Legendary British band Squeeze are finally bringing their very first album to life, five decades after it was originally written by teenage band members. Trixies, a concept album created in September 1974, will see official release in March 2026, giving fans an unprecedented look at the band's formative years.
The Lost Teenage Masterpiece
Written when lead guitarist Glenn Tilbrook was just 17 and vocalist Chris Difford was barely 20, Trixies presents a fictional south London nightclub through ten tracks. The young musicians, still unknown and dreaming of success, recorded the album on a borrowed Revox tape machine, fully expecting it to launch their careers.
"All our friends liked it," recalls Tilbrook, "but that was the only feedback we had." Despite their confidence in what they considered a substantial work, the album was shelved as punk rock's emergence redirected the band's musical path.
From Deptford Bedrooms to Musical History
The songwriting partnership that would later produce classics like Cool for Cats and Up the Junction was already flourishing in those early days. Much of Trixies was written in Tilbrook's bedroom at his girlfriend's parents' house in Deptford, where Difford also lived downstairs.
"When Chris and I met in 1973, he started giving me lyrics," Tilbrook explains. "We'd write eight or nine songs in a few days and just kept popping them out. We grew as songwriters at such a rate because we had nothing else to do."
Difford remembers the creative process vividly: "One of the greatest things was the mystery of what was going to happen to my lyrics. Then a cassette would arrive with maybe five, ten songs." He would hear Tilbrook's melodies "flowing down the staircase" after leaving lyrics on a breakfast tray.
Punk's Influence and Musical Reinvention
The arrival of punk in the mid-1970s forced the young band to adapt dramatically. "We had to dumb ourselves down to fit in," admits Tilbrook, though he adds "which, admittedly, we did with relish." This shift took them away from their original Bowie and Sparks-influenced sound toward the sharper, more direct style that would define their classic hits.
The original Trixies recordings featured early band members including Jools Holland on keyboards, but the project never progressed beyond demo stage. Now, with decades of experience behind them, Tilbrook and Difford have returned to their teenage vision with renewed appreciation and technical skill.
Rediscovering Early Darkness and Depth
Revisiting Trixies has revealed surprising depth in their early work. The material often shows a darker side than their later pop hits, with tracks like The Dancer offering empathetic portrayal of a nightclub performer dancing "with fists clenched down by her side" and The Place We Call Mars opening with a bloody hospital scene.
"I was influenced by Bowie performing the Jacques Brel songbook," Difford explains, "but I was probably feeling that darkness in my own life, as a young man." Having never actually visited clubs like the fictional Trixies, he created the establishment from pure imagination and the excitement of being a young writer.
The revived album benefits from fresh perspectives, including producer Owen Biddle's suggestion to change the song order. "I thought: God, that's it," says Tilbrook of the decision that helped complete their teenage vision.
Looking Back While Moving Forward
Inspired by seeing Elton John perform his classic album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy in 1975, Squeeze plan to tour the entire Trixies album. Meanwhile, they continue creating new music, with another album of fresh material already in development.
"I'm so proud of the little us that did the songs on Trixies," reflects Tilbrook. "You can hear all our hopes and dreams."
Difford adds: "Those little guys that wrote Trixies were on a journey. The greatest thing is that we still are." The single Trixies Pt 1 is available now, with the full album scheduled for release on 6 March 2026 through BMG.
