The Wanted can spot 'cast-off' tunes

The Wanted can tell straight away if they are offered a "cast-off" song from another artist.

The five-piece - comprising Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes and Tom Parker - are currently working on tunes for their next studio album.

They can't include all their material on the record, and sometimes pass it on to fellow musicians.

Jay jokingly admitted the group are always aware if fellow acts offer out songs.

"I think you can tell. You're like, 'This is a cast-off!' Sometimes you can tell why that particular artist couldn't release it," he told BBC's Newsbeat. "If it's an indie act and it's well poppy they wouldn't want to sound so different. And vice-versa. We can think of something well creative but it's just too out there. We don't rap! Sometimes it's that and sometimes you think, 'You are giving me your second-hand one!'"

Max explained what the band do with their unwanted tracks.

"We'll maybe look at other artists for them but it might even move onto the next album," he said.

Tom added: "Sometimes you could have the greatest song, but if it doesn't fit with the rest of the album, it kind of just sticks out."

The Wanted also revealed what stage they are at with choosing the tracks for their next chart offering.

The pop heartthrobs insist everything remains harmonious when they are agreeing on what songs to put onto the final listing.

"We've got like 30 songs. It's going to be a long meeting," Tom sighed, before Jay revealed how the band narrow down their favourites.

"Often we have five or six that we all like, then it's things that we personally find is our taste. I think we're really good at discussing as a five now," he said. "We've had four years practice. It's more like trying to work out if the label are happy with it too. We always unite by the end."