James McVey, best-known as one quarter of The Vamps, is striking out on his own with debut solo single ‘Dancing on the Head of a Needle’.
Out now, the song sees him following a different musical direction than his band, opting for a folk-pop sound reminiscent of Damien Rice. The solo project came to be as McVey was recovering from vocal surgery earlier this year.
McVey says, “Around the time that I wrote this song, people who were really close to me were going through things of their own, and because I was so far down this dark road after losing my voice, I was unable to acknowledge that I needed to be there for them. It’s a bit like my apology to the people I let down, but also to myself, for not being able to see the warning signs. I was deteriorating into a place that was almost too far down to reach.”
McVey was diagnosed with a polyp on his vocal chords and surgery followed. He then had six months of resting his voice, which came at a cost to his mental health with issues of substance abuse also coming to the fore. He started writing the most personal, intimate songs that he had ever crafted – real, emotionally charged stories in which every line matters.
More of those songs will emerge when McVey releases his debut solo EP later this year. Throughout the process of writing and recording the collection, McVey was determined to learn more about himself and the people around him – to learn how to be a better husband, friend, artist. It has also been a learning curve of accepting life’s inevitable ups and downs, and realising that anything worthwhile takes time.
Expect to hear much more of McVey’s solo work soon – but The Vamps are in a good place too, as many will have witnessed throughout last year’s arena tour and at their recent sold-out Royal Albert Hall show.
