We just can’t help it. From time to time we have to speak to three of our favourite people on the planet Earth, who happen to be in a band together: Aaron Forde, Gemma Clark and Danny Collins collectively known as JW Paris. The last time we had this pleasure was back in October 2025, before their song “Anything” was released. As the new year begins, we decided to have a very quick catch up with JW Paris to see how they are doing. It has been a crazy few months for the band. Gemma only went back to play with Baby Shambles at the legendary KOKO in London, ended up in NME and The Telegraph in the process, the boys finished a new single (out next month) and “Anything” gathered tons of positive reviews across Europe, US and Latin America.
But what else is new. They kick ass. Whatever JW Paris touch turns out into solid gold and it`s our privilege to see them go from strength to strength. We had a ball doing this flash interview – maybe we should do it more often?
Hey guys, it’s good to have you on again! Tell us about the inspiration behind your newest single “Anything”?
Aaron Forde: “Anything” was actually written about 7 years ago, when we first moved to London. So, the song`s roots are really about finding your identity in a new town. Having a fresh start. When we moved, we noticed this “I`m too cool” attitude amongst the local music scene. The line in the lyrics “I could be anything, but everything is nothing” is really us saying “I could do this, but whatever, you know?” The idea for the single stemmed from that experience.
Gemma Clarke: We actually recorded this song at Foel Studios at the same time as “Darker Side of Paradise”, “Radio” and “You Got Me”. However, the original chorus didn’t work for us when we listened back. It felt sloppy and malnourished in relation to the rest. So it got buried into the archives for a long while. Until recently Danny and I were playing around with old songs and revisited “Anything”. And within minutes we came out with the chorus you hear on the record today. I think after years of crafting our sound, “Anything” was something that was maybe ahead of where we were at the time. Uncovering it now was meant to be.
The track is described as “capturing the energy and attitude of Britpop while offering a modern twist”. How did you manage to do it?
Aaron Forde: I think you can hear a lot of 90’s influences in the music itself. “Anything” has this particular bounce to it, which is a blend of then and now. We never compete with the past. We try to sit amongst it. Like a trio of time travellers.
A question for you Gemma. You shared stages with Baby Shambles, Adam Ant and Tuggawar. Do you think it influenced how you perform with JW Paris?
Gemma Clarke: After touring with Shambles and Adam Ant, playing with JW Paris is like getting home after a long day. It’s dark and cold outside and then you take your shoes off, have a good warm dinner and sit on the sofa. That feeling of “ahhhh home”. That’s what it’s like playing with Aaron and Danny!
We love how the guitar and drum work together in the song. Was it hard to create such anthemic energy?
Aaron Forde: The guitar parts we figured out in the studio, where most of those magic touches happen. Our recording approach is like fixing up an old car. We bash out all the dents in our own garage, taking it around town. Then we bring it to the studio, where we can give it a lick of paint and install some hydraulics.
The lyrics mash up dreams and nightmares. You seem to have a vivid imagination.
Aaron Forde: It`s our life experiences I guess. We’re inspired by a lot of surrealist and abstract artists: from Dali, Hockney to modern day Julie Curtiss and Tracy Emin. The visuals in their work hold albums worth of songs.
Is there a way to balance expectations from modern listeners and that 90s retro feel?
Gemma Clarke: I am not sure if we really consider this much at all. We write what we enjoy and if there seems to be a balance I can assure you, it was a subconscious effort at best.
Would you say that singles such as “Royalty” and “Geeks & Freaks” will have any impact on your future releases?
Aaron Forde: I think we’re still crafting our sound, which is actually quite exciting for us. Our influences and interests change from moment to moment, so having a cohesive sound is quite challenging for us. But we’re definitely en track for finding it!
Does being a three-piece affect the band’s chemistry and live performances?
Aaron Forde: I always say rehearsing just gets in the way of us just hanging out. Chips and chats is our favourite performance, we rehearse then sit around chatting bollocks for hours having the most fun. Maybe we’ll title the future EP “Chips and Chats”? (laughs)
Gemma Clarke (butting in): Because we’re idiots!
Tell us what is in store for JW Paris after “Anything”?
Aaron Forde: We have a new release “Crazy”coming at some point in the future, which will be part of our next EP. Very excited for this one. It’s proven to be quite the ear worm from the gigs we’ve played it at. Other than that we want to gig gig gig and HOPEFULLY you will see us at some big festivals!
You can follow JW Paris on socials:
https://www.facebook.com/jwparismusic
https://www.instagram.com/jwparismusic
https://www.tiktok.com/@jwparismusic
https://www.youtube.com/@JWPARIS
https://twitter.com/jwparismusic
https://soundcloud.com/jwparis-music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Eh8L6V40D5B70XCOucwE3
Record label:
https://www.blaggersrecords.co.uk
Additional reading for “Anything” as the single received phenomenal reviews!
https://illustratemagazine.com/anything-by-jw-paris-review
https://www.rightchordmusic.co.uk/jw-paris-live-up-to-expectations-on-anything
https://odysseymagazines.com/music-1/template-review-rne7n-2mf22-5e6wm-m5wx9-enh4r
https://auralaggravation.com/2025/11/02/jw-paris-anything
Our coverage so far:
https://vanadianavenue.co.uk/tag/jw-paris/
Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 