The Strypes

Upon first emerging, the Strypes drew notice equally for the youth of their members, all between 16 and 17, and for the range of artists who shaped their sound, among them Dr. Feelgood, Rockpile, Howlin' Wolf, and the Yardbirds. Formed in Cavan, Ireland, the group traces its start to 2008, when Evan Walsh, Pete O'Hanlon, and Josh McClorey began rehearsing together in Walsh’s home after discovering their parents’ record collections. At that stage Walsh handled drums, O'Hanlon took vocals, and McClorey played guitar; the early configuration, which adopted its name from the playfully altered spellings common to 1960s groups such as the Byrds, also included bassist Jack Hayden and guitarist Conor Bates. This lineup played its first show at Farnham National School and continued performing locally for several months before Hayden and Bates departed. O'Hanlon then moved to bass, leaving the Strypes as an instrumental trio until vocalist and harmonica player Ross Farrelly, who had opened for one of their concerts, joined the fold.

Once the roster was finalized, the quartet spent the next few years sharpening both original material and covers through live work, culminating in the April 2012 self-release of the four-track covers EP Young, Gifted and Blue. A clip for their reading of Bo Diddley’s “You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover,” filmed by a former babysitter, propelled the record to the summit of the digital charts within twenty-four hours. That independent breakthrough attracted major-label interest; after affiliating with Elton John’s Rocket Music management, the band signed to Mercury Records toward the end of 2012. Performances across the U.K. around the same period brought endorsements from Noel Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Paul Weller, Dave Grohl, and Roger Daltrey. Mercury issued the band’s debut single, “Blue Collar Jane,” in March 2013, and in June the Strypes opened for Arctic Monkeys across the U.K. and Germany. “What a Shame” appeared the following month, and September brought the full-length Snapshot, produced by Chris Thomas, whose résumé includes work with the Beatles and the Sex Pistols. After supporting the album throughout 2014, the group tracked its follow-up, Little Victories, which surfaced in August 2015. Further touring occupied 2016, and the band resurfaced in June 2017 with its third album, Spitting Image.