In the statement they claimed that they would ‘continue on as The Wanted’ but, during an interview with a UK newspaper, the band’s lead singer Max George revealed what really drove them apart.
Max, 25, said: “Over the past year there has been a lot of tension. Our personal lives drove us apart – things started to happen and we were drifting. We used to be such a brotherly pact, but it started to feel like it wasn’t The Wanted anymore.”
He also admitted that he and band mate Nathan Sykes pushed the split to happen, against the wishes of the rest of the group.
He said: “We had a very difficult conversation. Our manager Scooter Braun asked us who would want to take a step out after and try to do their own thing. Me and Nathan both said we have other ambitions.
“We were more prepared than the others because we’d looked into how things had been going with the band over the past few months.”
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The band’s manager Scooter – who also manages Justin Bieber – has taken on Max and Nathan as solo artists, but the not the other members.
When asked if this would make things difficult on the tour, Max admitted that he hasn’t spoken to any of the band since the split was announced, but sad: “We’re professional and will make sure this is the best tour we’ve ever done.”
Max admitted that girlfriends can sometimes cause problems in a boy band, saying: “Some of the lads started getting settled – I got settled at one point. I started drifting from the band when I was in a long-term relationship.”
The band’s record sales were also a factor in the decision to split, Max revealed. He said: “Our record sales weren’t what they were. We had to have an open and honest discussion about these because continuing, and without a label, is difficult.”