Birmingham dream-pop four-piece and indie stalwarts – JAWS – have announced a new EP âIf It Wasnât For My Friends, Things Could Be Differentâ (out 15 September).Â
The band have also unveiled the EPâs lead track, âAre My Friends Alright?â, and have announced a UK tour for Autumn 2023.
Marking the break of a new dawn for the foursome, âAre My Friends Alright?â sees JAWS fuse fresh, feel-good guitar melodies with fuzzier moments of introspection that grapple with the gratitude and guilt that comes along with close-knit friendships. As vocalist Connor Schofield explains:Â
âI think I wrote this song just before Christmas. In the second half of last year I came out of a long-term relationship and this was kind of a response to everyone that looked out for me during that time, as well as me realising that I had to be there for my friends more than I had been. Itâs just a general reminder that weâd all be f***ed without our friends, so we need to check in on them.âÂ
Embracing evolution with a fervour, the new track takes a slightly more DIY approach than the band are used to. Cultivating a blissed-out blend of dazey dream-pop edged with a luminous twist that feels both as familiar as an old friend, yet refreshingly new, Schofield adds:
âThe whole process of making this single and the EP has been totally different to anything weâve done before in that itself-produced. Iâm lucky enough to have a room at 123 Studios in Peckham, which led to producer Brett Shaw helping us out to get a great drum sound before I finished the record off in my own space. It was a challenge, but weâre super proud of what weâve been able to create.â
Arriving as the first bit of new music from JAWS in over four years, âAre My Friends Alright?â arrives as the lead single to be taken from the bandâs forthcoming EP âIf It Wasnât For My Friends, Things Could Be Differentâ. Self-produced by vocalist Conor Schofield in collaboration with Brett Shaw (Foals, Florence and the Machine) , the extended release was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominees Mikko Gordon and Robin Schmidt respectively. Set to land on 15 September, JAWS explain of the new EP:
âSince our last tour â where we all caught Covid and ended up isolating for Christmas! â JAWS have been working on a lot of new music. Choosing to go a bit more DIY than previously and putting Connorâs lockdown MA in Commercial Music Production to good use, this project is entirely self-produced and afforded us the opportunity to really capture our sound.âÂ
JAWS – NEW EP: âIF IT WASNâT FOR MY FRIENDS, THINGS COULD BE DIFFERENTâ
OUT 15 SEPTEMBER 2023
STREAM âARE MY FRIENDS ALRIGHT?â HERE
To mark the release of âIf It Wasnât For My FriendsâŠâ, the band will be heading out on a seven-date UK tour this Autumn, kicking off in Newcastle on 25 September.
JAWS UK TOUR 2023
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SEPTEMBER
25 NEWCASTLE The Cluny
26 GLASGOW King Tuts
27 MANCHESTER Club Academy
29 LONDON The Garage
30 BIRMINGHAM The Crossing
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OCTOBER
02 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
03 BRISTOL Thekla