Please don't compare us with The Beatles, say Irish music group The Strypes.

The group of four school friends from County Cavan - Evan Walsh, Pete O'Hanlon, Ross Farrelly, Josh McClorey - started touring the Irish festival circuit just last summer at the age of 15 and quickly garnered attention from music critics, who declared the group the new Beatles. However, the group, although they've performed at Abbey Road and are now working with the man who produced the White Album, are not comfortable with the comparison.

"To be honest we think it's quite a lazy comparison," said drummer Evan Walsh.

"We love the Beatles and it's the most flattering compliment you can get, but sonically we're nothing like them.

"We got a much heavier sound. They touched on every genre of music, while we are very much rhythm and blues. It's just inaccurate more than anything else."

According to the BBC, the group's sound pre-dates the Beatles, "taking inspiration from iconic blues artists like Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry."

The Strypes say they started playing together five years ago when they were only 11 and still in primary school.

"Our parents were all in bands or roadies at some stage, so we grew up listening to their record collections and we always played instruments," said Evan.

"A couple of the lads in the band left, and we didn't have a singer. So we asked Ross to join and his voice has kind of grown into that role naturally over the years."

They are unapologetic for keeping their sound old school.

"We think it's hugely important that young people are exposed to music like that," says Evan.

"People forget that back in the 50s rock and roll was being played by teenagers for teenagers to rebel and express themselves.

"That energy and sense of youth and excitement has been completely lost on the current generation of young people, who seem to take all the gutless pop trash that is shoved down their throat.

Their first EP topped the iTunes blues chart and they are currently working on their first album, due out in September.

"At the minute we've been out in the English countryside putting the finishing touches to our album," Evan says.

"We're working with Chris Thomas, who has produced for the Sex Pistols and worked on the White Album. He's interested in making the best record he can.

"We might miss a trick, and he'll say 'arrange it like that instead'. Just little bits and pieces.

"It's funny because you meet these amazing people and they're totally normal. We're always surprised by how nice they are.

"They just have the unusual job of being Chris Thomas or Paul Weller or Elton John."

"We think it's about time teenagers woke up and reclaimed rock 'n' roll.