Talking Aloud With The Girls (from Scene South)

IF the tabloids are to be believed, Girls Aloud are intimidating; bitchy, loud and controversial.

They like a drink too, and the papers cover them falling out of taxis and nightclubs in the small hours.

If that's the case, watch out Bournemouth. The girls bring their latest UK tour to the BIC next month.

Lounging on sofas having just finished lunch, the girls are a picture of normality. Dressed casually and chatting among themselves, they could be any bunch of close friends at a sleepover.

They're all drop-dead gorgeous too - even prettier in the flesh than the countless airbrushed images that have adorned many a mag since they formed five years ago.

Yet surprisingly they're far from complacent about maintaining their position as one of the nation's top girl bands.

With the studio album, Tangled Up, to promote and fans snapping up tickets for their live shows - including Bournemouth on May 11 - things are looking good. But nothing is taken for granted.

"We get nervous about everything," says Bradford-born Kimberley. "We still really care. Everything has gone great but we still worry. Because things have gone well for us, we want to keep that up and improve. That's a high expectation, so we put a lot of pressure on ourselves."

Kimberley is the wisest and most mature, offering reasoned and articulate answers to whatever question is thrown her, while Nadine - wearing small shorts and voluminous hair while the others are tracksuited and ponytailed - adds glamour. She's also famous in the States, following her high-profile relationship with Desperate Housewives star, Jesse Metcalfe. She owns a chain of restaurants there, and property in LA.

Cheryl is blessed with a steely attitude and a quick wit - and "Scouser" Nicola (she's actually from Runcorn, Cheshire) has a bone-dry humour, sometimes mistaken for her being moody or sullen.

Sarah, meanwhile, is asleep under a pile of coats and lost behind outlandishly sized shades. Maybe she's ill, maybe she's hungover - either way, she certainly adds the rock 'n' roll element missing from most girl bands.

There are, of course, those who dismiss Girls Aloud as nothing more than pretty pop puppets; told what to sing by their producers, what to wear by stylists, and how to behave by their manager.

It starts with a chat with songwriter Brian Higgins, main man of the Xenomania production group. He and his team are responsible for all Girls Aloud songs, making him one of the most successful British songwriters of all time. One by one, the girls go to his' house-cum-studio and tell him all about what's been happening since their last album. They talk relationships, feelings, you name it.

"It's not like an interview," says Kimberley. "We know him so well we can talk to him about anything. He just wants to know stuff. He's like a sixth member of the band I guess!"

"Brian takes inspiration from all that, so it's important he's up to date with where we are. Our songs have to reflect us so that's why we do it," says Nicola.

After that, songs are written, demos recorded and ideas swapped. Normally, a Girls Aloud album will be recorded in of weeks, but Tangled Up took longer.

"It took six months, which is a long while for us," explains Kim-berley. "We normally do it in more concentrated periods, but we spread it out a bit, plus the single Sexy! No No No came out in the middle of recording, so we had to take time out to promote that."

The latest album also features a number of songwriting credits for the girls, building on B-sides and album tracks they've contributed in the past.

"We never got into this industry to be brilliant lyricists," says Cheryl, "but recently we've felt more comfortable with writing bits and pieces. Sometimes you just have to let people do what they're talented at and stick to what you know best. We're singers and performers."

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