Liverpool’s psych-pop extraordinaires The Vryll Society are quickly rising to acclaimed heights. With a heavenly Maida Vale session under their belts at BBC Radio One and a trip over to Austin for SXSW festival this March, the band are fast culminating in a productive year.
For fans of Pond, to Allah-Las and Tame Impala, The Vryll Society offers a similar sophisticated psych-rock enthused catharsis on the ear. The Liverpudlian five piece’s latest single ‘Sacred Flight’ revels in a soft psych-pop contagion. Ooozing in flawless psych grooves the single stretches a transcending power.
As The Vryll Society’s followers are fast beginning to anticipate a debut album and with the group having a SXSW slot round the corner, Bitter Sweet Symphonies catches up with the band…
In crafting an experimental psych-pop sound. Do The Vryll Society see themselves as Britain’s answer to Tame Impala?
I wouldn’t think so, I wouldn’t really say it’s an answer to anything. If you like guitars, and you’re in to music then hopefully you’ll like us.
Who do the band liken themselves to in sound?
We love CAN, AIR, Aphrodites Child, David Axelrod. We buzz off these artists a lot so it’s great getting little hints of them into us.
How did The Vryll Society’s signing with Deltasonic Records (home to The Zutons, The Coral) occur?
Alan Wills found us years ago and kept working and developing us to basically put us on the path of where we are now. We actually aren’t signed to Deltasonic, we’re just managed by them.
In the past The Vryll Society have played alongside Viola Beach and Blossoms, even adventuring on a joint tour with Hidden Charms last year. Do you think a real sense of a supportive community is prospering between the bands that are breaking through at the moment?
Yes most definitely and I think it helps an awful lot, why wouldn’t it work when people come together for the same thing?
Your latest single ‘Sacred Flight’ has seen the band squeeze their cathartic psych-kissed resonance into a brief three-minute pop whirl. The Vryll Society has in the past been known for longer-winding tracks such as debut ‘Deep Blue Skies’, what made the band cut a short and blissfully sweet track?
We wanted something different, something a bit faster that you could maybe have a little dance too.
Was it hard to cram the eclectic range of the band into a short three-minute single?
We seem to be getting the hang of those types of songs now, we’re just basically trying to condense the bigger tunes into 3 minutes.
‘Sacred Flight’ was produced and mixed by Joe Fearon and Tom Longworth. How did The Vryll Society come to work with the duo?
We’ve been working with them for years, Joe is a lifelong friend of Alan and Tom came in with us about 3/4 years ago and it’s been great, they’re both brilliant.
The band recently played a blissed-out and beautiful session for Huw Stephens at Maida Vale. How did the band enjoy playing on the show?
We absolutely loved it, can’t wait to go back one day. The sound is spot on and the building is full of history and it’s kind of beautiful.
Are The Vryll Society pleased with the support they’ve received from BBC Radio 1 DJs, specifically Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq?
Most definitely, it’s what we’ve been working for.
Your debut LP is becoming widely anticipated. When can we expect The Vryll Society’s debut album to drop? Is the record already in process of recording?
Not exactly in the process as we speak but it will be happening this year.
What three words would the band use to describe the desired sound of their first LP?
Space Rock Sorcery.
In the meantime, whilst your fans in the UK are intensely waiting for a first LP, you are set to embrace America. Is the band looking forward to playing SXSW?
Over the moon, first time we’re heading to America and I don’t reckon it’ll be the last.
How does The Vryll Society feel they will go down with an American audience?
With love, hopefully.
The Vryll Society play SXSW on March 17th. The new single ‘Sacred Flight’ is out now on Deltasonic Records.
For updates on The Vryll Society follow the band on Facebook and Twitter.
