After weeks of whispers and mounting panic, Calum Hood has finally broken his silence— emphatically denying that pop-rock sensation 5 Seconds of Summer is on the brink of collapse.

The usually reserved bassist, 28, who will drop his first solo album this week, jetted back to Sydney for the big reveal. 

Calum, who toured the globe with 5SOS for 14 years, performed an intimate debut set at Pleasure Club in Newtown on Thursday for Nova’s Red Room. 

He is the fourth and final member of the Aussie boy band to unveil a solo project, and said he understood the raft of solo releases had set alarm bells ringing for fans. 

It is practically unheard of for so many members of a chart-topping band to pursue solo careers while the group is still together. 

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Calum Hood has finally broken his silence, emphatically denying that pop-rock sensation 5 Seconds of Summer is breaking up. Pictured

Calum Hood has finally broken his silence, emphatically denying that pop-rock sensation 5 Seconds of Summer is breaking up. Pictured

Calum said his bandmates Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford ¿ who have all released solo material since 2020 ¿ provided a 'good blueprint' for his own solo debut

Calum said his bandmates Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford — who have all released solo material since 2020 — provided a ‘good blueprint’ for his own solo debut

But Calum insists the Aussie hitmakers are not only sticking together, they’re ‘quite thriving.’ 

‘Emphatically, 5SOS is not over and actually, quite thriving,’ he said. 

‘This might be a bit weird to people but we revel in doing things people think we shouldn’t do.’ 

He admitted that bandmates Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford — who have all released solo material since 2020  — had provided a ‘good blueprint’ for his own foray into the solo spotlight.

Clifford released his debut solo single in April ahead of the release of his album Sidequest next month, while both Hemmings and Irwin have dropped two records each since 2020.

Calum’s solo effort, a synth-heavy, atmospheric collection of tracks, took over two years to create as he grappled with the all-too-common artist anxiety.

‘You know me, I’m an anxious boy anyway, but I never had that with the band; I was never anxious about releasing 5SOS songs,’ he confessed.

His new tunes are pure ‘sad boy’ vibes, exploring heartbreak and the brutal reality of distance on relationships when you’re constantly touring. 

Calum Hood has played several solo gigs to promote his solo album release but said that his full-time gig with 5SOS is calling him back

Calum Hood has played several solo gigs to promote his solo album release but said that his full-time gig with 5SOS is calling him back

One track, Dark Circles, even delves into the ‘fantasy’ of a world without 5SOS.

‘Obviously it’s a question that’s coming up a lot with all these solo things happening. Is the band OK?’ Calum pondered, before quickly reassuring fans: ‘The answer is the band is great, but (for that song) it was on my mind that if sh*t hit the fan, it would be devastating for me. I’ve spent half my life in the band, it has shaped who I am.’

‘There’s a big joke amongst the fans that “Oh, he’s actually talking”, which is really funny.’

‘In the band, I guess I’m the more reserved one but I actually have a f***ing lot to say!’

While Calum has played several solo gigs to promote his album release, he warned fans not to expect a solo world tour anytime soon.  

He hinted that his full-time gig with 5SOS is calling him back.

‘It was such a big deal for me just to release this music,’ Calum said. 

‘When there is another record, if there’s space and the time allows and it feels good, then we will see what happens about touring.’

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