AN INTERVIEW WITH THE VRYLL SOCIETY - 21/11/2016




THE VRYLL SOCIETY at The Leadmill



THE VRYLL SOCIETY are a five-piece band from Liverpool consisting of Michael Ellis (vocals), Ryan Ellis (guitar), Lewis McGuiness (guitar), Lloyd Shearer (bass) and Benjamin Robinson (drums).

 

After being locked away in their subterranean rehearsal space for more than a year, The Vryll Society have been creating a complex body of work to stimulate both the soul and mind. Long days of liquid jams and crafted song writing, laced with touches of Funkadelic, Aphrodite's Child and Krautrock has seen a rich ocean of sound come to the surface.

 

I managed to catch the band live at their Sheffield tour date when they played The Leadmill and then a few days later for an interview at their Leeds tour date when they played the Brudenell Social Club at which I got the chance to speak to frontman Michael Ellis.

Michael and myself during the interview - photo credit to Gaz Jones

 

How was it everyone in the band first met?

 

'Urm, there was one set of members of the band in one band and the other half were in another band and we were kinda like you know, if we join forces here we could have something good going and we knew Lewis from like kinda partying round town and we asked him and he couldn't wait to join. So it was born outta knowing that both sets of people had good things to bring to it.'

 

When was it that you first realised music was something you wanted to pursue? Was there something specific that triggered this?

 

'Yeah, my dad had the The Beatles' album For Sale and I kinda just feel in love with it and there's a tune on it called Kansas City My My My and it just sounded kinda dangerous and like I don't know, that kind of maverick quality to it and I think that's quite erm, you know as a young kid its kinda like intoxicating so yeah, The Beatles For Sale is the one.'

 

 

What would you describe your genre to be at present?

 

'The genre of The Vryll Society urm, we're kinda like crossing between all different kind of genres we can be doing Krautrock one minute and then we can be doing funk the next and then we can be doing you know a bit of jazz or a bit of like outright psyche. It kinda doesn't stay in one genre but I suppose if you wanna sum it up it is Rock 'n' Roll and the subgenres of it, so yeah Rock 'n' Roll.'

 

So I saw you during this tour at Leadmill (Sheffield) and now I'm interviewing you here (Brudenell Social Club, Leeds). Do you have any fond memories of Sheffield or Leeds?

 

 

'Yeah, the first time we played Leeds it was at this venue and it was really good. The venue is amazing. We haven't really played that many gigs in either places so maybe tonight will be the one to remember.'

 

On this tour are you playing anywhere that you haven't played before?

 

'Yeah loads of places, we're doing Oxford and we've never played Oxford before. We've never played Nottingham, so I guess it's not loads really it's just the two but yeah no we've never played in either of those places. Nottingham is really cool city like I'd like to see more of it.'

 

Michael during the interview

What are your favourite venues to play?

 

'King Tuts (Wah Wah Hut) is probably me favourite gig of the tour just because it's a historic venue, it sounds amazing in there like you can't really go wrong to be honest it's just a great venue so yeah, King Tuts.'

 

So on the 31st October you announced that you got number two on Radio 1's 'Best of Introducing'. How did that feel?

 

'Urm, kind of like appreciation that we are doing something good. It's starting to hit home that people are starting to get it which is the main thing. I guess just you know your bands good but to other people to get it as much as you and the people around you get it takes a bit of time, it seems to be getting to where it needs to go at the moment.'

 

What is something you want to fulfil in terms of the band?

 

'Urm, doing a good show tonight and getting off the stage after the last song without falling over would be great like cos it hasn't happened yet but we know its coming at some point, there's gonna be a spare lead. So yeah, doing a good gig here tonight and not falling off the stage.'

 

Throughout the rest of 2016 and the beginning of 2017, what can we expect from The Vryll Society?

 

'More singles and more radioplay man cos we haven't really had enough like. So yeah, more singles and more radio play, more music coming your way.'

 

 

 Written by Sophie.