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Charlie Simpson famously left pop rock outfit Busted at the height of their popularity to pursue more credible projects. Now releasing his second solo album, Long Road Home, he talks about overcoming writer’s block and reflects on his time in the band.

Do you prefer creating music as a solo artist?
I love creating music whatever form it’s in. I do find the two writing environments very different though. When I’m writing for my solo stuff it tends to feel more personal and lyrically it will be more introspective. When I’m writing as a band we are often bouncing ideas off each other and so it’s a much more collaborative experience.

Both your solo albums have focused on acoustic harmonies. Do you favour that to the heavy rock you made in Fightstar?
I wouldn’t say I favoured acoustic music over rock music – they are both an equal part of my musical make-up. I love harmonies in any setting though.

You’ve been open about writer’s block prior to making Long Road Home. How did you overcome it?
The only way I felt that I could get past the writer’s block was to disengage myself from writing music entirely for a coupe of months. I think in the end it made for a better record though, because when I came back I wrote some of the best songs on the album.

What are the influences in Long Road Home?
The inspiration for this record came largely from the 1970’s American West Coast sound. I wanted to create a warm-sounding album reminiscent of the early Fleetwood Mac and Eagles records.

How do you feel now about your time in Busted?
I definitely look back now on the experience I had with fond memories. It took me a while to get to this point, because I really wasn’t in a good place at the end of my time in the band. However as I have grown up over the years, I think I’ve gained a fresh perspective on it all. I love what I am doing now and every part of my journey over the past 10 years has led me up to this point, which is something I will always be grateful for.

RACHEL ROBERTS

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Charlie Simpson

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