McBusted - the pop supergroup combination of boybands McFly and Busted - have been selling out arenas all over the world since their inception back in November 2013. However, along with the announcement of McBusted's birth, it was obvious that the group would be missing a key component: former Busted member Charlie Simpson. He had his reasons for not taking part in the reunion, but what's the popstar turned rocker been up to as of late?

Charlie Simpson PicCharlie Simpson just released his second album, 'Long Road Home'

It's no secret - Simpson was the reason behind Busted's demise so many years ago, but his departure led to taking his music career to new heights. He then became the frontman of alternative rock band Fightstar, and they quickly became a force in the genre, as well as charts in the UK. Eventually, his horizons expanded even further: Simpson began posting solo demos on his MySpace page, and it ended up leading to his first solo album, Young Pilgrim, in 2011. Young Pilgrim was a landmark in Simpson's career for sure, and it allowed the songwriter to delve into a deeper aspect of his music - trading screams and electric guitars for acoustics and more softer songs. Young Pilgrim peaked at number six on the UK album charts, but he also found some success in America as well. In the summer of 2013, Simpson traveled across the U.S. on the Vans Warped Tour, playing an acoustic set at a number of dates to a very well received crowd. In a way, you might even say that Simpson found more success in the States than he ever did in Busted.

More: Charlie Simpson says he didn't see Busted bandmates for seven years

By 2013, Simpson was still touring off his Young Pilgrim debut, and despite the desire from fans for another full-length and the promise of its arrival, it was still met with multiple delays. Finally released on August 4, Simpson's second album, Long Road Home, marks yet another improvement in his career. "After taking some much needed time out from writing and all things music related, I came back with a completely fresh perspective and wrote in my opinion, some of the best music I have written in my career so far," Simpson said regarding the record. He wasn't wrong about it being some of the best. Long Road Home is ultimately a much more improved and focused effort over Young Pilgrim, sporting gorgeous harmonies in folk-driven tunes. The melodies are top notch, and tracks like 'Haunted' and 'Emily' are easily the standouts on a record that was well worth its three year long wait.

Next page: Are we ever going to get another Fightstar album?