With his debut solo single, “Dancing On The Head Of A Needle”, James McVey of The Vamps proved that taking risks really does pay off. Following a career-saving surgery, needing to have a polyp on his vocal chords removed, the artist spent his time of recovery writing more music than ever and really rediscovering his voice on his own terms.

What emerged was emotional, raw, and personal — a a compelling offering of acoustic pop that sets McVey apart from the crowd. Following his debut single with “Blood & Bones”, he has created a buzz and excitement about his highly anticipated debut EP, “Manabi”, set to release next month. Translating to “learning through study”, the title reflects the project’s creation and references the organic, personal process of writing and producing the collection of tracks.

We caught up with McVey about starting The Vamps, venturing out on his own, and the creative process of “Manabi”.

Take a listen…

Read the interview…

What inspires you to create?
It sounds cliché, but, in my opinion, it absolutely has to be life. I’ve definitely been guilty over the years of trying to write in a certain style to tick a box. I do believe it’s important to explore areas of creation that push you slightly out of your depth, but never to the extent where you lose the essence of your identity. I’ve done back to basics with this EP and tried to focus on the rawness of certain emotions, from love to despair. Ultimately, I think when it’s true to you it’s much more believable to the listener.

How did you first find your love for music?
I have memories of being in the car with my dad and he’d play ‘Nothing Ever Happens’ by Del Amitri and Crowded House’s, Weather With You’. I can’t have been older than four or five but those impressionable moments really printed in my mind and started my fascination with music.

How did you first find yourself involved with The Vamps?
I started The Vamps when I was about 16 but it never really kicked off until I found our singer, Brad, on Youtube in 2011. We’ve had a brilliant ten years releasing music and there’s more to come.

What drove the decision to step out as a solo artist?
I don’t think this would’ve worked when I was 25 but 30 brings me a whole new perspective and appreciation. I am humbled by the support the band has received over the last decade and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the success we have achieved. I’m more than satisfied with The Vamps and that’s presented me with the extremely rare opportunity to start this separate journey without the pressure of needing to sell a certain amount of records or achieve industry accolades. This freedom is liberating and I feel I’m now at an age where I’m ready to explore certain themes in my life that I haven’t publicly written songs about before. I’m really excited with the prospect of presenting a slightly new narrative to the one that people may immediately think of me, whether musically or personally.

How has the experience been so far, being the main focal point?
Fame or attention was never the driving force behind why I got into music; arguably it’s one of the main reasons I actively sought a lead singer at the start of The Vamps. I never saw myself as as frontman, those skills just weren’t in my arsenal. That said, what I’ve found beautiful is the ability to be able to create music in my spare room and release it. I’m totally independent, there’s no bureaucracy. Not being with a record label obviously presents certain hurdles but, on the whole, I feel liberated creatively. I have a small pool of trusted people I work with and send demoes too and, at the moment at least, that is enough.

Why did “Dancing On The Head Of A Needle” feel like the right debut track to release to introduce yourself as a solo artist?
It was by far the final song written for the EP. In fact, if I had been with a major label I’d be surprised if I’d even been able to release it so quickly. I knew I wanted my first song to be from a place of emotional vulnerability and “DOTHOAN” epitomises that for me. “Blood & Bones” was meant to be the first song but I’m so glad “DOTHOAN” came to me on a dog walk six weeks before release because it conveyed exactly how I felt at the moment of release in a way no other song on my EP does.

Talk us through the meaning of the track?
“DOTHOAN” pertains to a time last Autumn where I found myself experiencing a prolonged period of unsettlement. I’ve been so vocal about my mental health for ten years but realised I’d slipped into this negative spiral of excessive cannabis and alcohol use, paired with a steady withdrawal from my loved ones. I felt low in a way I hadn’t before. It was scary. In hindsight, I’ve come a long way over the last year and am so grateful for the support of my family and wife. In a way, “Manabi” narrates that period of my life.

Can we expect more from your debut EP?
It’s a six track EP. It’s both a blessing and a curse to release my first collection of songs. In one sense I have the luxury of a blank page and are able to write whatever narrative I wish. On the other hand though I needed to narrow down the dozens of songs down to just six, whilst at the same time trying to convey certain themes. I hope that someone listening to “Manabi” will see that I’ve tried to explore a variety of emotions in the most honest way possible.

What drove the creative process of the project?
I actively steered clear of being overly inspired by other artists for this project. Instead, I went back to the very beginning of my songwriting: being age eleven listening to Damien Rice’s ‘O’ and ‘9’. I tried to capture some of that musical innocence by stripping back everything and really zoning in on lyricism. This is the first project I’ve co-produced and truly feel proud of the result. These songs started on acoustic guitar in my thrown-together music room/spare bedroom and the end result doesn’t sound a million miles away from that in their finished state. Meeting Amy Wadge and Alex Stacey was an integral part of this EP and they bring out the very best of me as a songwriter.

What do you want listeners to take away from the body of work?
I’d love for listening of “Manabi” to feel a sense of tangibility, for them to recognise that these songs are a genuine part of me. I’m seeing each song as a diary entry of sorts; they’ve been my therapy from their infancy right through to release. Success for me could be quantifiable by the number of people who come up to me and say they hear a part of themselves in a verse or chorus. At the end of the day that’s why I started writing songs aged 10.

What are your main career ambitions?
I’m fortunate that I have achieved many of my career ambitions already with the band. I haven’t set any solid goals for my solo project but I hope to learn more about myself, hopefully evolving into a more rounded musicians and person along the way. Being able to write, record, release and perform my music is my only hope.

What’s to come from you in the short term?
I am playing my first show on November 10th. I hope to play more shows in the Spring, as well as release a second EP.