JW Paris have been working hard for years to establish themselves as one of the leading acts on the London’s competitive musical map and they have never been in a better form. After releasing their debut EP at the end of October and playing a live session for the legendary John Kennedy on Radio X, the band is back in the spotlight with a new single called “She” and a truly cinematic video.
We have been fans of the band since at least 2018 but recently the trio made of Aaron Forde (vocals, guitar), Daniel Collins (vocals, bass) and Gemma Clarke (drums) are on fire – they are putting the bar so high, very few local acts will be able to follow. Every single they released last year ended up on BBC Radio 1, they play sold out tours, scored the best reviews from the biggest names in the music business – all without any support from record labels, PR team or even a booker.
Strong street creed aside, what makes JW Paris stand out from the crowd is not only the willingness to work hard, but their unmatched vision and dedication to what they do. I’m always surprised how well designed and prepared each release is – if I didn’t know that they are working on everything themselves, I’d have thought there is a strong and experienced street team behind them. Every little detail is perfectly produced: artworks, band photographs, music, videos. This must take a great amount of time as such quality cannot be made quickly. Thinking about this makes me respect them even more.
As we have written in our review for “Stuck In A Video”, “She” is definitely our favourite song on the EP and we are absolutely happy that they decided to release it as a single. The video to the song was shot in London mid-September and it was directed by the Aaron Forde. It features the tattoo artist Roux Grove in the lead role with a sweet little cameo from the band’s drummer Gemma.
Single cover
The video looks like an episode of a soap opera: Emmerdale, Coronation Street or perhaps the most fitting, East Enders. It follows the footsteps of an unnamed character, a young person, going about their day and trying to do the normal, everyday things, but we can see that they are not in the best mental shape. Something happened and they are dealing with the trauma or stress the best way they know – by drinking. They wake up with a bottle by their side, try to stay sober and go to café for a breakfast, but quickly end up adding some electricity to their drink. We see them constantly looking at their phone waiting for a message and trying to call somebody to no avail. As the day progresses, the character gets more and more agitated – they are angry, visibly frustrated and disappointed. They intend on doing the tasks at hand (laundry, running few errands around the town), yet they always end up taking few sips from the bottle. Finally, drunk they fall asleep, but the dreams are not pleasant, they are more of a nightmare, or incomprehensible blur. The character wakes up on bench somewhere not knowing where they are and what they have done the night before. Feeling at their lowest, they sit with their head in their heads, when finally, someone arrives. By the way she gently sits next to him, we know that the woman (in this role Gemma Clarke) is not there to judge the character but to listen and to talk. As the camera fades, we somehow know things will be all right.
According to the PR note issued alongside the video, “She” is one of the most honest songs JW Paris have written to date. It’s an anxiety-soaked love story to our wild sides. The band says: “The song is a reminder that it’s crucial to be kind to yourself even at your lowest points. It is a struggle but also a triumph at recognizing mistakes, whilst not becoming someone that your surroundings lead you to believe you were”.
We live in hard, unpredictable and stressful times. Kindness should always be at the forefront of our actions and words. We have no idea what others around us are going through and even if their choices seem questionable or even wrong, we should help rather than criticize. If this wonderful video convinces even one person to change their attitude towards others, then the band would have achieved something truly great. I really hope it has.
Please follow the band on social media:
www.facebook.com/jwparismusic
www.instagram.com/jwparismusic
www.twitter.com/jwparismusic
www.youtube.com/c/jwparis
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Eh8L6V40D5B70XCOucwE3
tiktok.com/@jwparismusic
“She” is out on 11th of November 2022 via Blaggers Records.
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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