The Vamps Biography

The British pop rock band known as The Vamps was established in 2011 by founding member James McVey. McVey was already under management contract as a solo artist when he decided he wanted to start a band. After teaming up with Bradley Simpson, the duo began to write some original material; after adding Tristan Evans and Connor Ball to the lineup, the four-member group began recording their music and posting videos of the performance to YouTube.

The Vamps quickly found an online following and viewer enthusiasm for their cover performances of hits by bands such as One Direction. The buzz surrounding their online channel brought the group to the attention of Mercury Records, and so after signing with the label in 2012, The Vamps began performing around the nation in support of artists such as McFly, The Wanted, and Demi Lovato. When they came off the road, the group entered the studio to begin recording their debut album.

In the meantime, The Vamps released the single “Can We Dance,” which was a huge hit in the UK but did not chart in the US. But The Vamp’s debut album, Meet the Vamps, was an even greater success success upon its release in 2014, rising into the top five internationally and into the top forty in the United States. The album spawned the international hit singles “Wild Heart, “Last Night,” “Somebody to You” (featuring Demi Lovato), and “Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart),” featuring Shawn Mendes.

Since that time, The Vamps have released the additional album Wake Up (2015), and the singles: “Wake Up,” “I Found a Girl,” and “All Night.” The group provided the song “Hurricane” for the 2014 film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Day, and a cover of the song “Kung Fu Fighting” for the 2016 film Kung Fu Panda 3. The group won three BBC Radio 1 Teens Awards in 2014, for Friday Download’s Best Breakthrough Award, Best British Group, and Best British Single.

The Vamps recently embarked on their first headlining world tour in 2017, to coincide with the release of their latest album, Night & Day. The album features the singles “Middle of the Night” (with Martin Jensen) and “Hands” (with Mike Perry and Sabrina Carpenter.)