try some Singapore food!

L: But let’s get real. What do you REALLY want to know about us?

WELL, YOU GUYS ARE FIT, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD, SO HOW DO YOU GUYS DO IT?

L: How do you think?

I DON’T KNOW.

L: Maybe this would be a good time to write a book.

S: Fitness is something that we all take seriously. I mean, we’re a little jet lagged, but we’re already doing interviews and we will be doing some group exercises together. But I think the energy, is about the relationship with our audience. So when the kids come, they’re excited, which makes us excited, which makes the kids excited, which makes us excited…

L: We basically are big kids. I mean we want to stay fit and exercise and eat well, but you know, kids get so excited and they play everyday and then when they get home they just pass out.

D: We’re like that. We can’t stop.

L: And then we pass out. And then next morning it starts all over er, day one, er, … okay, I’m jet lagged, I don’t know what I’m talking about.

COME ON, DON’T TELL YOU WOULDN’T PREFER A LIE-IN ON SOME DAYS?

D: We do get pretty tired because we’re on the road and we have a tight schedule and we’re human. So we do get tired. But once we all get together, we just laugh.

M: When you love your job, I think you always wake up and think, “yup, I’d love to go to work today’. We all love what we do, so we just can’t wait to get up and do it all again.

S: People keep saying “job” but…

L: It doesn’t feel like one…

S: … it’s not really, not really. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like that.

L: We have too much fun for it to be work.

S: I mean, we get to hang out with people we like, and singing and dancing, which we all love. We all have various performing backgrounds, this is stuff that we’ve been doing our entire lives, since we were kids. We’re still doing the stuff that we were doing when we were kids.

YOU MENTIONED MUSIC - WHO ARE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES?

A: I love jazz music. Jazz is a big part – mainly because it’s what my family and my father used to listen to. Like old style jazz, Frank Sinatra and all that beautiful stuff.

S: Ainsley’s a bit of a crooner, he’s got a lovely voice. I would go with singer-songwriters, like Jason Mraz or something.

L: I knew you were going to- I could have said that for you.

S: See, we know each other quite well. I knew Ainsley was going to down that road.

L: Okay, what am I going to say then?

D: Um, Sh-

S: Britney Spears!

L: Britney Spears!

M: Were you going to say Shania?

D: No, I was going to say Sh…

L: Actually, with my family, we always listened to The Eagles, The Beach Boys and The Beatles and old stuff like that. That’s the era that I still love. And Michael Jackson. My top favourites are Hotel California by The Eagles, You’re The Inspiration by Chicago, and Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror. They’re my top three songs, which is old school but nothing’s been able to top that. But I do like a little bit of Beyonce every now and then.

M: My mum loves her golden oldies. We have this radio station in Melbourne that plays the oldies from the ’70s and ’80s but I was a big Disney girl as well.

D: You ARE a Disney girl.

S: Mary had a big lunch for us when we were in Melbourne and we all did the Zorba dance. Someone had an accordion and …

D: I love acoustic-style music. I don’t have a favourite singer or band. It’s pretty much…

L: …anything she can dance to.

D: I was a ballerina for six years so I listened to a lot of classical music. I don’t have any classical music on my iPod right now. It’s just gym and high energy…

L: …push-up music.

D: Yeah, my push-up music! It’s either acoustic and soft piano/voice type or “doop-doop-doop”.

L: And … Dayen’s an amazing rapper.

D: No!

S: Do you want to hear one?

D: This is a joke.

S: And… five, six, seven, eight…

D (starts rapping): Here we are having an interview with Chris/From Today news-paper/I’m drinking… er… Okay, that’s enough.

S: This is what we do to her.

D: I told you they love to laugh at me.

L: We always play tricks on each other.

D: And I still do as I’m told!

IN ONE WORD, DESCRIBE WHAT IT’S LIKE BEING IN HI-5.

L: Fun!

NO, YOU CAN’T SAY “FUN”.

L: Why not?

S: Bombastic!

L: I’m going to say, bunchkin.

D: You’re making words up!

THAT’S NOT A REAL WORD.

L: It is a real word.

D: I would say, passionate.

M: I would say, motivating.

L: Bunchkin still wins though.

ER, IT’S NOT A CONTEST.

D: We found out today that Ainsley wants to be a maths teacher.

M: When he grows up.

A: If I could squish a couple of words together I would say...

D: Multiplication.

A: ...out of this world.

L: You can’t.

D: No. It’s just one word.

M: Is it hyphenated?

A: Outofthisworld.

L: Just go with bunchkin.

M: What’s the definition of bunchkin?

L: This is what happened in my brain just now, I thought of a lollipop, then I thought of a cupcake, and then I came up with bunchkin.

D: Is the jet lag, it’s not Lauren speaking right now.

L: You should ask me what I want to be when I grow up.

A: I would say, surreal. Everyday when you wake up, you think, It’s not something you imagine your life being.

D: I would say, bonkers.

L: I would say, boring.

M: I would say, lame.

S: They’re just joking! Right?

D: Just sayin’!

THIS IS FOR THE LADIES: ARE YOU ATTACHED AND IF NOT, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET A DATE WITH YOU?

L: I like diamonds!

D: Just make me some food!

M: Yeah, I’ll go with that too. Food!

L: Mine would be like, catch the moon with a lasso and bring it back to me.

D: And... next please.

L: Stevie, how can the guys get a date with you?

S: Well, lads…

A: I think we’ve gone into something…

S: They could come along to the movie, buy…

D: Buy the poster…

S: I was going to say, buy some popcorn. But hey, poster is funny.

THE MOVIE IS CALLED SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL, BUT HOW WOULD YOU PERSONALLY DEFINE WONDERFUL?

L: Bunchkin.

YOU CAN’T KEEP SAYING THAT.

L: Okay. Well, wonderful to me, is just like a tumble-dryer full of love, you know?

M: Yeah, I like that idea!

S: Yeah, we all would say that.

D: Although I would say “dishwasher” instead.

L: It can’t any better.

M: Rainbows, sunshine and love.

S: Hang on, though. Guys, was there one moment in all your time with Hi-5 where there was that one moment, where you thought, This is it.

D: Well, last year I was touring so I didn’t really have much time to sit down and go, “hey, I’m in Hi-5.”

DESPITE BEING AROUND THEM EVERYDAY.

D: It was surreal to me! My first tour to Singapore was a mall show at United Square and I saw a very special boy called Trevor, who was 13? 14? 12!

S: Yeah, he was all those ages.

D: Hey! And he’s autistic. And he knows all the words and dances to all the songs. And as soon as I saw him, I thought, “Wow, this is amazing...”

L: No, wonderful.

D: …”This is amazingly wonderful.”

S: We got him up on stage too, to dance.

D: Yeah, that was when I realised that this, being in Hi-5, was my special thing.

L: For me, it’s just when you’re on stage performing, and you’re really getting into the song and you look out at the audience and they’re all just going for it as well. And they every single move to every song. And the parents are smiling and taking pictures of their kids, and that’s when you get feeling inside of you – you know, Yeah, it’s so amazing. And wonderful.

M: It was when I got the job, I think.

D: You think?

M: You guys didn’t get to see this, but after we watched the movie for the first time, I cried my eyes out.

ALL: Aww...

M: Yeah. I did.

S: Er, just so you know, the movie does have a happy ending.

L: It’s not a sad movie!

M: It does have a happy ending, but I’ve loved Hi-5 since I was a kid. And I saw Hi-5 at a very young age with my god sister. And she was diagnosed with leukaemia, and the only way she would feel better and take her meds, was watching Hi-5 and singing those songs. And just seeing that, how our music and performances can affect and influence kids, especially sick kids and make them happy and make them better. That is wonderful that we can do kid.

(all clap)

M: Thanks guys.

D: That was wonderful.

L (to Dayen): And you thought yours was going to win.

D: Mine was special, but hers was amazingly wonderful.

L: Mine was … bunchkin.

D: If you like cupcakes.

WHAT ABOUT YOU, AINSLEY? WHAT’S YOUR MOMENT?

A: Um.

L: He’s still waiting for it.

S: It might be tomorrow.

A: It could be tomorrow. I think the one thing that’s slightly bizarre, I suppose, is when you see the realisation in the kids’ eyes, who they’re looking at. For them to watch TV and then to see Hi-5 in person, and then to realise they’re actually people and this big. Then their eyes go wide, like Oh my, and there’s this weird wonderful thing that happens in their brain and to see them overcome with joy is just wonderful.

L: Stevie’s got one.

D: Go on, Stevie.

S: I think the best moment I’ve had – apart from the kids enjoying themselves, we always get a big kick out of that - but I think it was Carols. Hi-5 does these carol shows down in Melbourne at Christmas time, and I think the very first time that I sung with Hi-5 on the carols stage in Melbourne was the most wonderful moment of my entire life. I will never ever forget it. Christmas is such a special time and … but that’s the thing with what we do. There’s stuff that happens every day and it is wonderful and it’s “just another day” and that’s indicative of the world we’re in and so fortunate enough to be in. There’s stuff happening all the time. Like today, when we did the radio interview and all these kids came in and that moment when a child says, Can I have a photo with you? You never forget things like that. All this – it’s such a lovely place to be.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE HI-5 LEGACY TO BE?

S: That we make kids happy. That we put a smile on kids’ faces. It’s special. Not just in Australia, but here, and other places overseas: We’ve been on World Vision camps in Cambodia and you’re looking at extreme poverty, and the kids – they don’t have television, they don’t know who we are, but when I stand there and see the rest of the cast make them happy … this is what it’s all about. For me, that’s what I hope the legacy with Hi-5 is.

YOU GUYS MAKE IT SOUND ALL SO FUN, WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR ME TO JOIN HI-5? MAYBE WE CAN CALL IT HI-6?

S: Well, you have the energy!

L: Can you sing a song?

D: Can you cook?

A: You need to find out how to infiltrate the group, and I think if you can cook, Dayen’s your way in.

L: But if you have a lasso and you can get the moon…

S: …you’re in!

L: Or if you can get the word, bunchkin, into the dictionary…

S: That’s going to be the title of his story, you know?

D: “Hi-5 are a bunch of bunchkins”...

L: And in brackets – “what does that even mean?”

M: It means a tumble-dryer…

D: A tumble dryer/dishwasher of love.

WHAT WOULD YOU AFTER ALL THIS IS OVER?

L: I’m going to have a family! Or maybe I’ll take over the world.

S: But that’s something we know about Lauren: When she was little, she said that when she grew up she wanted to be a mum. And family’s important.

L: Just call me Obama though, because I will take over the world.

HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT TO HAVE?

L: I have three brothers, so there are four kids, and I love that. I love having enough people to form equal sports teams. As long as we can have a functioning rugby game – just as many as it takes to have a game going.

D: I’ll join!

L: As my kid?

D: As the adopted auntie.

WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF YOU?

S: As long as it’s creative in some way and can make people happy, I’ll do it.

L: And you want to be Batman.

S: And I want to be Batman. But that can go hand-in-hand, right?

L: He did have a day job.

S: Yeah, he did.

L: You could be Batman.

BUT BATMAN’S DAY JOB WAS BEING A BILLIONAIRE.

S: Again, I’m fine with that.

D: That’s really easy.

S: I could do that.

OKAY, OTHER THAN BATMAN?

D: I’ve always wanted to have my own performing arts school. My own prestigious school of just 20 students and teach them dance, performance, nutrition, acting and singing, because these days, you’ve got to be good at everything to be a performer. And I’ll teach them rapping.

L: Dayen’s going to be a professional rapper. That’s what you should have said.

S: What would be your rapper name? The kind that people will hear and go, Ooh, she’s so hot right now.

D: It’s going to be Rap-i-Zheng.

L: What?

A: That’s good!

D: I’d have a “Z” sign.

S: Rap-i-Zheng…

D: And Mary, what about you? What would be your rap name?

M: What would be my rap name? Was that his question?

L: Yes, it definitely was.

M: I don’t think I can have rap name. Er, M-Dog?

(all start woofing)

D: And she’ll go “M!”

A: Dayen!

D: As I said, I’m craving Singapore chilli crab right now.

A: Oh dear, she’s getting hungry again.

L: Is there anybody in your office right now who can whip up a chilli crab, and bring it here in five minutes? What about you Stevie? What would be your rapper name?

S: It would perfectly be Stevros. DJ Stev.

A: That’s pretty cool.

L: Ainsley?

A: A-Bomb! Stevie called me A-Bomb when I joined the group and I’ve grown accustomed to it.

WHY DID HE CALL YOU THAT?

A: You have to ask Stevie!

D: Because he’s just a bomb of As.

M: What?

D: A-Bomb! Ainsley! A! What?

A: Okay, to save Dayen any more embarrassment and get back to your original question: I think I’ve had the same dream as Dayen – to open up a dance school. So, Dayen, you take the classical wing, I’ll take the tap wing and we’ll meet in the jazz-hip hop centre.

L: And my children came come to your dance school – in their rugby clothes.

S: And I’ll be the receptionist wearing a Batman mask.

L: And what will you be Mary?

M: Um… I don’t know what I’ll do. Someone give me an occupation!

S: You’ll be baking!

M: Yeah! I’ll be there with the oranges.

L: Mary will do the costumes for the dancers.

M: Yeah. I’m really crafty actually. I am! I really like craft.

D: She likes buttons.

L: I don’t even know why you’re still recording.

S: The story will be like, “Mary like buttons, Mary likes baking…”

All (woofing): “M!”

OKAY, HERE’S THE LAST QUESTION AND IT’S A SERIOUS ONE. HAVE YOU HAD ANY SPINAL TAP MOMENTS SO FAR?

S: We did an interview and Mary said, “it was so good be here in…”

M: Malaysia.

S: And we were in Singapore.

M: That was awkward.

S: But she caught herself.

M: It was “M-Singpaore!”

S: I don’t there have been any major Spinal Tap…

L: I don’t even get the question.

S: Like what’s the silliest weirdest thing that can happen…

D: Well, I’m always out of time.

A: She’ll be like “One-two-three-four-Hi-5!” and then you hear “five” after that.

L: She’ll try really hard…

M: And still go funny.

D: But still get it wrong!

L: I did something like that once. We were all introducing ourselves, like “Hi I’m Stevie” and all that, and the person sitting next to me at the time was Casey, and I went “Hi, I’m Casey, I mean, I’m Lauren”. I messed up my own name! That was bad. I was like “I promise you I’m Lauren”. And I almost did again today. Because we had to pass the mic around, and I almost went, “Hi I’m Mary”. But luckily it’s radio. You know what, there are probably thousands of such moments.

D: We have one like every hour.

A: I had a cute one. Well, it was sort of cute. It was weird. But cute. There was a young kid who brought her sister up on stage. But she was only a little baby. And I was like, “Hey, champion, how are you?” And her sister looks and me squarely, and goes: “It’s a girl”. And I was, “Oh”.

M: “Er, you want to take a photo now?”

S: Yeah, that happens all the time!

L: Especially when they’re tiny little babies and you can’t really tell …

A: And just because they wear pink…

D: I was like that. My mum had to dress me in princess costumes, because people kept telling my mum, “You have a really nice looking boy”. It happened until I was about three.

L: You mean, until you were 13.

D: Until yesterday, actually.

L: I had all my hand-me-downs from my brothers and I was always wearing jumpers and Thomas The Tank Engine shirts and I had really short hair, so they’d all say, “What a really cute boy”.

S: I had really long hair when I was young, and everyone would be like, “Say hello to the girl”.

SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A CONFUSING TIME FOR YOU GUYS.

S: I think you should put that down as a pre-requisite to joining Hi-5: You have to have been confused as a kid. Er, actually don’t put that down!

ALL: No!

Some Kind Of Wonderful will be shown in selected GV cinemas until June 9: GV Plaza Singapura, GV Katong, GV Grand, GV Bishan, GV Tampines and GV City Square. Visit www.gv.com.sg for ticketing details and screening times.