Wonderland

Louis Walsh viewed Wonderland as his follow-up bid to capture the girl-group audience after Bellefire proved unable to rival Sugababes and Girls Aloud. The Irish five-piece was assembled when the X-Factor judge and Westlife vocalist Kian Egan selected Sharon Condon, Corrina Durran, Leigh Learmont, Kasey Smith, and Jodi Albert from more than 700 Dublin auditionees. Albert had previously appeared in Simon Cowell's unsuccessful Spice Girls-inspired outfit Girl Thing and the teen soap Hollyoaks. The members secured a six-figure Mercury Records contract in 2008 after their initial broadcast on The Late Late Show. Their 2010 launch combined the ITV2 documentary Louis Walsh & Kian Egan's Next Big Thing, an opening slot on Westlife's Where We Are tour, and an appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival. Further U.K. support dates for Boyzone, Olly Murs, and Taylor Swift preceded a nationwide school tour and the release of debut single "Not a Love Song," which was quickly followed by the Introduction to Wonderland EP. The self-titled album arrived in 2011, containing tracks penned by Take That's Mark Owen, Andy Hill of Susan Boyle fame, and Bob Clearmountain known for his work with Robbie Williams, alongside covers of Lady Antebellum's "I Need You Now" and Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue."