JW Paris – Paul Lyme
In our interview with JW Paris at the end of the summer festival season they said that they were aiming to release their forth single, Favourite Thing. We are pleased to be able to bring you the exclusive premiere of the video that accompanies the single, which was released last week. Prior to it’s release it was getting some serious airplay, including Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music, John Kennedy on Radio X and by Janice Long and Gary Crowley. The single was even played on West Coast Radio 87.6 in Auckland, New Zealand.
JW Paris – Paul Lyme
The video had been shot a couple of days before we met the guys and they told us that they had some of their friends in it, and Aaron makes a cameo appearance. In addition one of their friends, Dan Brown, directed it. Dan remarked at the time “And I think Favourite Thing is probably the proudest example for me, of our sound, Yeah so that’s got just about everything.
” The song itself was written while they were on a road trip in America and the band said “ It was created in the middle of the Joshua Tree desert in October 2018, away from phones, screens and the pressure of social media. We created a song that represented our frustrations with getting our voices heard, not only in our music creativeness but the constant pressure that is put on you to achieve someone’s prefabricated idea of success. We want this song to inspire and influence anyone that feels like they can’t get their voice heard or feel they are powerless to change their current situation. Favourite Thing is an anthem to help you fight back against the generic and mundane.”
The pressure to conform is well illustrated in the video with a young woman walking through an urban landscape feeling hemmed in and just wanting to shake free from the invisible chains that bind us. Self consciousness of those around us and how they may think of you. Only when she finds a space under a fly over, with bright graffiti and can be herself. Once she let’s loose with a young man who obviously is cut from the same cloth, she again notices people staring but having tasted the freedom flicks them the fingers. The direction conveys the message that Dan and Arron want to convey really well.“
Dan and Aaron told RockShot Mag “Living in a world of surplus distractions; the new ‘this’ and ‘that’s,’ how we’re supposed to look, feel and think – it’s sometimes hard to see clearly through all the fodder and what’s actually meaningful. We tend to shy away from being our true selves in fear of someone judging us for it. This video tries to depict a small example of our anxious world and through the flow of it all, how it can boil up. This song and this video hopefully speaks to those who feel pressure of our modern worlds expectations and to that we say, Stop. Take a look around.”
JW Paris – Paul Lyme
The video captures these sentiments, and perfectly captures the punchy song which starts with a killer riff, which permeates the track. Having seen JW Paris live, the track also captures their energy on stage. I particularly like the way it ebbs and flows and changes tempo, with some brass lines/hooks courtesy of (feral) Child from Longy and The Gospel Trash. This did get the crowd moving very late in a hot tent, when they played it live at Wilkestock, so I can see why it is getting the airplay it deserves. I agree with Dan, Favourite Thing is a perfect example of the JW Paris sound.
If you are new to JW Paris, they have been described as a Band to watch in 2019 (Fred Perry SubCulture) and have a string of stand out singles under their belt including Darker Side of Paradise, Rapture and Radio, all mixed by Hugo Nicolson (Grammy award winning: Primal Scream, Radiohead and Bjork) and mastered by John Davis at Metropolis (U2/Noel Gallagher).
JW Paris are not away from a stage to let loose their pent up energy and are building tour dates for early next year so keep an eye out for dates in Feb/March via the bands socials. You might find some clues HERE
