Liz Crudgington

l.crudgington@KRNmedia.co.uk

LOCK up your ladies – boyband JLS are on their way to Kent and they are looking for love.

Although most of the funky foursome have hooked up with glamorous girls from the showbiz circuit, 22-year-old Aston Merrygold is still single.

But he hopes the band's gig at the Sound Island Festival later this month could change all that.

He said: "Marvin and his girlfriend Rochelle (from girl group The Saturdays) have been trying to find me a nice girl but it's not working so far.

"I've asked them to keep looking and I'd love to go on a double date with them. But who knows? Maybe my perfect lady will be a Kentish girl. There's hope for that."

The band shot to fame after the X Factor in 2008 when they finished second to winner Alexandra Burke, under the guidance of boyband legend Louis Walsh.

They ditched their steady girlfriends and dedicated themselves to pursuing their showbiz dream, now paying off with a clutch of Brit Awards, chart success and their second album in production. The boys now hope to crack America and have a punishing PR and gigging schedule to make it happen.

Aston said: "We're really busy but it's all good. Every day I look at my life and am amazed this has all happened.

"We're having the best time. We're the best of friends and spend all our time together, socially as well as for work.

"What could be better?"

The Sound Island gig, with fellow X Factor finalist Diana Vickers, is the latest in a string of summer festival appearances and will be followed by an arena tour later this year.

They also make time for fun, although enthusiastic fans mean low-key nights are almost impossible.

Aston said: "We went to a club in London with a friend from America who was helping us with the album.

"They were surprised at how crazy things were. We were in a roped-off area of the club but people were coming over and reaching out with their hands.

"It was like they were at a gig. They should have been dancing and having fun but they were more interested in us. It was mad."

So were the antics of one fan, who concealed herself in a suitcase in a bid to meet the guys, while others write increasingly bizarre messages on banners and T-shirts at gigs.

Aston said: "We love spotting the signs in the audience and the effort people have gone to."

But they have no time for critics who dismiss them as "just another manufactured band".

Aston said: "Everyone's entitled to say what they like but unless they know the JLS story and the facts their opinion isn't valid. We've been working together and writing together for years and we've written all but one of the tracks on the new album.

"It's a real progression, more in-depth writing and a better sound.

"We're working with producers from around the world who have worked with some top artists and we're really excited about it."

Kent is familiar ground for the foursome, with a previous Sound Island appearance under their belt as well as a host of family connections.

And their relatives have inspired their latest idea, to open a high-class restaurant serving Pan-Asian food.

Aston said: "We love food and there's lots of chefs in our families so we thought it would be fun to have our own restaurant. We've come up with a name, Jewels of the Lotus Sutra, but we haven't got much further than that.

"It still ended up all over the papers though, along with a story that we wanted to fight the guys from NDubz. That was all a fuss about nothing – we were with them at T4 at the weekend and there was no problem."

JLS will play with Chipmunk and Diana Vickers at the Sound Island Festival, Quex Park, Birchington, on Sunday, July 25. Madness headline on Saturday, July 24 with the Lightning Seeds, The Blockheads and The King Blues. Tickets cost £33.50 for Saturday and £28.50 for Sunday. For more information visit www.gigantic.com or call 08712 200260 or 01843 292795. Tickets are also available from HMV stores.