The Busted boys are back with their 2017 Night Driver tour, and heading to Kent. James, Matt and Charlie talk about their comeback and how they’re as surprised as anyone that they’re doing it.

You’re back together and have a new album after a decade – how does it feel?

Matt: It feels amazing. There’s a couple of members of this band that thought it would never happen! We’re as surprised as all of you.

James: We started playing a couple of songs together and it kind of felt right. Well, it didn’t just feel right – it felt awesome.

How has your music changed after such a long time?

Matt: It was obviously going to be different after 10 years. If it hadn’t been different that would have been more alarming than if it had been different. We got into different types of music and then you bring them together. We’d had 10 years of being apart and that all coming together.

Some have said your first single from the new album, On What You’re On, sounds a bit like Daft Punk. What do you think?

James: We didn’t go out of our way to sound like them, though it’s a massive compliment if people think we do. We’re huge Daft Punk fans. We didn’t have a definitive style we were going for.

Charlie: There’s a couple of curve balls on the album, definitely. It is quite an eclectic record but the songs really fit together well.

How has the music industry changed since you started out?

Charlie: Social media is amazing now. I remember before my friends used to send me letters. Seems funny now. The internet was just starting and people were talking about MySpace back then. Communication with people is so fast now. Everything is so fast – it is a much faster pace of life. It is really lovely now because when we have something to say to our fans we can tell them and then people come back to us straight away.

Tell us about the tour.

Matt: We want to get it out in the world and want people to come on this journey with us. It is a big deal for us. We are introducing our new record to people. We’re also going to throw in some big hits you’ll recognise so there’s something for everyone there.

DETAILS

Busted will be at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone on Tuesday, February 7, but the gig is now sold out. For details of the band’s tour go to busted.com

Listen to the boys’ chat with kmfm’s Glen Scott on the Hit List at kmfm.co.uk/pages/interviews

THE BOYS' BACK STORY

Busted are back on tour after reforming with original members Matt Willis, James Bourne and Charlie Simpson.

The trio burst onto the scene in 2002 with their debut single What I Go to School For and never looked back.

The 2017 tour promotes their album, Night Driver – the band’s first in 12 years – released in November.

The Essex-based threesome formed back in 2000 and had two studio albums and one live album before they split, after selling five million albums worldwide, when Charlie decided to pursue a career fronting another band.

Matt and James toured with McFly as McBusted twice in 2014 and 2015 and released an album before Charlie rejoined Busted.

Among their dates on their comeback tour is a sell-out show at Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone on Tuesday. “We’re coming to some of the most intimate venues we’ve ever played,” said Matt.

“We wanted to get up close to you and spread Night Driver love, and thought these places would be an epic place to start.”