It was approaching midnight in Jakarta when I joined the video call, seven faces crowding the frame from the other side of the world, the connection dropping every few minutes. December 10 waited through every glitch without a flicker of impatience, which, for a band barely seven months old and carrying the weight of being Simon Cowell’s first boyband project in over a decade, told me something before anyone had answered a question.

If the name is new to you: December 10 –  Cruz, Danny, Hendrik, John, Josh, Nicolas and Seán – were formed on Simon Cowell: The Next Act, the Netflix docuseries that followed Cowell as he auditioned over a thousand hopefuls across the UK and Ireland, whittled them down to sixteen, and finally to seven. The show drew mixed reviews. The band, somehow, drew a following anyway: their debut single “Run My Way” charted modestly, yet their first UK and Ireland tour sold out in minutes. That gap – between what critics predicted and what fans decided – is the most interesting thing about them.

The One Direction comparisons arrived before the band did, but the likeness mostly ends with Cowell. Between the seven of them they play fourteen instruments, guitar to cajón to clarinet, and several already write their own songs, a different proposition from the boybands of the choreography-and-vocals era, and a necessary one. Today’s pop audience, raised on K-pop and fluent in the machinery behind manufactured groups, forgives very little.

I grew up on survival shows in Asia, so I know the shape of this story, the brutal evaluations, the goodbyes that cut deeper than any performance. Watching a Western group put through that gauntlet, in full view of the cameras, gave The Next Act an edge its critics perhaps missed: as fans discovered December 10, they also watched them falter and find their feet in real time.

Our conversation ran long, interrupted only by the connection and an office dog who wandered in and out of frame like an uncredited eighth member. For 1883, December 10 talk through their formation, life on the road, their K-pop peers, and the making of their debut EP On Your Side, out this Friday.

Who came up with the name December 10, and how do you feel about it now?

Seán: We appeared on a Netflix show called The Next Act, and its release date fell on December 10, so one night during an interview we all started chanting ‘December 10, December 10, December 10’ while discussing the release date, and at some point we realised the words actually sounded pretty good as a name.

Nicolas: The name December 10 opens so many possibilities (to us), because we plan to do something special every year on that date, which creates a lasting tradition for us, and we might wait until December 10 this year to start.

Can you tell us more about On Your Side, from the recording process right through to how it all came together?

John: We recorded that song in January in LA with a brilliant producer called Ido Zmishlany, who we later worked with on a songwriting camp, and we all came together in the studio, divided up the parts and cut the track.

Seán: Ido also wrote on our newest single “Infinity”, and we worked with Julian Bunetta on that one as well, recording it with him in Nashville, so it feels like a special song.

vintage polo tops Y2K Vintage

How do you get involved in making your music, what does your songwriting process actually look like, and how do you handle burnout when it hits?

Nicolas: We recently attended a songwriting camp where we worked closely with several writers like Ido, and I consider myself fortunate to collaborate with great talents such as Ido and Julian, because we stay very hands-on throughout the whole process.

The thing about songwriting, at least for me personally, is that you need the right moment rather than just sitting down to compose a song, so when we write together as a group, even as three or four of us, a certain moment arrives where we all just click.

I think it comes down to finding that moment, and once you land in it, you stay there until you create something you genuinely like, then you perfect and refine it afterwards.

John: Even when someone else writes a song for us, we always put our own spin on it, because writing with other people teaches us so much, and while we all have different styles and approaches, I learn a huge amount from working with these lads, so when everything finally clicks, the song ends up so much stronger.

You formed in front of everyone which means millions watched you become friends in real time, but was there anyone in the group you just didn’t click at the start?

Seán: No, not really, because the real challenge came from learning how to work with so many different personalities and seeing how everyone’s upbringing and musical background fit together, and while there was never a moment where anyone disliked working with anyone else, we just faced a nice challenge in figuring out how to operate as a group, and now I think we run pretty efficiently.

Vintage vest Y2K Vintage Necklace his own Ring Twojeys Watch Casio Trousers Garms Affiliated via Rich London

Did you actually watch the documentary yourselves, and what do you think of it?

Josh: Honestly, I have only watched it once, and that was when we all sat down to watch it together right before it came out, so I have never seen it all the way through any other time.

When I watch it, I relive the exact feelings from the moment I was there, which feels really strange because I can tell exactly what I felt back then, and I do not know if I actually like that sensation, so I stopped watching it altogether.

Seán: I don’t know about you boys, but for about a month and a half after the show came out, every time I walked into the house, my mum or my dad had it on.

John: It sounds crazy because I was home the other day, and after I finished watching the TV, I asked my mum if she fancied watching anything, and she goes, “Oh yeah, can you stick your show on?” so there she was rewatching it, and I just thought, “I do not want to watch that, you know what, I’ve had enough of it.”

You have already had a taste of what most artists wait years for, like screaming crowds, sold-out venues and getting recognised abroad, so has any of it actually sunk in yet or does the whole thing still feel a bit unreal?

Danny: It’s very hard to properly accept any of it as real, because I remember moments when fans have actually collapsed right in front of us from the excitement, and that feels so mad to me, someone collapsing because of us, just mad really.

Nicolas: Another thing is that we are doing the Summertime Ball in three days, and today we rehearsed for it with the whole stage mapped out and everything, so I think that really opened our eyes.

We cannot really get our heads around being only six months into our release and already heading to Wembley Stadium, especially because a couple of months ago we did a video where someone asked us about our dream venue and we all said Wembley, and now we will actually do it within six months.

Jamaica football top via Classic Football Shirt Vintage leather Jacket via Y2K Vintage

Talking about Wembley, do you guys have any specific rituals before you go on stage, because I know seeing that many people in front of you can be quite terrifying, right?

John: Yeah, we have got two rituals actually, and the main one we do before every show is a fist-bump between all of us right before we hit the stage, because that just gives us the confidence we need.

We also pray together before we go out, so we all hold hands, stand in a circle and say a little prayer, and that pretty much locks your mind right for the stage.

Seán Hayden: For me, Wembley will definitely be one of the biggest crowds we have ever played to, which feels quite insane and surreal and a bit nerve-wracking and unbelievable all at once, so we will need a longer prayer than usual to calm our nerves and lock our minds right, you know what I mean?

Danny: I actually had a dream about Wembley last night where the whole place filled up with water and I ended up on a jet ski in the middle of it

Fans already analyse every little interaction you share online, so do you ever see comments or edits that make you think if people have invented a version of you that does not really exist?

Nicolas: Six months in, we feel incredibly fortunate for our dedicated and passionate fanbase, because the week after our first live shows, my TikTok and Instagram feeds filled up with fans showing their love and support for us.

The way our fans show up for us really proves how amazing they are, and we feel genuinely lucky to have them.

Sean wears: Vintage biker Jacket Yamaha via Brick Lane Unique Vintage Jeans Levi’s
Hendrik wears: Jacket Junior Gautier via cloakroom archive Trousers Y2K Vintage Jewellery his own Footwear Timberland

John wears: Richmond via Y2K Vintage

Nicolas wears: Black vintage shirt Hugo via Y2K Vintage Jewellery Twojeys and Vintage

Josh wears: Velour set Prada Jewellery Cernucci

You’re all still figuring yourselves out while becoming public figures, so does that make growing up harder or (weirdly) easier when you are all doing it together?

Nicolas: It does not make growing up harder, just different, because we spend our days doing what we love.

Every day, whether we are rehearsing, performing or doing shows, we feel so happy doing it that we never once think as “this is hard” or “this life is difficult”, and instead we just feel grateful for what we do.

John: I think it is actually pretty amazing growing up inside a boy band, because this is all we have ever wanted.

I grew up watching TV shows like Austin & Ally and Hannah Montana and just thought, “I want to be like that one day.”

Then the moment you go to school yourselves, like Nick and I do, and because you are in a boy band, everyone stares and whispers, “Oh look, it’s them,” and that attention feels incredible to us.

You have performed in Japan, Nashville and London, so at what moment overseas did you realise your fame has grown beyond your hometown, and where are the next stops to play next?

Josh: It felt surreal in Manila after we did Showtime, one of the biggest TV shows in the Philippines, because we went to the mall afterwards and everyone just turned and said, “Oh, that’s the boy band December 10.”

That moment felt absolutely unreal because we stood on the complete opposite side of the world.

Hendrik: I would also say Japan stood out for me.

One day we did two pretty incredible things, because we performed in an arena and then we also played a smaller showcase show for a tighter crowd afterwards.

What surprised me most was that after the showcase, we received a box packed with gifts and letters from fans, and Cruz even got a Pikachu hat.

Top image: Sean wears Vintage biker Jacket Yamaha via Brick Lane Unique Vintage Jeans Levi’s

Bottom images: Sean wears vintage Avirex via Cloakroom Archive Jeans Levi’s T-Shirt Levi’s

Do you have a dream stage in mind for the future?

Cruz: MetLife in NY, one of those massive football stadiums that holds nearly 100,000 people, would be absolutely unbelievable.

Seán: Wembley, the very venue we are playing on Saturday, has always been a dream for all of us, so to actually do it feels completely insane and we feel incredibly grateful for it.

Personally, I would love to perform at Croke Park, the big stadium in Dublin and my own hometown, because playing there would feel just as amazing as Wembley.

Danny: I want to pack out Chorley Football Club, my hometown ground that seats only about 80 people, because that would feel special to me.

Male friendship still does not get talked about enough in culture, so has being in this band changed how you open up to each other emotionally, and do you think your generation finds it easier to be vulnerable in public than that of older boy bands’ generation?

John: I am incredibly grateful for this band because I never had a brother but always wanted one.

I actually feel like I have a lot of brothers now, all of sudden, and our closeness genuinely makes me happy.

Speaking about mental health online feels so important to me, and I think our generation does a good job of having those conversations more openly, because when you are happy to share, people can actually help you.

Hendrik: I am happy to have these wonderful buddies, and one thing we always do every week is group therapy.

We talk about how we have felt over the last few weeks, how we feel about each other or the songs or anything else, all in a safe environment, and that practice really helps us stay healthy and connected.

Leather jacket Ntwana Vintage T-Shirt Chanel Jewellery His own Leather Bottoms Via Cloakroom Archive. Sunglasses Vogue Eyewear via Canoe

Image 1 and 2: Vintage band tee & leather vest via Cloakroom Archive Leather pants Brick Lane Vintage Shoes Doc Martens Jewellery Rokit Vintage

Image 3: Glasses Ray Ban via Canoe T-Shirt Other Vintage necklace via Rokit Vintage Vintage rings via Brick Lane Market Vintage leather trousers via Cloakroom Archive Belt chain via Cloakroom Archive

You exist at a fascinating moment for boy bands globally, with K-pop acts like BTS, Stray Kids and ENHYPEN reshaping everything from fandom culture to emotional intimacy with fans, so do you feel pressure to compete with that or do you see yourselves as doing something entirely different?

John: We see other acts like BTS as inspiration rather than competition, because we learn from their success while staying true to our own thing, and what makes us special is letting everything come naturally, like all of us playing instruments.

Cruz: We just want to stay in our own lane, focus on building our fanbase and keeping the fans we already have, and while we can admire the success of other acts or boy bands from the past like One Direction who reached stadiums in four years, we know we are not them and we have to earn our own path.

Five years from now, what do you hope people (fans) say December 10 stood for beyond the music?

Hendrik: We just want the fans to know we love them, and honestly, that is all we can really hope to stand for.

We want people to know that they can fall in love, enjoy themselves, do what they want and embrace their youth, but they can also talk openly about their feelings, and that is our message we hope comes across in time.

December 10’s debut EP On Your Side is out now

Interview Belinda Yohana

Photography Lee Malone

Stylist Connor Gaffe Williams

Stylist assistants Frank Williams and Serena Al Butler

Hair Alexis Day using Olaplex and Olivia Garden

Hair Assistant Frida Ibrahim-Dikko 

Gaffer Jake Milsom

Make Up Lucy Wearing

Make Up Assistant Lynda Darragh

Group cover credits

Hedrick wears ChetRock, Jewellery personal & mixed Two jets

Cruz wears Levi’s and Daily Paper

Sean wears Avirex Jacket Levi’s and Timberland

Josh wears Levi’s, Jeanius Bar Attelier and Offwhite Jewellery Cernucci

Danny wears Vintage Star via Y2K Vintage T-Shirt Prada via Cloakroom Archive Shoes Timberland

John wears Vintage leather via Y2K vintage, T-Shirt Uniqlo Jeans Levi’s footwear Doc Martens Sunglasses Bins London

Nicolas wears bomber jacket Levi’s Vintage leather trousers via cloakroom archive