Noise rock is noisily making a noisy resurgence, and right at the forefront of the movement, poking their scuzzy little beaks into the same cup drunk from by trend-setters Dinosaur Jr. Sonic Youth and Nirvana before them, we have three lads from Glasgow; Phillip Taylor, Matthew Scott and Joshua Swinney, making their own squeals and rumblings with their insatiable cacophony of twangy indulgence – Paws.
Ears still buzzing from a blistering set at Sneaky Pete’s, I managed to catch Phillip and Josh for an impromptu chat.
Brilliant set, you looked like you really enjoyed yourselves up there! I always get the biggest feeling off you guys, I don’t know if it’s the songs or your stage presence, that you’re all in this for the sheer and utter banter! Really refreshing attitude to experience, but do you ever see yourself so absorbed in it that it becomes more than just a hobby?
Phillip: I dunno, that’s a weird question. I guess it would just be the same as it is now, but I’d have money. I don’t really know how to do anything else; this is all I know how to do so I’d just feel so normal regardless of what the situation was around us, we’d still just be three people making music. But yeah it would be good to make a living out of it.
How did you choose the songs that you played tonight?
Josh: We just wanted to find the most punchy, energetic ones… and a couple of singles as well. So it was a mixture of madness and a bit more poppy.
Who is your favourite of the other acts that are playing throughout the city tonight?
Capitals. They’re really, really cool.
What are your opinions on the current Scottish music scene?
Phillip: I think it’s great. A while ago there was just a load of bands who were really plastic, who just watched too much NME:TV and bought too many Topman shirts and everything was just the same. That’s just my perspective, but there’s always been a handful of really good bands in Glasgow and Edinburgh I feel that recently it’s not just Glasgow and Edinburgh anymore, there’s awesome bands in Aberdeen like Min Diesel, in Stonehaven there’s Pre Teens, here’s you’ve got Lady North, and through in Glasgow there’s just so many like Male Pattern Band, Mondegreen, Bronto Skylift… there’s a whole collective of bands who are doing the same things for the same reasons and there’s a big sense of friendship amongst us all, so I really love the scene right now. It sort of just feels like friends playing at each other’s shows and everyone’s supporting each other’s bands 100%… people are doing split-releases and working together so it feels really good that there genuinely is a real scene at the moment… everyone’s helping each other out and collaborating together, surely that’s what a scene is.
What five words best describe PAWS?
Phillip: totally.
Josh: fucking.
Phillip: rad.
Josh: shit.
Phillip: fuck.
You can catch PAWS beating the shit out of their instruments on April 23 with Bronto Skylift and St Deluxe @ King Tuts, and April 27 with Pensioner at Sneaky Pete’s where they will undoubtedly be giving away free copies of their new ‘Mermaid’ EP.