California Culture has its Thrills

If you didn't know anything about the group The Thrills except for its music, you'd probably think these five 20-something guys grew up somewhere in California.

At closer look, the band's members are all from Dublin, Ireland, and are all enamored of the West Coast lifestyle with references to the cities of Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Hollywood and San Diego on their debut full-length album "So Much for the City" (Virgin Records).

"I think making a record should reflect how you're feeling and what you're doing at the time," said vocalist Conor Deasy, 23. "I think our record tells the story of being in Dublin and thinking of a place far away. I don't think it defines who we are as a band since it's only one record. All of our favorite bands were always looking forward and moving ahead. Some of the records I love, they don't always inspire me musically. It could be you just like the mood of the record and the way it makes you feel. I think records can inspire you in different ways."

Prior to cutting its debut album, The Thrills -- Deasy on vocals, Daniel Ryan on guitar/vocals/bass, Ben Carrigan on the drums, Kevin Horan on the keys and Padraic McMahon on bass/vocals/guitars -- spent a few months living in San Diego in an apartment near the beach more than four years ago. At the time, The Thrills were all still younger than the age of 21 so they missed out on patronizing bars and clubs around town.

"It was cool because we were living right behind the Big Time Records (Mission Beach) shop and we basically lived there for the summer of 1999," said Deasy. "We didn't have too many preconceptions. We wanted to go to California and we wanted to be in the lovely weather on the beach, and so you could have put us anywhere in San Diego. But once we got there, we really loved the place. Apart from the conservative drinking laws, we had a really good time. It was just good fun because we met loads of cool people."

The Thrills are heavily inspired by California's 1960s and 1970s folk, pop and rock styles made famous by artists such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and the Beach Boys. Its album also features inspirations from Burt Bacharach along with films like the "Virgin Suicides" and "West Side Story."

"We were feeling pretty frustrated as a band before our time in California because we really didn't want to be in Dublin at the time," added Deasy. "When you've been there your whole life it can seem kind of small, especially Dublin which is kind of small anyway. Even if you grew up in New York, I imagine after a while it can seem small - the same clubs, the same people. In a way, we were in a songwriting rut, so that's why we dropped all of those California names like Santa Cruz. We used to say it was escapism through songwriting. It reminded us of better times even though we were stuck in our practice room in cold, rainy Dublin."

Making waves in the United Kingdom, The Thrills will now travel overseas to showcase their talents to American listeners for a national tour. The Thrills are one of several recently emerging Irish artists that also include singer/ songwriters Gemma Hayes and Damien Rice who have gained mainstream exposure in America, following in the footsteps of their famed predecessors U2.

Deasy and Ryan have known each other since birth as next-door neighbors. While in high school, the two teen-agers enlisted the talent of fellow classmates Carrigan, Horan and later McMahon. Over the first few years, the guys spent much of their time at each other's houses learning how to play their instruments, writing tunes and rehearsing as a band.

Following the summer of 1999, The Thrills spent months locked away in a rehearsal space in Dublin transforming their American West Coast summer into musical stories of nostalgia mixed together with sonic textures common to 1960s and 1970s West Coast music. Their songwriting process got a jump start in 2000 when the group visited San Francisco.

"Most songs you can put in a certain amount of hours and get something back in return, but sometimes you can labor over something for so long, wake up the next day with a bit of perspective when the dust has settled and realize that it doesn't work," said Deasy. "But other times, you can sit down and the song will just fall into place and it will just happen so organically. Unfortunately, I don't think there are any rules to songwriting because it can happen either way. I just know for me I like to be alone in a quiet place."

In 2001, The Thrills signed a deal with the local Dublin label Supremo. By the summer of 2002, rumors began to surface that the band and the label split. It was, in fact, true, and they were grateful word hadn't yet traveled to their parents whom they told the deal would make them rock stars. Major labels began courting the quintet and it eventually selected Virgin Records.

Shortly after, the reclusive Morrissey, former frontman of the 1980s British rock band The Smiths, paid a visit to one of the band's rehearsals. The Thrills eventually opened for Morrissey during his solo tour at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The group ended up recording "So Much for the City" in Los Angeles with producer Tony Hoffer, known for his work with Air, Beck and The Smashing Pumpkins.

"I usually kind of bring the song to the rest of the band and we work on it together," concluded Deasy. "I'm not really into aimless jams which are a bit frustrating and a bit boring at times. The lyrics usually come at the end and that's the way it kind of goes. Sometimes a song can go anywhere. Usually we like looking for the right melody and the right chords first but the lyrics oftentimes end up dictating the chorus or the theme of the song."