Bradley Simpson on “vulnerable” solo album, inspiration from Queens Of The Stone Age, and future of The Vamps

nme.com:

NME about his debut solo album ‘The Panic Years’, being inspired by the likes of 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, leaning into indie-rock and alt-pop instead of the anthemic pop which became synonymous with The Vamps.Since kicking off his solo era with a residency at London’s 100 Club this March, Simpson has been previewing the new material in intimate venues across the UK and Europe, while also appearing at this summer’s Reading & Leeds festivals.“In [The Vamps], we were quite fortunate that we jumped up to big rooms pretty quickly,” he told NME of transitioning back from arenas to smaller spaces. “There were a few venues that I’d seen on the back of tour merch – rite of passage venues – that I had never played.

Starting the solo shows at the 100 Club… you step in and you feel it in the walls, the history of people who played there.“I played in Leeds, at the working men’s club – Brudenell [Social Club] – and it was awesome,” he continued. “I was a big fan of The Cribs growing up, and The Cribs used to plot up there quite a lot.

I just wanted to go and step into it.”Simpson continued: “Intimacy puts you in a different headspace as a performer. It feels more like a collaborative experience, working together [with the crowd].