The Strypes are an Irish four-piece rock & roll band from Cavan, Ireland, formed in 2011 consisting of Ross Farrelly (lead vocals/harmonica), Josh McClorey (lead guitar/vocals), Pete O'Hanlon (bass guitar/harmonica) and Evan Walsh (drums). The band played the local scene with various members switching parts as they searched for their sound. They draw inspiration from 60's blues boom and 70's pub rock bands such as Dr. Feelgood, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Lew Lewis and Rockpile as well as the original bluesmen and rock 'n' roll artists such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter, among others. The band members' current ages are 16 to 18 years. The band, with a shared love of blues and rhythm and blues music were formed in the town of Cavan, Ireland. After several months gigging around their hometown, the band began playing clubs and pubs around Ireland, playing sets mixing original material with rhythm and blues covers. Their set of fast-paced, gritty, garage rock "speed blues", which mixed the powerful approach of Dr. Feelgood with the intense rave-up format of The Yardbirds, quickly became well received by crowds across Ireland and their reputation as a live act grew. Formation & Early Years The band formed in the town of Cavan in Ireland with the original line-up consisting of McClorey (10th Sep 1995), Walsh (30th Oct 1996), O'Hanlon (20th Feb 1996) on vocals, Jack Hayden (bass) and Conor Bates (guitar). The band made their debut at a primary school Christmas concert and started playing around Cavan and the surrounding areas. In a matter of months, however, both Hayden and Bates had left the band with O'Hanlon switching to bass and Ross Farrelly (3rd Sep 1997) joining on vocals and harmonica. 2012-present: Breakthrough and debut album In April 2012, they released a self-produced EP of four blues covers entitled Young, Gifted & Blue. It was led by a version of the Bo Diddley song "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" and also featured material penned by Billy Boy Arnold, Slim Harpo and Eddie Holland. All of the group's members were still in school at the time and merely recorded the EP as a fun side project. The band did all the preparation and promotion themselves and the EP reached No. 1 on the iTunes Blues Chart the day after release (a position it later held for a further six weeks). This came as a huge surprise to the band, and "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" became a minor hit on Irish radio. The release of the EP also attracted record company interest, and a battle ensued between several major labels for the band's signatures. During this time they began travelling to London, playing clubs and venues around the city. During this time they were signed to Rocket Music Management, owned by Sir Elton John, a fan of the band. In December 2012, the band chose to sign with Mercury Records. Since signing, the band has begun playing venues across the UK and have appeared in music magazines such as NME and Mojo, as well as several national newspapers. Jeff Beck, Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Dave Grohl, Roger Daltrey, and Miles Kane are all known fans of the band. During a February 2013 TV appearance on Chelsea Lately guest hosted by Grohl, Sir Elton said of The Strypes, "They have a knowledge of R&B; and blues at 16 years of age that I have only amassed in my 65 years. They're just like a breath of fresh air." On 28 March 2013 the band released its debut single on Mercury Records, an original track titled "Blue Collar Jane". The single was released on download sites and radio, featuring two digital B-sides, on 28 March with a special edition numbered gatefold vinyl released on Record Store Day (20 April). The reaction to the single has been uniformly positive, with the A-side peaking at No. 11 on the iTunes Alternative Charts. The Record Store Day gatefold double 7" vinyl release featured "Blue Collar Jane" plus B-sides on one 45 and a slightly altered reprint of Young, Gifted & Blue on the other. During April 2013 the band featured live on the popular BBC2 television programme Later... with Jools Holland, along with other musical artists Suede, Laura Mvula and Cat Power. The band's second single, "Hometown Girls" (backed by live versions of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday Blues" and the traditional "CC Rider" recorded at King Tut's, Glasgow) was released as a download in May 2013 and on vinyl on 8 July. The band's debut album, titled Snapshot, was released on 9 September 2013.[1] It was produced by highly-acclaimed (former Beatles and Sex Pistols) record producer Chris Thomas. The band's third single, "What a Shame", was released on download on 26 July with a vinyl run to follow later in August.

• published: 27 Mar 2014
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