The Vamps Return for a FAULT Magazine Cover

The Vamps X FAULT Magazine

Photography – Joseph Sinclair

Fashion Editor – Edith Walker Millwood

Grooming Rom Sartipi using Oribe and Murad. Assisted by Carlie Siroko at the Lion & The Fox.’

Fashion Assistants Manny Lago & Rosie O Sullivan

Videographer – Ceclia Mcaloon Wolff

Interview: Miles Holder

We first met The Vamps in 2016 when they first joined us for a photo shoot, but in truth, the band is very different to who they were back then, both as a band and as individuals. The Vamps today release their highly anticipated album, Cherry Blossom.

While the band’s rebirth inspires the name choice and creative shift of this album, it’s hard to argue that every record released from The Vamps up to this date hadn’t been a massive step forward from the project it proceeded. With fans excited to see how The Vamps will flex their creative muscles on this album, we caught up with the band to discuss the record, their journey so far and as always, their FAULTs.

Better now is a sonic change for you guys, were you expecting sort of such a great response to this new direction?

Bradley: There were definitely some nerves because it was such a departure from anything that we’ve done before. When we went to LA before the lockdown, we spoke to a friend who inspired us by saying that our best work has come from us really pushing ourselves and moving into new areas.

Was there ever a fear, that as you move into new territory, you might also alienate fans who are after the “rest your love” style of the anthem?

Tristan: I think as the vamps, we will always evolve and change into new kind versions of ourselves. Obviously, the fans that like Rest Your love might potentially not like the new stuff and vice versa, but we want to make music that is true to ourselves and anyone who connects with it at the time. It’s always been about what we want to achieve and how to make people happy and the fans that have grown up with us, now have different music tastes as well.

It’s been six years since the debut that you’ve been working flat out, have you taken any time to sit and reflect on how far you’ve come, or has it passed by in a blur.

James: We did that before this album for the first time. This is the most prolonged period between albums that we’ve ever taken, and last year we did a couple of shows in Japan and then stayed out there and had a moment where we tried to reevaluate away from the tenacity of our regular schedule. We deliberately didn’t do things for a while and took Christmas off to think about what’s important. We get asked a lot, like what’s the key to our success, and it’s making sure that everything that we do, we wholeheartedly believe in. This album is, is another reflection of that. It did take longer to, to, to release, but that’s intentional to make sure that we can stand by this music hopefully.

What was emotionally the most challenging song to write on this album?

Bradley: There’s a song called Treading Water that I wrote in a weird, lonely time and non of the sons I was writing at the time were working. One day I went back to the Hotel and wrote treading water, and that was a very cathartic song to write about because it’s all about loneliness. One of the thees of the album is being honest, and I think that’s going to resonate with the fans. It’s about us not trying to bullsh*t anyone. This is how we feel and us when we’ve been in the pits and moving to massive highs.

When you go to performing these tracks, do you feel like your reliving tough moments or do they take on a life of their own?

Tristan: Whenever we play there’s a lot of excitement and so much going on that the music creates a life of its own. Obviously, when you perform a sad song, people connect with it, and it’s a special moment. When you follow that witH a crazy song, it becomes a happy moment, so it’s a mixture of emotions.

Bradley: Some of the sad songs can make you feel liberated when you perform it live because it takes the song out of the negative space that it was written in. It’s a beautiful thing, and that’s what so sick about music.

As you’ve proven yourselves as musicians, has journalists perception of the band changed since the early days?

James: In the earlier days, we weren’t even asked about what the music meant to us. It was a given that people presumed we weren’t that fussed about the music we were making, which was never true, which was always difficult to do. It’s good that all of the interviews we do now, people can see we are really invested in this music.

Connor, what’s your favourite pickup?

Connor: I love a p90, it’s pretty clutch, and there are these noiseless ones which come in the new fender deluxe system which are very nice.

Wasted on me…! What’s a piece of advice that you really felt like you needed back then, but didn’t yet?

Tristan: I would tell the young version of ourselves to really believe and that no one else is going to make it happen apart from yourselves. If you have a vision, it’s easier to do it yourself and really work on your craft to be the best version of you.

Bradley: We were, I think we were so lucky starting out because we’ve got such a special bond as friends and we always had that like a safety net to fall back on tour. We’d go to events, and there would be all these people mingling and then us four lads in the corner. Saying yes is really important and having the confidence to go out there and being open-minded.

The music industry is so fast-paced, but you took your time with this album which is something, not all artists get, was that a battel or did you feel supported?

Tristan: We have a great relationship with our label, and they give us the freedom to do what we want, so they respected that we needed time to perfect this album. I think you need to respect that you can’t just churn out music that quickly because it has to come from the heart and us deep down.

What would you say has been your most challenging hurdle?

Bradley: I think the battle to make people believe in it. Even on this album, we’re going on the first Airbnb trip, and you’re asking people to put their faith in us going on a trip and coming back with the bones of an album. I think getting people to a place where we can instil confidence from our proven ability to deliver was a big moment on this album.

When you look back on your discography, what do you want your music to have said about you?

James: I think if you look at the vamps albums today, I don’t think you can say that we haven’t tried new things. For the second album, we threw ourselves in a wholly new direction from our debut, and some might think that it was someone else telling us to do so, but it genuinely was our decision. Cherry Blossom is very different, and I think it shows we’re willing to put ourselves out there in ways others aren’t, and I’d like people to know that we’ve always been ready to learn more. We’ve done some songs with some Indian and South American artists which are insane, and we learnt so much from working with them. I love the fact that we try our best to be as versatile as we can be as a band so hopefully, that’s what people would take for us.

What is your FAULT?

James: My inability to let things, which are out of my control, happen – or having the ability to adapt to a changing situation.

Connor: I think my FAULT is bottling things up for ages without saying anything about it.

Tristan: My FAULT is, I’m very unorganised and messy, and I want to get stuff done, but I don’t, but that is part of being me.

Bradley: Embracing change quicker would be my FAULt. It takes me a long time to make decisions or get my head around things I want to do, and I sit with them a while.