Photographer and Writer Cecilie Harris
Fashion Abena Ofei at Wizzo & Co
Groomer Lachlan Wignall at Stella Creative Artists using Loreal Pro and Elemis
Producer Haley Paolini
Fashion Assistant Aoife Steyaert-Hernon
Location Special Thanks East Cheap Records
When going into my day with Bradley Simpson, I expected the same infectious positive energy he exudes on stage, and that’s exactly what I got. His nature is super easygoing, yet with a quiet confidence in what he wants, he makes you feel relaxed and welcome. His energy rubs off on me in an “I’ll have what he’s having” kind of way.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Cecilie Harris, sat down with Bradley after photographing him and they immediately skipped the small talk (just the way we like it). We met Bradley years back along with the rest of The Vamps boys. Now, Bradley is embarking on a solo project, The Panic Years, out 28th February 2025. Our conversation flows from the very start - his first music purchase and the AC/DC video that sparked his passion - to the present moment finishing up the album to the future of the legacy he hopes to leave. And while those all sound like huge topics, we also make room for talking about regrets in the form of skinny jeans that cut off his circulation for too many years. Those were the true panic years.
Here is a little sneak peek of our conversation:
I think I realised a few years ago how important purpose is to my general happiness. As much as I love going out and having fun, I can get equal joy from making music. It just gives me a sense of being. I feel very grateful for that because people can search forever for the thing that fulfils them. I read a book years ago called Ikigai which describes it as part of Japanese culture - how they grow up learning about their flow state. It can be anything, but it’s the thing that makes time pass like that [snaps fingers]. Your ikigai is your purpose - what you’re meant to be doing because it puts you into a frame of mind where you’re not thinking, just doing. For me, it’s making and performing music.
We hope you buy Issue 17 to read our full conversation, but we also suggest finding every time Bradley snaps his fingers when he's excited about something. A little treasure hunt for you!
Take in the full 18-page story beyond this teaser. Our brand new Autumn Winter 2024 issue Revolving Revelations is available to buy online.
