STRYPES

SNAPSHOT - The first thing you notice on seeing The Strypes play is what a phenomenal live band they are, wailing and howling and strutting like a raw rhythm and blues band. The second thing you notice is the crowd - recently, the band have been packing out rooms around the country, and with audiences flecked with rock royalty. And the third thing you notice is their age. The Strypes are a proper phenomenon.

Four boys aged 15 and 17, they are players with chops way beyond their years, the hard-earned result of years spent honing their craft in Irish pubs, hotels and music halls, where they’d often play for up to two and a half hours at a time. “The Irish pub band ethos is play for really long, or you’re no good,” says guitarist Josh. “And sometimes there’d be five people there, and they’d just want to hear play ‘Whiskey In The Jar’,” says drummer Evan. “So we developed a trick to make them pay attention - we play really LOUD!” The album, produced by Chris Thomas, was recorded in just 15 days in the studio – but that was double the time the band were hoping to spend on it. “You know like The Beatles did on ‘Please Please Me? Well, maybe not in a day like they did, but we were going for a week,” said drummer Evan Walsh.