Biography
Ripchord are 1965 Records' second major band out of the traps. The punk-pop juveniles to The View's rock'n'roll rebels. Like The Twang and The Enemy, they're putting the Midlands on the map. Think Buzzcocks and The Undertones: as furiously accessible, as wonkily appealing. They are four teenagers who are on a very simple mission, to create a classic album, the finest punk pop songs, and steal your hearts...
Described by critics as "incessantly catchy pop, like Blur, or Franz at their giddy best" with "'the youthful zing of Supergrass, the regional charm of a lo-fi Arctic Monkeys, and lyrics plucked straight out of She's Electric", Ripchord is fronted by 18 year old singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist Phil Wallbank, whose stock-in-trade is romantic disillusion with a side order of wry. Then there's bassist Beal, who at only 19, has had more near death experiences than the average bomb disposal expert, Roz, 18, who attacks the drums with the vigour of John Bonham, and co-writer and co-founder Sulli, 20, who handles lead guitar and backing vocal duties.
It goes without saying, but Ripchord have been obsessed with music forever. They were always going to be in bands. Nothing else came close. School was boring, and other childhood ambitions proved fleetingly alluring. Around 1998, Phil and Sulli meet at the Wulfrun, an indie spin-off of Wolverhampton's Civic Hall, and subsequently developed their friendship in the school music room. They instinctively knew what they had to do and went about finding a decent bassist and drummer. Enter Beal and Roz, who arrived just in time for Ripchord's first gig, and the line up was complete.
Aged only 16, Phil spent the autumn of 2004 churning out loads of great songs. Some of the tunes from that period are still in Ripchord's set and are contenders for the band's debut album (Ash [Sings The Songs Of The Sixties] and Terrible Thing). "I brought them to the band and we played them in a really punky way. Other Bands were trying to be cool and angular like Bloc Party. I was like, fuck that, I just want to write shameless pop songs with an edge".
School was useful for songwriting purposes. The raw material for Phil's songs was provided by little incidents that happened to him day to day. "Just Another Bad Day was written after I went to this party, which was absolute shite. Everyone there was pissed and smooching, and I wasn't getting any of that. Neither was Sulli, so we stood in the back garden listening to the first Stone Roses album."
He cites Paul Heaton as an inspiration for his sardonic amusing lyrics while others have detected the influence of punk-pop pioneers Buzzcocks and The Undertones. Like Mark E Smith, Phil believes that, if you want politics, you should read the New Statesman. "Pop" he reckons "is supposed to be an escape".
These catchy songs gained the attention of 1965 boss James Endeacott, after he came across a track on a midlands scene demo. Endeacott made his way down to a gig in Wellington and decided he'd seen a 'version of rock'n'roll past and a vision of rock'n'roll future' that he had to have. "We were very ragged round the edges but he loved the songs," recalls Sulli. "He thinks of us as the new Buzzcocks. He likes our punky natures, and our catchy pop songs."
Endeacott patiently waited for the band to finish school and finally at the end of last year, Ripchord signed to 1965. "They make me smile, hum and dance at the same time," says James. "They write absolutely brilliant pop songs: Just Another Bad Day is a particular favourite because I love Herman's Hermits and so is Back Of A Van because it reminds me, for some reason, of Nicholas Lyndhurst. "Ripchord make me feel 16 again," he adds. "They have cheek in abundance and a sparkle in their eye. They're scamps with an ear for melody that will keep you gripped to your seat. And, of course, they look cute. How big will they be? As big as they want!"
Ripchord's debut album will have a poptastic dozen or more tracks – all two to three minute bursts of buzzsaw pop glory. "They should be simple enough to be catchy, but complex enough to be interesting," argues Phil, and he should know. It's mainly being produced at Elevator and Parr Street studios in Liverpool (with mixing at the famous RAK in London) by indie Zelig Ian Broudie, who has been present at virtually every crucial event in post-punk history. The band is gobsmacked to be working with such a legend, and appreciate the way he's keeping it raw but highlighting the pop.
If 2006 saw Ripchord prove to themselves they could do it, then 2007 will be the year they demonstrate their greatness to everyone else. They've performed just 60 gigs to date, supporting Babyshambles, The Kooks, Bromheads Jacket and The View. Early 2007 will see the band supporting Kaiser Chiefs, the highlight of which is sure to be a prestigious show at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall. "A fuck-off to all the kids at school who called us dickheads," says Roz.
The band has modest ambitions for their music - they just want it to live forever. "I want people to remember the songs and whistle them walking down the street," Phil decides. "Like they do with The Beatles and The Smiths. If in 10 years' time I hear someone whistle just one of our songs, then that'll be job done."
