punk act Busted as a result to responding to an advertisement placed by Matt Willis and James Bourne in NME magazine in 2001. Busted consisted of Simpson on lead guitar and occasionally drums, Willis on bass guitar and Bourne on rhythm guitar and piano; all three members provided vocals. Over a period of two years, the trio had major success and sold over 5 million records, won two BRIT Awards, and also won Record of The Year in 2004. On 10 November 2015, Busted announced they would be reforming after 10 years and would embark on an 18 date UK arena tour, as well as recording a new album. They released their third album Night Driver in 2016 which was then followed by Half Way There in 2019. In the latter end of that year, Busted entered their first hiatus since their comeback so the members could concentrate on other projects. Fightstar (2003–present) Despite the huge success of Busted, Simpson began to grow increasingly discontented with the pop star lifestyle and the music he was performing. As an avid fan of rock music, he felt unfulfilled by the commercial pop songs of Busted. He met Alex Westaway in late 2003, forming what became Fightstar shortly afterwards. For over a year he would lead a secret "double life": by night he would attend rehearsal sessions with his new band after completing obligated media work and concert performances with Busted. During 2004, he and Westaway wrote Fightstar's debut EP, They Liked You Better When You Were Dead. The EP showcased a heavier post-hardcore influenced sound that differed greatly to Busted's material. The EP was recorded during November with Mark Williams in London. During this time, speculation began to grow about Busted's future. He announced he was leaving Busted to pursue his career full-time with Fightstar in January 2005. Simpson then funded and put together a compilation album called The Suffolk Explosion, which was released through his own label Sandwich Leg Records. It showcased a number of unsigned bands from Charlie's home county of Suffolk, including Brigade and Prego, as well as a solo acoustic track written by him called "Carry Her". Fightstar went on to record their debut full-length studio album with rock producer Colin Richardson. Grand Unification was released on 13 March 2006, and further proved the initial cynics wrong by receiving widespread positive reviews. In particular, Paul Brannigan of Kerrang!