Bradley Simpson on the new solo album and the future of The Vamps

Bradley Simpson spoke to NME about his debut solo album “The Panic Years”, inspired by Queens Of The Stone Age and Jack White, and hinted at what’s next for The Vamps. Check out our full interview below.

The frontman has already released five singles from the record. They mark his first work outside of his band, relying on indie-rock and alt-pop instead of the anthemic pop that has become synonymous with The Vamps.

Since kicking off his solo era with a residency at London’s 100 Club last March, Simpson has previewed his new tracks at intimate venues across the UK and Europe, while also appearing at the Reading and Leeds festivals this summer.

“In (The Vamps), we were fortunate to be able to get to the big venues pretty quickly,” he said. NME to move from arenas to smaller spaces. “There were a few rooms that I had seen on the back of the tour merchandise – rite of passage rooms – that I had never played. Starting the solo shows at the 100 Club… you walk in and you feel in the walls the history of the people who played there.

“I played in Leeds, at the workers’ club – Brudenell (Social Club) – and it was brilliant,” he continued. “I was a big fan of The Cribs growing up, and The Cribs used to do a lot of plotting there. I just wanted to go and get in there.

Simpson continued: “Intimacy puts you in a different space as a performer. It feels more like a collaborative experience, working together (with the crowd). There was a fan who brought a kazoo to so many shows – it got pretty funny! You lose that privacy in larger rooms. You hone your craft much more in smaller venues, in front of audiences who can see the whites of your eyes.

Check out our full interview below, where Simpson also talked about discovering the 1975 in their early days, touring with the “incredible” Sabrina Carpenter, and how he moved away from pop in favor of “feeling-based stuff”.

NME: Hello Bradley. Was your recent tour an opportunity to test the material from “The Panic Years”?

Bradley Simpson: “There’s a song called ‘Daisies’ that I ended up pushing to the third single, when it wasn’t even a single, just because of the live reaction. It feels like we’ve shifted so much to testing music online and on TikTok, but (the tour) is the tangible in-person test. This puts some power in the hands of the fan. I remember going to see bands, we’d hear a song and we’d be excited for it to come out.

Any particular bands or songs that come to mind?

“I saw a Geordie band called Little Comets, I must have been 15, 16? There was a band supporting, and the singer had shaved sides and a big mohawk. I’d never heard them before, and they were absolute bangers, they stuck in my head… but it was one of those I didn’t even check out afterwards. Turns out it was The 1975!

“I think they might have even played under a different name, but they got stuck in my head. Then the first time I heard (2013 EP) “Music For Cars”, it clicked, because they had been playing these songs live for ages. It’s a cool way to get your music out into the world.

Why was it the right time for you to write music outside of The Vamps?

“Before, I don’t think I was really ready to write such vulnerable songs. It’s very easy to put certain feelings or conversations aside during busy times because you’re distracted. There were several factors to consider: feeling a little more comfortable and having time to think. I wrote a few songs that felt too personal to present, and they didn’t work within the band. From there, it snowballed.

“It wasn’t out of a feeling of unhappiness, I’ve been very happy in the group – and I still am – for 12 years. Rather, it was a chance to express another side of me that I was passionate about…trying to go back and make 15-year-old Brad proud. I was listening to Queens Of The Stone Age, Nirvana, The Raconteurs, a lot of Jack White. I tried to reconnect with what made me love (these artists) at that time in my life.

What still speaks to 29-year-old Brad about all these artists?

“The anxiety, the distortion in everything, the saturation. It always seemed quite unpredictable to me, especially with the Queens stuff – the “Songs For The Deaf” album was one I really loved. Even Dave Grohl’s drum parts were different from anything I had heard before, you didn’t know what happened after a certain section. I really loved it and wanted to unlearn some of the things I had learned through pop songwriting and go back to feel-based stuff. That’s where diving into these influences comes from.

“The Panic Years” seems unpredictable at times, but it still feels like a cohesive work…

“Again, going back to “Songs For The Deaf,” it’s such a cohesive piece of work, even down to the radio station between each song – there’s a real flow. I wanted the songs to have their own identity, but for them to all be brothers and sisters, part of the same family tree. You might have your scrappy little brother and your wise-cracking older sister…

“It’s very easy when you’re writing songs to get bored pretty quickly. I think it’s good for opening up a different style of songwriting, but then you have to make sure they don’t feel like polar opposites on an album. As for the concept of “The Panic Years”, there is a lyrical connection to it all, both in the production and in the sounds.

Did you come to this concept naturally in your late twenties?

“There’s a guy I played the album to. I was talking to him about the “panic years” and how they are typically portrayed in your 20s. He said, “Well, I’m 40 and I still feel like I’m in my panic years.” It never ends! I think you can go through huge periods of change, and that’s exciting at any time in your life. You yourself are responsible for this. If you want to put yourself in uncomfortable positions, grow taller, or change your back, then you can do it.

“I hope that for anyone going through these times – whether it’s your 20s, your 30s, your teens – these are the best times of your life, the times when you learn the most and come back to the next. end knowing where you are going, or how to get there You’re less afraid to do it, because you’ve already been through these times The idea of ​​approaching 30 is terrifying in some ways, but I’m. excited. “

There’s a song on the album called “The Band’s Not Breaking Up” – was it intentional to drop the tracklist early to reassure Vamps fans?

“The song isn’t about that at all, actually, but about the breakdown of a relationship. The boys and I know where we stand, so I didn’t feel the need to make a statement. But I like the concept…the band has been a constant in my life for 12 years, and other things have fluctuated. There’s a real stability and security that I wanted to touch on in the album.

Have your Vamps bandmates heard the album? What do they think?

“They heard the majority of it – ‘Cry At The Moon’ a while before it came out, and ‘Carpet Burn.’ They support us so much. Connor (Ball, bassist) and James (Brittain-McVey, guitarist) also have their own projects. We tend to play stuff before it comes out, just as a sounding board or because we want to.

In 2017, Sabrina Carpenter opened for The Vamps on tour. What did you think of the incredible success it had this year?

“She has always been an extraordinary and hardworking artist from a very young age. It’s so deserved. Even when we toured together and heard the song (“Hands,” also co-written by Mike Perry), you could see how she (imagines) the whole world of what she wants to do. “Slim Pickins” is really good. There’s this Nashville country feel throughout the album, which really suits her voice. A good album has ups and downs, lights and shadows, and it feels a bit like a journey.

Finally, have you written anything that could fit on a new Vamps album?

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t. I’ve been writing (solo material) for two years, so when I’m touring for a while, my writer’s brain shuts off. So not at the moment, but we’ll get back to writing at some point. I still have a few things I want to do for solo stuff. I’m trying to follow that at the moment, but we definitely will (write another album). I’m sure it will come out of nowhere at some point! »

Bradley Simpson’s album “The Panic Years” is set to be released on February 28. Pre-order/pre-save it here and check out the full tracklist below.

The full tracklist for “The Panic Years” by Bradley Simpson is as follows:

“Cry at the moon”
“Picasso”
“Carpet burn”
‘Daisies’
“Holy Grail”
“Become Clear”
“More us”
‘Almost’
“Favorite group”
“Always like this”
“The group is not breaking up”
“The Panic Years”

Check out Simpson’s 2025 UK & Ireland tour dates below, and visit here for tickets and information.

Bradley Simpson’s 2025 UK & Ireland tour dates are:

CAN
07 – Dublin, The Academy
10 – Newcastle, University
11 – Glasgow, SWG3 galvanizers
13 – Sheffield, Lead Mill
14 – Leeds Student Union, Beckett
16 – Manchester, O2 Ritz
17 – Birmingham, O2 Institute
19 – Cardiff, Tramshed
20 – Bristol, Switzerland
22 – Southampton, engine rooms
23 – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town