Albums: James McVey Letters Home

James McVey Letters Home

State of Mine; All The Things; Thick and Thin; Hold On To The Times; Hate How I Hurt You’; Eyes Closed

Label: Scorpion Music Group

James McVey's initial steps to a career outside his main source of income was to appear on I'm A Celebrity. The Vamps fared well, finishing in fifth place. While he returned to the group that helped him find international fame in the aftermath, the hankering for solo opportunities saw him realise his debut EP, Manabi, in 2023. A tour with Henry Moodie followed. This in turn led to him writing a new set of songs, which grew into his sophomore EP, Letters Home. While he may have been on the road and hankering for home, what of the songs that this moment lead to him crafting?

Fully written and recorded while on the tour, Letters Home is an organic collection that captures a raw insight into what life as an artist on the road is really like. For many music fans that concept is a foreign one. While they are excited to see their favourites perform live, they rarely stop to think about what life is like for the one craving their moment on the stage.

While his band may be known for their poppier leanings, McVey's Letters Home is a more intense and reflective affair. With folk leanings and indie sensibilities, Letters Home is emotive without being intrusive. Hold On To The Times, the recent single, is the most tender of moments on the collection, but it is the mental health exploration of State of Mine that really makes the heart flutter.