PAWS play an album release show at Moth Club in London.

The Scottish three-piece threw a party on a Saturday night (July 2nd) at Hackney’s Moth Club to celebrate the release of their brand new album, No Grace.

Since their debut EP Misled Youth (2012) and the full length Cokefloat! which followed shortly after, the band have not stopped widening their horizons. Spending an entire year on the road with the second record Youth Culture Forever has made a significant mark in the group’s history and development, a slight mood change too perhaps.

PAWS show all signs of personal, profound and emotional lyricism which can be clearly heard in all of their musical work. Being confident and persistent in their goals and realisations had resulted in strengthening their bond, especially when the consequences of constant travel and unfortunate circumstances made them realise that in order to make something work, against all odds, you’ve gotta go big or go home.

Let’s go home then, but let’s go big there.

Having ditched the home studio in New York for cosiness of homey Scotland, the trio was ready to return with an album number three. No Grace, produced by Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus (I know right?!), was recorded last summer between Chem 19 in Glasgow and a private studio in Somerset.

The album speaks for the transformation the band has gone through and unbroken passion that hasn’t been abandoned since the start. A vital and far-reaching compilation, from the first momentous single No Grace to following releases, such as forceful Gone So Long and relentless N/A, to their latest grand track Impermanent which features background vocals from Mark Hoppus himself. The band’s Phil Taylor made a comment about it saying: It’s a total honour for me to have Mark sing a song I’d written and have our voices side by side on a record for a moment.

As for the show, the crowd was totally ready the moment PAWS appeared on stage, all thanks to the opening bands, Slowcoaches and The Spook School. Having delivered a sharp and gripping performance, the band displayed a balanced set list making new fan base as well as the older one really happy and satisfied. Their heavy guitars, intensifying percussion and raw sound made a perfect fit for Moth Club’s gold room, even despite some small problems the drummer might have had while being trapped in some of its glitter. What’s more, you could spot a few devoted fans proudly wearing the band’s merch, a few flying guitars, a lot of head banging and one stage invasion. Just as Taylor mentioned when talking about the song N/A:

Some of the lyrics in “N/A” are about the people coming out to our shows and my hoping that they feel as welcome and comfortable as possible. We want everyone to feel like we are in it together for those 45 minutes or so. I want us to smash down the barrier of social ineptness. Have everyone look out for one another at shows and feel safe enough to be themselves, let loose.

Otherwise, what have we got left?

New album No Grace is out now via FatCat Records.

Photo: Kasia Osowiecka