We sent Jack Boyce to have a chat with JAWS and review their show at Clwb Ifor Bach. 
Second album syndrome is quite a real anxiety for many up-and-coming bands. The initial explosion of raw emotion on the first release is hard to follow up, ideas that sounded amazing on first impression are now being overthought about and thereÔÇÖs added pressure not to bomb on your second go around. JAWS, however, seem more than up to the task.
2015 has been a year of self-awareness for the Birmingham band. After the swift uptake in attention on the band after EPs Milkshake and then Gold barely months in front, and full-length debut of Be Slowly further on at the start of Autumn in 2014, 2016 will bring about a new album filled with more immediate tracks in line with recent singles ÔÇ£What We HavenÔÇÖt Got YetÔÇØ and ÔÇ£Bad CompanyÔÇØ. ÔÇ£I think the new stuff is just natural progression for usÔÇØ, states vocalist Connor Schofield, ÔÇ£I feel theyÔÇÖre just a lot more natural ÔÇô a lot more honest.ÔÇØ
Working alongside producer Gethin Pearson, who helped forge The EnemyÔÇÖs newest ItÔÇÖs Automatic, on the as of writing untitled new record, PearsonÔÇÖs influence is felt on the both released singles. ItÔÇÖs a far cry from the hazy earlier releases from the band, but grittier music has always been in their DNA. Citing legendary industrial group Nine Inch Nails and BristolÔÇÖs Milk Teeth as favourites, drummer Eddy Geach calls back to the time before JAWS, ÔÇ£Connor and I especially ÔÇô we came from a heavier background in music. WeÔÇÖve always got that place for heavier music. Not that JAWS is ever going to become a metal band. I guess thatÔÇÖs why some of our latest songs have come out a bit heavier than people were expecting.ÔÇØ
Alongside Pearson, JAWS managed to bag Dan Austin as an engineer, who has brings good pedigree after working in the studio with the Pixies, whilst also cutting his teeth with other UK based rock outfits such as Maximo Park. ThereÔÇÖs a sense of freedom around it all ÔÇô the week long rigorously structured recording session for Be Slowly has been scaled up to twelve days living in a studio together, ÔÇ£It opened up an extra 7 hours or half a day working on a song as opposed to the previous one song a day. We didnÔÇÖt feel rushed, we didnÔÇÖt have to worry about getting a song done in the next couple of hours or the song is not going to happenÔÇØ, explains guitarist Alex Hudson.
Despite Alex and ConnorÔÇÖs background in production ÔÇô they both completed a year of Music Technology at university ÔÇô their education didnÔÇÖt really factor into the record. Alex calls back a time he had to make a banjo out of a footbath, while Connor laments the time he had to use equations to put together a make-shift pipe instrument, ÔÇ£It was pretty much an expensive way of killing timeÔÇØ, he states.
Their disillusionment with their course came half from their disinterest in it, and half from the new attention brought upon them from the media. ÔÇ£We were getting attention from magazines and that was just in your head rather than learning about whatever it was. YouÔÇÖd be trying to learn these equations and then get an email that said, ÔÇÿRadio 1 want to play one of your songsÔÇÖ and then youÔÇÖd just be buzzing about thatÔÇØ, Connor divulges. Alex nods, ÔÇ£ThatÔÇÖs the whole lecture gone then, because youÔÇÖd be like, ÔÇÿOh man this is going to be sick!ÔÇÖÔÇØ
Since this newfound attention, JAWS have been pigeonholed into a music scene that they have found difficult to shake off. The mere mention of the near non-existent ÔÇ£B-TownÔÇØ music scene that exploded in 2012 has collectively plagued JAWS, along with associates Swim Deep and Peace in recent years. ÔÇ£I feel like people are missing the pointÔÇØ exclaims Eddy. Despite only primarily being used for three bands, the ÔÇ£B-TownÔÇØ moniker has garnered criticism that itÔÇÖs too limiting in scope. ÔÇ£ThereÔÇÖs always been music in Birmingham and now people are noticing that thereÔÇÖs music in BirminghamÔÇØ, he continues.
ThereÔÇÖs has been an ideal set out in the media about this B-Town scene, with false representation of the relationship between these bands. ÔÇ£I feel like people have been fishing for a story that weÔÇÖre all best mates or fishing for a story that one of us is going to be like ÔÇÿI donÔÇÖt give a fucking fuck about those guysÔÇÖ and kick off and slag them off, and weÔÇÖre just not going to do thatÔÇØ, states Alex. JAWS are adamant that they are their own band, with their own perimeters in the music space.
Starting off as a pseudonym for vocalist ConnorÔÇÖs work, the name JAWS was used to make the project sound like ÔÇ£it came from a proper bandÔÇØ before surfacing as an actual one. ÔÇÿFlandersÔÇÖ was a contender, but Connor named the band after the Bond villain played by the late Richard Kiel (not the Spielberg movie). It also held a slight connection with other water-based band names of the time, such as DIIV and Beach Fossils, who were all well known for their summery, drone-like qualities ÔÇô ÔÇ£We never really set out to be like those bands, just loads of people compared us to themÔÇØ, states Eddy.
The name has caused a few problems for the band. As much as a band like TampaÔÇÖs Merchandise may struggle with having a Google-impaired band name, JAWS are continually being mistaken for the shark movie. Even on their own website they have a listing for a tour date in Albuquerque in early 2016 , which is actually a movie showing for the 1975 classic. ÔÇ£I fully expect for us to, when we go to play in America, for us to play a show and people come expecting to see the film,ÔÇØ claims Connor. ItÔÇÖs all a part of the job for the trio, with confusion from outside their fan base seemingly following them around. Connor reminisces about a Nottingham gig in which an elderly woman approached him and asked, ÔÇ£Is that it? What time does Rae Morris start?ÔÇØ In between laughter from the other members of the band, he continues, ÔÇ£I was like, ÔÇÿWhat? Rae Morris?ÔÇÖ I looked at the gig listings and Rae Morris was on a week later that night. So, she had come a week early.ÔÇØ Eddy grins, ÔÇ£Hopefully Rae Morris brought the hardest fucking show sheÔÇÖs ever experienced.ÔÇØ
This is a band that is maturing along with their sound, although there is still that spark of playfulness that underpinned the earlier releases. Before leaving, the question of the untitled album release date comes up; ÔÇ£Definitely some time between January 1st 2016 and December 31st 2016ÔÇØ is the answer as they all crack a smile and a laugh.
Travelling into Cardiff near the end of a three-week UK tour, JAWS brought their brand of indie pop to Clwb Ifor Bach to a room of hyperactive fans who were more than willing to provide a party atmosphere to the affair.
Opening for the Birmingham band, Nai Harvest provided a tight set that holds the attention of the swelling crowd that many supporting acts fail to achieve. Despite being a duo, Nai Harvest produced a shoegaze-tinged pop punk set that sounded larger than it should have been, setting the crowd up nicely for the closing band.
Eager to share a plethora of new tracks along with old favourites like ÔÇ£MilkshakeÔÇØ and ÔÇ£GoldÔÇØ, JAWS walk onto stage to a sound barrier of whoops and cheers. Despite the crowd only filling up around half the room, their liveliness more than made up for the lack of bodies. A continuous dance-pit ÔÇô not quite a mosh-pit ÔÇô filled up the majority of the room, with those on the outside competing in miniature dance-offs to the sun-drenched pop being provided.
In between tracks, frontman Connor SchofieldÔÇÖs favourite icebreaker is to thank the crowd on their enthusiasm. ÔÇ£CheersÔÇØ, Schofield says, and then continues, ÔÇ£I feel like IÔÇÖm saying cheers too much tonight. Cheers.ÔÇØ ItÔÇÖs a muffled sense of gratitude from the band, but one that goes down well with a responsive audience.