Wednesday 1 May 2013

‘Sunday World’s’ Eddie Rowley interviews The Strypes

"Mainstream pop music just wasn't for us. That whole manufactured thing doesn't do it for us at all"

YOUNG CAVAN ROCKERS THE STRYPES TAKING THE MUSIC WORLD BY STORM


Eddie Rowley with The Strypes
ELTON JOHN is in awe of their music knowledge, Dave Grohl describes their performances as "unbelievable," and Paul Weller admits they made him "up my game."

This would be high praise, indeed, for any seasoned band. But they're all referring to a group of Irish rockers with an average age of 16.

The Strypes, who we featured in Shuffle last year, are a Cavan four-piece showing the potential to become Ireland's next U2. "They have a knowledge of R&B at 16 years that I've only amassed in my 65 years," Elton John says.

Now signed to Elton's Rocket Management, Ross Farrelly (15), Josh McClorey (17), Evan Walsh (16) and Pete O'Hanlon (16), are taking all the fuss in their stride.

Although it seems like they've been an overnight success, turning in jaw-dropping performances on shows like’ Later With... Jools Holland’, the lads point out that they've done a couple of hundred performances in the last 18 months.

Meeting them in the flesh, The Strypes display a maturity beyond their tender years. "We're not looking to be rich and famous, we just always thought it would be great to be in a band playing music for a living," says red-hot guitarist Josh.

"We'd be level-headed enough not to get carried away with celebrity. You can be as normal as you want." Their taste in music is old-school and they reference the likes of Dr. Feelgood, early Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Animals. This was the music they grew up listening to in the home of Evan Walsh, whose dad, Niall, was once in a band called The Fireflys.

"Hanging out in Evan's house growing up, we would have all digested Niall's record collection," Josh says. "Through that we went back to the 1950s' rockers and got into Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and all that sort of stuff. We'd have a comprehensive knowledge of rock'n’roll over the last 50 years.'

They were never dedicated followers of modern fashion - their 'look' has been influenced by The Jam and the Stones - and nothing in the charts today excites them.

"We've never paid attention to the charts" says Evan, who admits he doesn't even possess a mobile phone or do social networking. "Main stream pop music wasn't for us. That whole manufactured pop thing doesn't do it for us at all," he adds.

When they started the band there was no grand plan, according to Josh. "It was just four mates playing around. You hope a decade down the line you get some degree of success, but we never thought it would ever be like this."

In the summer of 2011, The Strypes started playing local events around Cavan and Monaghan. By the end of the year they were in the clubs of Dublin, all thanks to word of mouth. "We put out a four-track EP, designed the cover ourselves, wrote a press release and sent it to Irish radio stations" Pete says. "That sparked record company interest."

The Modfather, Paul Weller, became an instant fan after seeing them on YouTube. "Last October we got contacted by Weller's management saying he liked us and he'd be interested in us supporting him in Abbey Road for a Channel Four series" Josh says.

Weller and his guitarist, Steve Cradock, were inspired by their performance. "We were watching them play from the side of the stage and were blown away" The Modfather says. "They've got so much energy they made us up our game."

As for hanging out with Elton John, The Strypes regarded him as one of the lads. "Because people like that are so like-minded musically, you don't feel like you're talking to Elton John" Evan points out.

"We wouldn't have had a lot of knowledge of Elton's music, but we respected him. He's very up to date on music. Anything new that's released is sent to him. He's more finger-on-the pulse than we are."

And Elton knows he's on to a winner with The Strypes.

THE Strypes' new three-track EP, Blue Collar Jane, is out now.

EDDIE ROWLEY

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