Hey, boys! How excited are you to finally be releasing your debut single?
Zayn: I’m excited because it’s what I’ve been working towards all my life and it’s finally happening. We’re all looking forward to the reaction, but we don’t 100 percent know what’s going to happen.
Harry: It is quite nerve-wracking!
Liam: I think we’ve found the perfect song, so hopefully it all goes well and everybody loves it.
Niall: Yeah, we’ve got some good tunes!
Louis: It’s a relief because we were looking for a first single for quite a long time. There’s a lot of expectation. All the fans know we’ve been busy recording. so there’s a bit of pressure.

Don’t tell us One Direction are having a melt down already?
Louis: No, we’re just going along with it. I’m not much of a worrier anyway.

We bet having Simon Cowell watching your every move adds lots of pressure!
Liam: Simon makes sure everything’s perfect. He has the final call, so it’s always his decision. We don’t speak to him - he’s a busy man - but we hear from him through other people.

Will the album give us any surprises?
Louis: I think that it will shock you. It’s not the typical boy-band sound. It’s edgier than that.
Zayn: We’ve got a sound. One Direction’s own sound!

On The X Factor, some of you were terrified of singing solo vocals - does that seem weird to you now?
Zayn: Definitely. Time, and performing to thousands of people in the tour, has given me confidence. You have to understand that we didn’t know each other when we were at the show - we were complete strangers singing together. Now we feel much more comfortable as a group. We’re all best friends, or more like brothers.

Own up, have you been misbehaving since the last time we saw you?
Harry: No, we’re good boys!
Niall: In the evenings, the giddiness kicks in. It’s kind of like we go mad. We were sitting in the studio yesterday, all trying to make each other laugh, and Zayn was making faces behind the producers back. It was just pure childishness!
Liam: During The X Factor Tour, there were so many things we got told off for. Sometimes we’d choose a word and then try and fit it in when we were talking to the audience - words like “shower curtain” or “Ian Beale” it was really good fun.

We heard you all went skinny-dipping - explain yourselves!
Niall: We were doing a photo shoot and it was kind of boring, so Harry said we should take our clothes off and run down the beach. We did one lap with no clothes on, then some man with his dog turned up and the dog started sniffing round our clothes.

That doesn’t sound like the behaviour of good boys!
Zayn: Ha-ha! It was a real spur of the moment thing. We’re not intentionally naughty, it just kind of happens!
Liam: Yeah, we can be a bit immature at times, but I’m known as the more mature one. I try and tell the others to be more sensible, but it’s kind of hard. I suppose they’ve brought out the more immature side of me now!

Did recording the album in Los Angeles mean you were partying with lots of plastic girls with fake boobs?
Harry: Ha-ha! I wouldn’t know about fake boobs - I haven’t really been looking to be honest! And we’ve been way too bust working to even think about partying. During the time we have off, we just take it easy, lying by the pool.
Zayn: Being in LA is such a different lifestyle. It’s really fast paced. I mean, the furthest place I’d ever been before The X Factor was Birmingham. It kind of amazed me how much everyone is into fitness here. Even at midnight, or like at 1am in the morning, there are loads of people still in the gym - it’s crazy!

So are you all massively ripped now?
Harry: Er, no! We try and do our best to keep in good shape. I don’t really mind going to the gym, but I’m not like massively into it either.
Zayn: I was just starting to get a bit of a podge from just sitting around in the studio all day, so right now I’m definitely trying to get back into the gym. I’m also eating lots of protein foods, like boiled eggs for breakfast. But I wouldn’t say I’m massively ripped. I’m not up to JLS’ standards yet!

Time to confess - are you all sick of the sight of each other yet?
Harry: Strangely, no, actually! You’d expect that after a day’s work, we’d want to go off and do our own thing but, for example, yesterday we all played basketball with each other.
Louis: If we ever do have an argument, it’s usually about something stupid and we’re over it within two or three minutes.

What causes a 1D argument?
Liam: I’d say Zayn’s the absolute worst for winding people up. Once he knows he’s annoyed you, he’ll just carry on and on being annoying.
Harry: Niall’s farting - that’s definitely what I’m sick of!
Zayn: Niall’s farts are noisy, but they don’t smell. It’s just like loud air coming out of his bum. But maybe they’re bearable because I’ve become immune to it!

Niall, is this true?
Niall: Yes, but they shouldn’t be telling people about my farting - it’s not attractive to the ladies! And anyway, Louis’ feet smell the worst. Literally, like dog poo on a stick - that bad!
Louis: Are you complaining about my feet again? In my defence, I never wear socks, so that’s why my feet smell, bit I’m not bothered by it!

What will you spend your first pay check on? Socks maybe? Or fast cars and bling?
Harrry: I’d buy something that would remind me of our first album - maybe a bracelet. I don’t think I’d get insured on a farrari!
Liam: I’m really good a spensing cash on other people - family and friends.
Zayn: Growing up, my family didn;t have a lot of money. We’ve never had out own house. It been rentes, so I’ve always wanted to buy my mum a house.

Do you think you’ll be millionaires by Christmas?
Louis: Probably not! I don’t think we care much about money, to be honest.
Niall: I’d happily do this job for a small wage. At the moment, we’re having the time of our lives.
Harry: I just really want everyone to love the album as we’ve worked so hard on it.
Zayn: Yeah, that’s what we’re concentrating on.
Liam: But if we’re millionaires by Christmas, that’s good, too!