The Thrylls

Thrylled To Meet You

Report by Elvan Patterson, Oct 2019

The Thrylls are a young British rhythm & blues band based in south west London. They draw their inspiration from early R&B, blues and soul music that inspired a generation of rock bands such as The Who, The Rolling Stones, and others.

British interest in Black American music, and in particular rhythm and blues (R&B), drove the beat boom of the 60s, with vinyl imports of black American artists provided material for every up-and-coming British band. The list of covers of American R&B records in the 60s is virtually endless, and providing much of the inspiration for many of the period's most iconic songwriting and creative ideas. Songs from Stax, Motown and other labels helped launch the careers of aforementioned bands plus The Spencer Davis Group, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Them and The Small Faces, to name but a few. R&B put the vroom in London’s 1960s music scene, and driving versions of songs by James Brown, Bo Diddley, The Isley Brothers and Chester Burnett had audiences jiving, twisting and raving on the dance floors of West London and Soho, packing clubs like 100 Club, The Marquee, and the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond.

The Rolling Stones

Fast forward to 2019, and we find the enduring attraction of the music remains as popular as ever. It’s not surprising then that The Thrylls are finding an eager following in their home turf of west London.

“We seem to attract a wide demographic to our gigs” Thrylls’ bassist* told me. “A lot of older people who remember the music from the 60’s regularly attend our shows. But there is also a growing number of younger people who are digging our music”

The Thrylls focus on less well known songs from the late 50s through to the 70s, with a few period-style originals thrown in.

“British record labels of the 60s that produced such hits as ‘Keep On Running’ and ‘Little Red Rooster’ left a lot of stones unturned” The Thrylls’ manager John Finn told me. “There’s a lot of great 60’s American R&B, blues and soul music that never reached audiences in these islands. Songs from the likes of Mable John, The Contours, Maxine Brown and Magic Sam were largely overlooked.”

The Thrylls are hoping to address this oversight when they release their first album in spring 2020.

Magic Sam

“The songs are rich in melodic line and arrangements, with horn sections and three part harmonies” Thrylls' bassist* explained. “But where necessary, we’re making them more relevant to today’s audiences by bringing in new arrangements; and in some cases, tweaking or rewriting some of the lyrics”

“We focus on bringing the band’s unique identity to the fore” Finn interjected. “The original recordings are simply used as frameworks to achieve this end”.

And it’s the unique identity and superlative level of musicianship in the band that is driving the project.

“It’s very possible to produce a token album of 60’s R&B using a bunch of session musicians with a vocalist from X-Factor or The Voice” Finn explained. “Nothing against those type of polished renditions; but it’s a totally different ball game when you want to infuse each song with that youthful raw energy and enthusiasm that pervaded the original recordings. These have to inspire and touch the listener in a way that can only be achieved through personal investment, both emotionally and energetically, by the performers”

Maxine Brown

The Thrylls pack a dynamite punch, and the band take no prisoners when it comes to delivering their jaw dropping musical aerobatics. There is no doubt that The Thrylls are truly equal to this task.

* Owing to ongoing contract negotiations, I am unable to divulge the details of The Thrylls' personnel at this time.