2015 has been a good year for Brit band The Vamps. Apart from the release of their second album Wake Up, the four-man piece have kept busy with world tours, including an upcoming show in Singapore next year. We spoke with The Vamps frontman James McVey, where he surprised us with the amount of normalcy he displayed, despite all that burgeoning fame and success. Also, we have a surprise for you Vampettes, so read to the end to find out what we have in store!
Photo: Universal Music Singapore
Congrats on the new album! Keeping with that, what’s the best way for you to wake up in the morning?
J: I think the best way for me to wake up is to not have to set an alarm, where you literally just wake up without having to rush or anything like that. That’s absolutely the best thing. I’d like to wake up to birds singing too. (Laughs)
So what’s the last dream you had?
J: I dreamt this morning – I’m a big Star Wars fan, and Star Wars Battlefront has just come out on the playstation, and I dreamt that I was playing it. I think I was part of the Galactic Empire, but the game changes so you’re not always the same character [or on the same side], so I was part of the Rebel Alliance as well.
Speaking of rebels, what’s something you could tell anyone if there weren’t any repercussions?
J: Sometimes when I see people or some celebrities, that I think are not very nice to other people, or who sometimes abuse their power, I would just like to tell them to stop being ‘not very nice’. I guess I also don’t like it when I see celebrities consuming drugs publicly. Yeah, I’m not a big fan of that.
Have you ever been in any situation where you felt peer pressured to do things that you didn’t really like?
J: Definitely. When I was at school, a lot of people were into smoking and taking drugs, but for me, I never even did that stuff. I wasn’t really in that crowd, so I pretty much just did my own thing and I’m glad that I did that.
Have there been times where you felt invisible though?
J: There have been some times in school where I guess I’ve ever felt like I didn’t really fit in. To what we were speaking about before, where a lot of people around me were doing drugs and things, I think a lot of people go through stages in school where they [feel] not particularly wanted, and feel quite invisible especially around girls. [There were] girls that I liked but didn’t really bother with me… stuff like that.
So you’ve been in sort of a unrequited love scenario? How did that work out for you?
J: I think everyone does, really. I didn’t have many admirers in school. I liked people – but well it’s always easier looking back now, isn’t it? To say, “Whatever, I’m better off without them”. But at the time, it [feels like] the worst thing ever. It happened to me quite a lot, so yeah, it’s not very nice. (Laughs)
How is it like now that you’re in The Vamps? Is it really way easier to ‘get girls’ as is stereotypically presumed?
J: I think people presume – I don’t know what it’s like for others – but people presume that we can get any girl that we want, but the truth is, we’re very normal guys. We don’t really want to be getting with as many girls as we can possibly get, so for us, nothing really changed in that department. Generally we don’t really bother with girls…
What’s the hardest thing about being a celebrity?
J: The hardest part about being in The Vamps is being away from our family. It’s difficult when you’re touring and I probably get to go home maybe two days a month sometimes? It’s very very hard sometimes, but we have such a great career, and it’s not so much something you can mind about. It’s good, we really enjoy what we do, but yeah being away from our family is the hardest part.
So how do you stay grounded?
J: I hope people would think we’re still nice boys, but we just remember where we come from and what we are. It’s always really important to be polite to people, and there is no excuse for those who aren’t polite. I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t be polite to everyone they meet. So we always try and make sure that people see that we’re normal boys. We hope that people and the fans would think that we’re approachable, and we like to think that we stay grounded.
What’s the best advice you’ve received since being in the band?
J: The best thing I’ve learned in the past year and a half is not necessarily something someone said. We were lucky enough to play for Taylor Swift in London [for her Red Tour] for five nights. I’m a massive Swift fan and she really took time to meet and hang out with us, so the best thing I’ve learned, was to make sure that you give everyone the time of day. I think it’s really important generally in life, to not look at people and think that you’re better than them etc. Taylor Swift sold millions of albums but she was so friendly to us, and that brings out something that I really remember.
The Vamps are coming to Singapore! Come 26 January, catch this Brit band as they bring their sure-t0-be explosive performance to The Coliseum at Resorts World Sentosa. Tickets from $118, more info here.
Now for the surprise: we’re giving away tickets to The Vamps’ show! Keep a look out on www.teenage.com.sg/win, to find out how to score yourselves the opportunity to catch the lads up close and personal at their gig.
