'Butter chicken surely tops our list'

British boy band ‘The Vamps’ has been topping the UK music charts for a while now. What truly sets them apart is their music and the lyrics which literally mirror their experiences. They have often been compared to popular boy band ‘One Direction’ which they consider as a privilege. The band comprises Bradley Simpson (lead vocals and guitar), James McVey (lead guitar and vocals), Connor Ball (bass guitar and vocals) and Tristan Evans (drums and vocals).

Visiting India for the first time, the band members, say that they can’t wait to get an insight into the culture, food habits and the way of life of people here. They have heard a lot about India and confess that they have always wanted to experience it firsthand. They are also keen to take their Bollywood collaborations forward. In a quick chat with Nina C George, Bradley Simpsons talks about the making of their brand new album titled ‘All Night’ and their experiences in India.

Tell us about ‘All Night’ and collaborating with Matoma (Norwegian DJ).

‘All Night’ is about appreciating someone. It’s the amazing feeling of reassurance, knowing someone is there for you and acknowledging how much they’ve helped you. We really wanted to try something slightly different for our third record and Matoma was the perfect person to work with. Luckily for us, he heard the demo, and wanted to get involved.

You have also written a book about yourselves. What was the trigger?

People are often curious to know how we came together as a band and our story. We’re just four years old, but have been lucky enough to go from posting covers online to selling out global arena tours. The book tells you who we are, how we came together and what we think about each other. It will also give you interesting tidbits such as who is the messiest Vamp among us, why we rub chins together before a show and plenty of other fun insights that fans may not know about us.

How do you feel being compared to ‘One Direction’? Does it steal your identity?

They are one of the biggest artistes in the world. It’s definitely not a bad thing to be compared to them.  

Tell us about your Bollywood collaborations? 

We have been wanting to get down to working with Bollywood for a long time. That became a reality after Tanaaz Bhatia, the CEO of Bottomline Media, partnered with Virgin EMI UK. The result of that collaboration was ‘Beliya’, the song we recorded with musicians Vishal and Shekhar.

They’re very cool and we like the fusion sound. We’ve just recorded the second song with them and you can expect the release soon.

What do you enjoy most about Bollywood music?

Music really is a universal language. As creative artistes, we enjoy exploring new things and Bollywood is getting popular internationally.

Would you like to be in a Bollywood movie? If so, which sort?

Action, I think.

What kind of subjects inspire you to make music?

Love, friendship, relationships and of course, the people we meet.

What is it about India that you love?  

We love our fans. The weather has been good during our visit here and we enjoy the culture.

Your experiments with Indian food...

You get a lot of Indian food in the UK, but butter chicken surely tops our list.