Dirty, raw guitars; powerful, visceral drums and a voice that gives the impression of a heart layered with pain, I was pleasantly surprised upon meeting lead singer Sam. Here in front of me was a quiet, unassuming if not shy man. Sipping a pint of Guinness in Anseo one evening a completely different persona begun to reveal itself from the one found on record.

The Pyramids are an offshoot of the masterful and compelling band from Wiltshire,The Archie Bronson Outfit. Comprising of members Mark Cleveland and Sam Wendett, this is a band with a skuzzier sound than T.A.B.O.. But how did The Pyramids come about? Disillusionment?“One of the ideas was to have an outlet” Sam tells me quietly. Earlier this year Sam and Mark headed into the countryside of their native England and in a converted barn of a friends house their eponymous album was brought into this world.Its gestation was brief and simple. “This would be a fun project. We are not going to do much with the Pyramids. It was really the idea of having something quick and not fussy. We are not going to tour. It’s more to make an album and that’s it”. Within two weeks the lads had created a batch of songs that have the heart of the Archie Bronson Outfit but with an edgier sound. “It was intentional to make it rougher and more garagey” explained Sam, wiping the froth from his beard slowly, “We had a more basic set up. It’s a bit more exciting to work that way”.

Basic is exactly what The Pyramids are. From their sound to their favoured themes of love and pain, they have sculpted a sound that harks back to the early days of vinyl. So are the band some form of musical luddites? “Not really” comes the reply. “It depends on what it is. I like some things like the Flaming Lips. That’s really produced stuff in a really good way. I’m not a fan of really over produced stuff”. So if the band were to put a bit of time into production, a twiddle here, more bass there, would that cause the songs to loose a bit of soul? “We thought that if we added some extra layers it would suck. I don’t think our songs are intelligent enough to be dealt that way.”. After another slow sip, savoring both the pint and question at large he continues. “Some of the soul gets sucked away if it’s overworked. There is nothing to keep you coming back if it’s overdone. It may sound impressive at first but there’s nothing there to get you going again”.

With a new Archie Bronson Outfit album eagerly awaited and the close relationship between the two bands I wonder if there will be some influence and experience from The Pyramids brought into their main band in the future. “I am sure some bits will make it into The Archie Bronson Outfit but hopefully the new Archie Bronson Outfit album will sound different from everything before but there’s definitely crossovers”.

Though they have a more cracked and jagged sound than one might expect, The Pyramids extol an organic rock n’ roll experience, one which may at times intentionally put some people off. “I am not that worried about people hating it” Sam states with quiet resolution. “Just a small amount of music fans get it and that’s good. I don’t mind getting slagged off by the NME crowd. It’s nice to have the hardcore people liking it”. Here is a band guttural and abrasive yet refreshing at the same time. So get your bottle of whiskey and rock out in the old way to The Pyramids.

Conor O'Neill is a winetaster and former Buenos Airen, studying History and Politics in Trinity.
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