Local bands are awesome because they’re like hidden gems, music only you know about if you’re from the area. Richmond prides itself in producing a ton of amazing music, and I’m always on the lookout for my next favorite local band.
Local bands are awesome because they’re like hidden gems, music only you know about if you’re from the area. Richmond prides itself in producing a ton of amazing music, and I’m always on the lookout for my next favorite local band. Well, it looks like I have just re-found my favorite from high school: Dirty Paws.
Dirty Paws used to be a band called Iron Sights, a group I heard a couple of years back and was hooked on because of their indie rock/folk vibe. I had been looking for something less punk than the Gaslight Anthem and more folk than Andrew Jackson Jihad, and I had found the perfect match. I had kind of forgotten about the band because they didn’t have anything other than an EP. You can get a taste of their old sound with “Innocence Will Be Missed” on their new EP–a folkier version of that song was on the Iron Sights EP as well.
Anyway, they’re back, with a new name and a next-level sound, and you can catch them tonight at the Camel for their Destinations. CD release show. “We went through a rebranding, a reformation–the bass player from Iron Sights [Rob] and I kind of recouped and put together a new group after the Iron Sights went our separate ways,” said J. Blair, the lead vocalist, pianist, and guitarist of Dirty Paws, adding that the band “revamped and re-did the sounds and came out with a new feel and vibe; the change in the name reflects the change in the sound.”
I don’t think there’s a set genre for Dirty Paws; I would say they’re something like “alternative indie rock with a hint of folk pop” but that just seems too forced and awkward. They’re definitely more indie than their old band, but have still managed to splash in the folksy vibe that they had going on in Iron Sights. I’d also say Destinations. is a lot lighter than any of the Iron Sights stuff, just in time for the spring and summer. “I think it’s a great debut, and a great first impression. We cover a lot of different sounds from the quiet acoustic stuff to the really loud rocking parts. I think it’s a good representation of where we want to go,” said Blair.
My favorite song off of the new EP is called “Only One”; it’s one of the slower songs that has the guitar and piano beautifully incorporated together to produce an emotionally raw track that talks about how memories linger even though relationships fall apart. “Sometimes a song writes itself, and [“Only One”] was one of those songs… sometimes you just feel so clearly about something, about what your emotions are, that you just put the pen down and it just writes,” said Blair, adding that the song “was about a real, true, relationship that [he] had with someone.” “I felt like she was the “only one” and knew I couldn’t hang on to it forever,” Blair said, “but knew that the memories would last with me forever.”
As for the live show, expect to hear some different sounds from those you hear on the original EP. “What I love about this band is that each member of our group really gets to add their own flavor and brings a new element to things [when we play] live. Our new record sounds great and I love it, but live, we do more jamming and new interpretations of the songs… everybody just owns their instrument and really contributes to this thing,” said Blair.
Blair really emphasized how much they love doing what they do. “[I hope the audience] can see how much we really love it, and how passionate we are, and how true to ourselves we’re being when we’re on stage. I hope people feel like it’s a real, authentic experience,” he said, adding that they’ve “already written some new material. It’s really fun to get in a room and play with these three other guys.” They have another show lined up at the Camel on May 18.
The Dirty Paws will be having their CD release show tonight at the Camel. Doors will open at 7pm, and music will start at 8pm. Your entry fee of $5 will include a free CD. For more information on the show, click here.
You can download a copy of their new album, Destinations. here, buy a copy on iTunes, or stream it on Spotify.
