Strypes’ video fast becoming online sensation again
Sinéad Hogan
The Strypes’ latest release, Hometown Girls, with video shot by their Cavan film-maker friend Finn Keenan, is rocketing on YouTube with over 157,000 hits already after just two weeks.
The rhythm and blues sensation formed in 2011 by Ross Farrelly (lead vocals/harmonica), Josh McClorey (lead guitar/vocals), Pete O’Hanlon (bass guitar/harmonica) and Evan Walsh (drums) have already been met with critical acclaim from greats such as Jeff Beck and Paul Weller and been tipped by NME as the No. 1 new band to watch.
Manager, Niall Walsh, told The Anglo-Celt that the new video has been really well received and they’re delighted with it.
Shot at Battersea Power Station in London, the video involved the band going on the roof at 4am and staying there for 12 hours seeking the London skyline during a spectacular sunrise.
Energy
Just out of a recording studio in London for a lunchbreak, Niall was paying tribute to Finn.
'Finn’s energy and ideas are just fantastic,' said Niall. 'The band’s break came when we made an EP at home in Belturbet, You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover, and Finn did the video for that. The video got a huge amount of attention for the band online and that’s how where record companies and the media would have seen the band.
The video probably was just as big as the song.'
For the current video, they wanted something raw and performance based - not special effects, not a story video, just the energy of the band straight to camera.
Finn said the raw, authentic feel is something that’s been there and been important from the start.
'When I finished college I had a ‘summer of nothing’ and the lads were just becoming The Strypes so I said I’ll practice videos on you and you can practice performing for the camera for me. We never thought we’d be making proper videos. Nothing was forced. It was just because we all knew each other, it made sense.
'I’m very lucky to have come along on the ride,' said Finn.
Now Finn is working on a documentary about The Strypes, travelling with them, getting footage of them on the road, doing concerts and recording.
He says of the documentary what the world is thinking: 'We’ll see where it goes because things are getting big fast.'