I have let my 13-year-old self down in many ways, but not recognising Bradley Simpson might be the worst frustration of my preteen dreams yet. A mop of brown curls, a sheepish smile, and a shirt which looked like it came from a loosely cowboy-themed Forever 21 collection made Simpson seem as much a student as me. It was only once sat across from him that I recognised the lead vocalist — and teenage heartthrob — of the Vamps.

Considering the Vamps’ ten years in the pop industry, they’re still young — Simpson is 27 and James McVey, the guitarist, is 28. Gaining fame when their bassist was just 15, McVey describes the early years as “quite daunting”. “I’d only ever been to France like three times and all of a sudden we’re going to Australia”, he remembers. Simpson tells me that he has since built up “tolerance” for the exhaustion. In fact, he has only “hit the rhythm more so in the past like three or four years”.

'The bond between the four of us is a really amazing way to mitigate the stress'

He doesn’t just mean musically. Simpson says that “there was a period of time where there were a few people around the band who were drivers, and we were going with the momentum we had. Whereas now we’re much more conscious of being happy, taking our time, and making the albums as and when it feels like the right time to”. This time around, “it’s more of an internal pressure than an external one”.

Growing up in the limelight means the Vamps have acquired a wealth of advice on how to deal with stress — alongside, as Simpson jokes, “shit loads of alcohol”. The band are going to Cornwall next week, says James, adding: “the bond between the four of us is a really amazing way to mitigate the stress, and also to unbox issues that have been lingering around in our individual lives... it’s like there’s a presence and an energy between us that’s almost like a therapy for me”. Having been open about his struggles with body dysmorphia, fame has taken a toll on McVey. He maintains, however, that “the benefits completely outweigh the negatives”. Simpson agrees, explaining that “there’s a whole host of other things that come with [the fame] in terms of a slight invasion of privacy or people just giving a shit about stuff that you’re like, no-one cares about”. He adds that ultimately, what makes living in the limelight worthwhile is the chance “to explore the world and see all these people and places with three lovely men”.

'I was happy singing songs in pubs – that was brilliant'

It’s not hard to put your finger on what makes the Vamps so special. In fact, they know it themselves. As Simpson says, “people are so switched on now about authenticity. They can see through a lie very well”. In an age where the image of many bands is highly manufactured, the Vamps’ genuine friendship has a nostalgic quality. Sitting across from the manifestation of the 2010s boy bands-with-floppy-hair hysteria, it’s easy to miss it. James worries that “the way that it’s going with social media, we might get to a point of no return where the art at the core of [the music industry] or the freedom to express yourself through the method of song” — he cringes at his “wankery” expression — “is being dictated by formulated things, or statistics”.

Yet they seem optimistic, or perhaps, diplomatic. As McVey sees it: “in ten, twenty years there’ll be another platform, and it’s just about evolving and moving with it”. Simpson agrees: “every generation just has to adjust,” which is “neither a good or a bad thing. It just is”. Saying that, he assures me that they won’t let this affect their sound - they’re passionate that “the art should come first”. “I started writing songs because I wanted to,” McVey says. “I was happy singing songs in pubs - that was brilliant. I think neither of us started it to be, you know, famous”. For Simpson, “getting into music was purely for a love of music”.

What makes the Vamps’ music so special is that each song feels like one you’ve known forever, even upon hearing it for the first time. And the boys themselves are no different. By the end of our conversation, and at the bottom of our glasses, it feels like chatting to old friends. We compare drinks of choice; Simpson hits the right buttons for me with jägers, and a gin and tonic before a show…“and throughout”. Then, we compare which reality TV shows we’d want to feature in. McVey, who came fifth in the 2018 series of I’m A Celeb, suggests Hunted, a show in which competitors go on the run for a month. I wonder if his more complex experience with fame plays any part in this answer. Simpson, in contrast, opts for Total Wipeout.

When I ask about future collaborations, McVey jumps in with “Taylor” before I can finish my sentence. Aside from his first name basis with the star, McVey seems as awed by her as any fan. He describes supporting Taylor's Red tour in 2013 as a “dream come true”. “The fact that we still have very fond memories of that shows how great Taylor is because, you know, I can’t remember a lot of random shows, but all of that week or whatever it was — I just remember that really well”. For Simpson, Pharrell is a “genius”, while the Gorillaz would also be a dream collaboration. It’s easy to forget their fame, until McVey reminds Simpson that they had met and performed for the now King Charles. “Very soft hands. Like silk,” says Simpson, now remembering.

Ten years may have passed, but the Vamps haven’t lost a shred of authenticity since they shooting to fame with a youtube cover of One Direction's, Live While We’re Young. They assure me that they never will.