By JAYDEE LOK
alltherage@thestar.com.my

TRYING to get James McVey to share the personal stories behind the songs he writes is like trying to get an infant to speak – nearly impossible and quite frankly, a waste of time.

When talking to R.AGE on the phone last week, the 19-year-old lead guitarist and back-up vocalist of British pop rock band The Vamps seemed uncomfortable talking about pretty much anything beyond what we already knew about them.

From left: Lead guitarist James McVey, 19, lead vocalist Bradley Simpson, 18, drummer Tristan Evans, 19, and bass guitarist Connor Ball, 17.

Even after he explained how he and lead vocalist Bradley Simpson, 18, have spent the last five years writing songs about life, friends and romantic relationships, McVey refused to share any back stories behind the songs he has written.

“I can’t tell you any stories about girls because there are just too many!” he said jokingly. “Not really. We don’t really have time for girls.”

But what about the girls that have come and gone and been immortalised in their songs?

“They’re too secret!” said McVey, obviously getting a little anxious. “We kinda like to keep our secrets (within the band). I can’t tell you any of Bradley’s secrets and I can’t tell you about the girls I talk about in the songs.”

It seems highly unlikely that the boys will be able to keep their personal lives away from the limelight for long. McVey, Simpson, bassist Connor Ball, 17, and drummer Tristan Evans, 19, have been stealing the hearts of teenage girls (and boys) around the world, and they seem destined for the top.

The boys started gaining recognition by covering songs by chart-topping British bands like One Direction, The Wanted and Lawson. As it is, the boys have already gone on tour with Selena Gomez (which R.AGE covered in London last year, and were pleasantly surprised by how good their opening set was) and are often likened to British pop punk band McFly. McVey says the band takes the comparison as a great compliment.

“They’re very energetic when they play live; they run around a lot on stage. That’s what we’re trying to take from them,” he said.

While it’s hard to pin down exactly where the band fits in on the spectrum of teen pop/rock idols, McVey insists they are who they are, and their record label, Mercury Records, has never forced them to be something they’re not.

“No one tells us what to do,” he said. “We like to try and be individual and do what we want.”

As a self-proclaimed “Swiftie”, McVey will soon get the chance to share the stage with Taylor Swift herself when her RED Tour hits Britain in February, just before the band tours Europe with The Wanted. The boys have barely had a chance to catch their breath, let alone figure out why they decided to name themselves The Vamps.

“It was just sorta random,” shared McVey. “Me and Brad wrote down a lot of names and it just kinda stuck before we had time to think of anything else.”

What is even more impressive about The Vamps is that they’ve accomplished all these things before even releasing their debut full-length album.

Due to release in April 2014, McVey said the boys are now putting the finishing touches on the album.

“I think people can expect an album that covers a wide range of genres,” said McVey. “We’ve got more folksy stuff on it, but more upbeat stuff as well. Some of it is acoustic-driven indie pop.”

Despite the fact that the band is on the brink of worldwide fame, McVey still can’t quite believe just how far they’ve come.

“Around Christmas time we were looking back and we were blown away by some of the awesome opportunities we’ve been given,” he said. “We feel very lucky and can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us.”