Even before the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake caused concert cancellations en masse, The Vaccines had to start pulling out of overseas tour commitments due to singer Justin Young's throat operation. Now "100 percent better," the band will show the audience at this year's Fuji Rock Festival what has made them Britain's most talked-about indie-pop band since Arctic Monkeys.
"We're dealing with it the best we can, aren't we?" says Young, referring to the sudden fame as he turns to Freddie Cowan, the band's guitarist, sat beside him on a tour bus parked outside England's Manchester Academy venue. "We finished the album before anyone had heard any of our songs, so it hasn't affected what we do creatively." Young perks up slightly. "In fact, the only time we ever hear about hype is when journalists say to us, 'So how are you dealing with the hype?' " Cowan interjects. "On a day-to-day level it doesn't affect us. It's not like we've ever been recognized in the street or anything."
Alongside each other, they appear very different personalities — Young is slow and deliberate, wearing an oversized shirt and constantly brushing his hair back with his hands. Cowan, mumbling quickly, is dressed in a dandy-ish hat and waistcoat — but they, along with bassist Arni Arnason and drummer Pete Robertson, are united in their quest for what they perceive as a pop "holy grail."