Interview by Emma Matthews & Photography by Gloria Wong" /> ON THE LOOP: PAPER LIONS - Local Wolves Interview by Emma Matthews & Photography by Gloria Wong" />
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Music

We are always love discovering new music and Charlottetown based band, Paper Lions are no exception. We had the absolute pleasure to interview the band and gain a better insight to their recording process to co-produce their new record, Full Colour with Andrew Maury. This band has the perfect tunes for your next jam session! // JM John MacPhee.

For our readers who haven’t heard of Paper Lions, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

JM We are a poppy/rocky band from Prince Edward Island, Canada (think Anne of Green Gables). We all grew up together in a small rural community (think very Anne of Green Gables) and started playing music together when we were kids.

You released your new album, Full Colour towards the end of last year. What is the record

about? Are there any main themes behind it?

JM I think Full Colour is about not holding back. Being the biggest and brightest version of our band.

And what was the inspiration behind it?

JM We’ve been playing and writing music together for a long time and for better or for worse, have developed habits and rules for ourselves. We always thought certain territory was off limits for us. When we were writing FC, [we]  made a conscience decision to try and move toward that territory rather than run from it.

Is there a song you’re most proud of?

JM “End Of July” is good representation of that, a sound we thought was off limits. Rather than take the song away from it’s ‘ballad-y’ tendencies, we leaned into them more (complete with a syrupy sax solo at the end).

How about your fans, is there a standout favorite? Why do you think it’s gone down so well?

JM I guess “Believer” and “Call Back”, get the biggest response live.

This time around you guys went straight into the studio and recorded songs three to four times before deciding on a final version. What was the thought process behind that decision?

JM One of the reason we did it this way, was because we could. Since we recorded our previous album, I’ve gotten much more comfortable with producing/engineering and we figured, why not go right in the studio to write and arrange rather than the jam space. It was a totally freeing process.

What were some of the main benefits of recording this way?

JM We really allotted so much time to figuring out the best version of each song. It gave us a chance to workshop any idea that came to the table. On previous albums, we would only really give that opportunity to the songs the appeared to be the strongest out of the gates, which doesn’t always yield the best result.

Were there any drawbacks?

JM I think the biggest challenge was implementing the songs back into the live show. It really challenged our musicianship.

The record was co-produced by Andrew Maury. What was that experience like?

JM It was awesome! We did the first single “Believer” with Andrew down in his Brooklyn studio. He’s a total pro and came on board to mix the rest of the album. What we came up with Andrew over those few days really became the sonic blueprint for the rest of the record.

What can fans expect next from you and any live shows?

JM The live show has really taken on a life of it’s own with this new record. The music is a bigger, brighter and bolder statement. So we figured we should have a show to match.

Finally what advice would you give to young creatives who are looking to break into the

industry?

JM Just have fun. That’s all you can do. It’s a weird industry.

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