Sacred Paws Run Around The Sun Interview

Sacred Paws New Album Run Around The Sun Out Now

Glasgow based indie-pop duo have released their vibrant new single 'The Conversation', taken from their forthcoming album Run Around The Sun. The follow-up to Strike A Match their SAY Award winning debut, Run Around The Sun has been released via Rock Action.

Watch The Conversation here.

'The Conversation' is the explosive opening track from Run Around The Sun. Beginning with a scream of guitar 'The Conversation' includes all the hallmarks of a classic Sacred Paws song - where intricate guitar work and complex drumming collide with pop-smarts and dual vocals of both Rachel Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers. The track was written about a long-forgotten argument between friends, composed in the band's traditional unplanned approach, each member's thoughts and feelings slaloming through the other's. "You're all wrong, you're walking away/ Why would we even try to have this conversation?" the song asks before resolving to move on - "I'm running, I'm hiding out, resisting I'm keeping this to myself...". The argument that inspired it is long forgotten but the feelings remain.

Run Around The Sun includes the previously shared 'Brush Your Hair'. An infectiously fun listen, 'Brush Your Hair' has quickly become a favourite on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Elsewhere, the album brims with upbeat reflections on growing up and looking back. Shimmering guitar riffs dance between snappy beats and swooning melodies that will have crowds committing to far more than a simple head-bob. "I think we'd get bored if it was too slow," Eilidh says. "We'd never want to play something live that people couldn't dance to. It would feel really strange to us. It's kind of the whole point."

The first iteration of Sacred Paws was a long distance affair - Eilidh in Glasgow and Rachel in South London. They'd meet up periodically to write songs and Strike A Match was "all the songs that we happened to have, put on an album," says Rachel. She recently moved from London to Glasgow and though it made little difference to the scrapbook approach Sacred Paws have to creating music, Run Around The Sun fizzes with a renewed sense of urgency, with bigger hooks and choruses and an even more varied sonic palette.
www.sacredpaws.co.uk

Interview with Sacred Paws

Question: How would you describe your music?

Sacred Paws: Guitar pop music with a post punk heart, made by people who don't exclusively listen to western rock and pop music.


Question: What can you tell us about the upcoming album release?

Sacred Paws: Our new album is called Run Around The Sun, we made it at Castle Of Doom studios in Glasgow with the producer Tony Doogan. I think by the time this comes out it will be officially out! We hope it's as fun to listen to as it was to make.

Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Sacred Paws: Brush Your Hair has been really fun to play because it has a big fuzz pedal solo in it. We don't really just guitar pedals at all but that kind of makes it all the more satisfying, it makes me feel like I'm in a rock band for like ten seconds every night!


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

Sacred Paws: Probably Patti Smith? I don't know though, I would also be embarrassed because we're not worthy!


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Sacred Paws: Always playing live. I've learnt to love recording a lot more than I used to, partly through having access to such a wonderful studio and such a genius engineer as Tony. I used to really hate it though, I found listening to my own voice extremely uncomfortable and the whole experience was often full of compromises and just generally underwhelming. That was often due to lack of time and money but it also had a lot to do with my own lack of self-belief and confidence to know what to ask for. Nowadays I really love getting stuck into the recording and production process and its really magic getting to actually realise stuff that's just been bouncing around in my head. I think we've come a lot closer to reflecting the energy of our live shows on this record than we have in the past but it's still always playing live that gets me the most excited and reminds me why I do all this in the first place! We are both fairly awkward and anxious people but I feel like we really come alive and forget all our worries when we're on stage.


Question: What is the story behind the band name?

Sacred Paws: We were desperately looking for a name in time for our first gig and Eilidh texted me Sacred Paws as a kind of joke. Of all the silly names we suggested it was my favourite and it just sort of stuck!


Question: How did the band come together?
Sacred Paws: We met in Glasgow when my other band Trash Kit was on tour. We got on really well and although I was living in London at the time we decided that starting a band would be a great way to continue hanging out. It gave us a reason to travel and visit each other's cities.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Sacred Paws: I love the way Eilidh plays drums; it's like this total avalanche of energy and feeling. I can be struggling for ideas when I'm alone but come into the practice space and a totally new riff can appear almost instantly when we start playing together. I have tried writing on my own a lot more recently because I've just wanted to switch things up a little and try writing 'proper' pop songs rather than just wild jams but I still feel like the best and most alive sounding music we make is when we are actually together in the room. I'd say the same is true for every band I play in, I love collaborating and improvising so much, I think it's fascinating how much idiosyncratic genius each person can bring to a song sometimes, it feels like the possibilities are endless.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Sacred Paws: I'm really enjoying the new Bamboo record; it's so powerful, mysterious and epic sounding whilst also being totally sing-a-long pop. Also the Free Love record is incredible; we had the huge honour of playing their wedding last week!


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Sacred Paws: I never wanted to go into any industry. I wanted to be part of the queer DIY punk community that I saw thriving in London and the surrounding cities when I was a teenager. Forming my first band was a big part of coming out for me and playing music still is such a huge part of my sense of pride and identity. I was always pretty serious about representing weirdos queers like me even in the very underground media. There was a really exciting scene in London when I started out but it was very white, I knew I needed to be part of it if only in order to inspire other brown kids to do the same! I still think that stuff is what keeps me going because although it's always been my dream to do this for a living, the music industry can be really disappointing and shallow at times.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Sacred Paws: I honestly already play with some of my favourite musicians so I feel pretty lucky! But if I had to pick a famous person maybe Robyn? It would be fun to have really pop vocals on a song! I love how catchy her songs are but she still has this kind of wild desperate edge to her singing and lyrics, it's awesome.

Question: What's next for Sacred Paws?

Sacred Paws: Lots of touring in the UK and then we are going to North America for the first time this July. Then back to writing songs probably!


Question: Can you share your socials?

Sacred Paws: http://sacredpaws.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/sacredpawsband/
https://twitter.com/sacredpawsltd
@sacredpaws/


Interview by Brooke Hunter