leather-bound book of song ideas. Born of blue-collar Irish stock in tiny Mullingar, Ireland, he was the classic townie with adream. His mom soldered pewter ware, Mullingar's biggest export, and his dad worked nights behind the butcher counter at the Tesco supermarket (where iD fans knew to find him until zois5, when he was, says Horan, "made redundant"). They divorced when Horan was 5, and he and his big brother moved in with their dad. Horan did his own songs are sounding really good," and laundry and cooking and got himself he's itching to get out of the studio and up each day to walk the mile-and- play live (he's currently got afew dates a-half to school. ("I didn't need all planned in June). the pampering," he says.) He was "Niall's got the stuff," says Don Was, the also brought up on "the good stuff" producer and president of Blue Note, who — Crosby, Stills & Nash; Fleetwood worked on some potential album cuts with Mac; Jackson Browne — and adopted Horan. "He drove himself to the studio, his brother's guitar, aneglected carried his own guitar, stepped up to the Christmas gift, at 12. He did talent microphone and was great every take. If 3 shows and small gigs. You can still they do the Desert Trip festival in 50 years, find little Niall covering Justin Bieber's he'll be headlining." "Baby" on YouTube. Perhaps afuture "Oldchella" will include These days, Horan's getting hard-won Horan's bard-like pals: Ed Sheeran (who wisdom direct from the source. "Bieber wrote for 1D), James Bay (whose drummer told me that you never really know when is now Horan's live music director) and you're finished" with an album, says Shawn Mendes. Horan is clearly veering "I'm not going out, taking Horan, who in addition to Was and Jesso away from boy-band pop but insists he tons of drugs, running has been working with songwriters Greg around Hollywood isn't at acrossroads. "I told my managers bollocks naked. I'm just Kurstin (i13, Sia) and Jamie Scott (i13, 011y from the start: When One Direction having agood laugh with Murs), plus producers Jacquire King (Tom my friends." 1Onstage comes knocking, fook what I'm doing. at Wango Tango in Waits, Kings of Leon) and Julian Bunetta Idon't give ashit if Isold out arenas or May.2 Horan caddied (i13, Fifth Harmony). "He thought he was won Grammys. Iwouldn't be doing this for McIlroy at the 2015 they went, ate whatever was around, done [with Purpose] and then got 'Love Masters Tournament. if it wasn't for that." Yet he confirms that 3A selfie from his shared rooms for $20 anight and bought Yourself' at the last minute. Ithought while the members of iD talk frequently, backpacking trip's same-day flights to get to whichever place my album was finished, and then Iwent Thailand stop. 4Gomez "we haven't even had aconversation about (front) with Malik, Payne, was next. Horan "literally didn't wear a on abit of arun 'cause Iwas writin' crap how long we think the break will be." And Tomlinson, Styles and shirt for three weeks" in Thailand, but in stuff up until then." Although he does call with the others well into their solo careers Horan (from left) at Bali "it pissed rain." They learned about "Flicker," apretty, strings-laden early track the 2013 MTV Video — Styles just released his debut, Malik's Music Awards. history in Vietnam and "got very drunk" in about the last night in afailing relationship, lining up his second album, and Payne and Hanoi. In Boracay, they got stuck at abad one of his favorites. "On the Loose," a Tomlinson have both dropped singles — it's motel — "lights flickering, cats drinking out newer recording, reinvents Fleetwood agood thing Horan's getting comfortable the pool, spiders walking the wall, damp Mac's "Dreams" for the tropical-pop set. on his own. Gearing up for the grind that's bedsheets, plus you've got the shits from All his self-discovery aside, Horan once again about to engulf him, he says, the dodgy food" — and they loved it. remains close with his bandmates. "I see "It's all comin' for me now." "I didn't want the schedule anymore," Louis and [his son] little Freddie all the says Horan. "I've spent so much time time. He lives around the corner from me

FTER 1D MADE ITS FINAL setting alarms on phones." When iD was [in Los Angeles]," he says. He picked up appearance, at the Billboard still agoing concern, he says, "all me mates gifts for Payne's month-old boy that he Hollywood Party for the zois were backpacking, while Iwasn't even hasn't been able to present yet, because 4edition of Dick Clark's New Year's allowed to go outside of the hotel." their schedules haven't aligned. He Rockin' Eve, Horan packed arucksack, In his newfound free time, Horan planned to see Styles when the lanky star grabbed two of his cousins (and one chill revisited stuff he had heard as akid, was in town for aweeklong residency on security guard) and flew to Southeast relearned "how effective simple music can The Late Late Show With james Corden and Asia. The guys rented scooters wherever be" and cataloged his experiences in his genuinely gushes about his April