“THE Vamps are going nowhere”. These are the words of their guitarist and singer James Brittain-McVey, who is looking forward to performing at Camp Dalfest this weekend.
Although he’s been quietly performing on stage at their gigs this year, including their tenth anniversary special at London’s Royal Albert Hall in May, where the fans broke a record for the loudest ever crowd in the venue's 152-year history, this will only be James' second vocal performance since surgery to remove polyps on his vocal chords.
James first noticed problems with his voice towards the end of their Greatest Hits World Tour. Grateful to come out the other side, he admits the experience has taught him to take greater care of his voice.
“It's my fault, because I've never really looked after my voice or warmed down after shows. Thankfully, it sounds the same, but it tires easily. It’s like a muscle that needs to be built up again, so I’ll only be singing a few songs."
The 29-year-old says not being allowed to speak for almost three months gave him a new perspective on life – in terms of listening and thinking before speaking.
“I'm the sort of person who wants to contribute to conversations and offer a cogent opinion, but when you can't do any of that, you're forced to listen and appreciate what is being said from a different perspective,” adds James.
Recovering from surgery also gave him the opportunity to be consumed in the songwriting process.
“It really made me obsess over lyrics and instrumentation. I've probably put down an album worth of songs,” he laughs.
Having not released a studio album since Cherry Blossom in October 2020, James admits he and bandmates, Brad Simpson, Connor Ball and Tristan Evans, are “itching” to get into the recording studio.
“When you're 17 and 18, you settle for certain lyrics to just get it done. Now we’re older and have honed our craft more and produce, we're very conscious of each step we take in the creative process.We've been unsigned for a couple of years now and we’re lucky we can do it how we want and when we want."
Whilst many bands are plagued with arguments and rumors of members leaving to pursue solo success, James assures The Vamps fans “they are different”.
“The solo conversation is so charged and volatile. A lot of bands don't get on and members want to go alone and have success. The Vamps don't have that itch to scratch.
“The reality is we have all done bits on the side. Connor’s got another band at the moment, The Lunar Year. 5 Seconds of Summer have done something similar and haven't fallen apart and I can't see The Vamps falling apart.”
In 2018, James came fifth in the 2018 series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here. But rather than seeking a higher public profile, James said his motive for doing the reality TV show was “a mental challenge”.
“I'm very lucky with The Vamps that I enjoy a certain level of fame on my terms. After I came out [of the jungle], I turned down 95 per cent of the things I was offered.
“It was a great experience, and I made some good mates, but I’ve no interest in doing that again,” adds James, revealing he had a catch-up with jungle winner Harry Redknapp last month.
With The Vamps all still in their 20s, I ask James about their long-term ambition.
“Firstly, we are friends. We enjoy each other's company and spend time with each other outside of the band. The guys were the best men at my wedding.
“Secondly, we're all obsessed with music and if The Vamps weren't successful, we'd still be hanging out and making music. Let’s see what happens with album six, but it doesn't feel like there is a sell-by-date on The Vamps."
Having enjoyed early success with a cover of One Direction's Live While We're Young on YouTube in 2012, and in recent years inherited a whole new generation of fans on TikTok, James is very aware of constantly evolving new platforms.
“With time, the music industry changes and there will always be challenges, but whatever the platform, we will always do stuff that we believe in.”
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Also on The Vamps' agenda is a possible documentary.
“I have this dream where we spend a month somewhere and we film from the first day we walk in with our guitars, all the way through to going on stage with our album tour.
“We are very nerdy with our song writing and music making, so it would be great to capture those magical moments where something connects.”
Having performed regularly in Ireland over the past 10 years, James has many memories, but picks out last summer’s arena gigs, where they supported Picture This, as his highlight.
“I love the fact that Irish crowds really support and go wild for their own, such as Picture This, Kodaline and The Script.
“That was the first support act we had done in years and watching Picture This perform three nights in a row was amazing. Now they’re one of my favourite bands.
“You never know how it's going to go when you play in someone else’s territory, but we found in Ireland, the audiences are so welcoming.”
Originally known as the Dalriada Festival of Music & Food, Camp Dalfest is a musical and gastronomical adventure in the grounds of Glenarm Castle.
Other acts include Sam Ryder, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, 90s disco star Sophie Ellis-Bextor and indie pop rock trio Scouting for Girls.
So, what can The Vamps fans expect on Saturday evening?
“We'll play a couple of songs from the last album, but because it's 10 years of the band, we like to offer some nostalgia and play the set people want to hear.”
And has James a favourite song he enjoys performing?
“I love All Night as its fun watching the audience’s reaction. It seems to resonate with 19-year-old lads who get on each other's shoulders during it and throw beer around.”
Growing up under the glare of social media isn’t easy and James has been very open in the past about his struggles with body dysmorphia and is keen to share with others that there is no shame in talking about personal struggles.
“I still feel the need to go to the gym every day, but I’m in a much better place in terms of the moderation of food.
“There are, of course, days where I’m feeling low, but you can’t just tick boxes and be fixed. It’s totally normal to go through ups and downs. Realizing that, as well as being transparent and unguarded about how I feel, is beneficial.”
Speaking to me at his home, via Zoom, I couldn’t resist asking tattoo adorned McVey if he had got any ink work done recently.
“The first song that Brad and I wrote together was a song called Rough Night and I got Brad's handwriting of it on my hand backstage at the Royal Albert Hall 10th anniversary gig in May.
“I've got two full arms of tattoos and most of my chest, so I'm trying to find a way of working my way down my body,” says an enthusiastic McVey standing, making me wonder what he was going to show me next.
“My wife doesn’t want me to tattoo my legs, but I did get a sneaky paw print of our dog,” he laughs.
Camp Dalfest is on July 15 and 16. For full information visit Campdalfest.com.
