Paw (band)

Paw
Origin Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Genres Alternative rock, grunge, hard rock, heavy metal, alternative metal
Years active 1990–2000, 2008
Labels A&M Records
E1 Entertainment
Outlaw Records
Past members Mark Hennessy
Grant Fitch
Peter Fitch
Charles Bryan
Jason Magierowski
Dan Hines

Paw was an American alternative rock band from Lawrence, Kansas, that was formed in 1990. The band's original lineup consisted of vocalist Mark Hennessy, guitarist Grant Fitch, bassist Charles Bryan, and drummer Peter Fitch. They released three studio albums – Dragline, Death to Traitors and Home Is a Strange Place – and the B-side and outtake collection Keep the Last Bullet for Yourself before disbanding in 2000. Hennessy, Grant Fitch, and later bassist Jason Magierowski reformed in 2008 for several performances.

History

Paw was formed in 1990 in Lawrence alongside Kill Creek and Stick. Their work from this era can best be characterized as aggressive rock with melodic undertones, or 'Southern rock' as Hennessy explained in an MTV interview. They were hailed by many record companies as "the next Nirvana" and a bidding war erupted to sign them. The band signed a three-album deal with A&M Records during the height of the grunge wave, and released their first album, Dragline, in 1993. Their most well-known songs from this period included the singles "Lolita", "Jessie", "Couldn't Know", "The Bridge" and "Sleeping Bag", all of which received moderate rotation on the radio and on Headbanger's Ball, MTV's hard rock/heavy metal showcase. Paw toured the UK in 1993 supporting Tool with Headswim (months after Tool's UK support slot with Rage Against The Machine), introducing the band to an audience outside of America. The band recorded two sessions for BBC Radio 1's rock show in 1994 (during which they played the Reading Festival). Their songs "Jessie", "Pansy" and "The Bridge" were used in the 3DO, PC, Sega Saturn and PlayStation versions of the video game Road Rash.

In 1995, the band released its second album, Death to Traitors, on A&M Records. During this period, the band evolved by adding more instrumental and country elements to soften their hard rock edge. The band toured Europe and the UK in early 1995. While the album received favorable reviews from the press, sales were less successful, and Paw was dropped by A&M in 1996, before their contract was fulfilled.

In 1998, Grant Fitch, Peter Fitch and Dan Hines formed the band Palomar and released the album World Without Horses. A reviewer described Palomar as "a gentler and more melodic sound than Paw."[1] Paw also released a full-length compilation of B-sides and rarities entitled Keep the Last Bullet for Yourself on their own label, Outlaw Records. Paw still played together during this period, and both World Without Horses and Keep the Last Bullet for Yourself were released on these shows.

In 2000, founding members Hennessy and Fitch signed Paw with Koch Records and released the mini-album Home Is a Strange Place the same year. The new album incorporated a more pronounced "stripped-down" blues element. After that they split.

In 2008, after being scheduled on the same bill between their post-Paw bands, Hennessy and Fitch returned and played together on June 6, 2008, at the Revival Tent at the Wakarusa Festival in Clinton Lake, Kansas. The performance included the songs "Couldn't Know", "Home Is a Strange Place", "Death to Traitors", "Sunflower", "Hope I Die Tonight" and "Dragline".[2] The band played its first headlining reunion show in Lawrence on Saturday, October 4, 2008, at The Bottleneck.[3]

Post-Paw activities

Hennessy's book of poetry, Cue the Bedlam (More Desperate with Longing Than Want of Air), was published in December 2005 by Unholy Day Press.[4] He shared vocals with Mike Ratzo (bass guitar, vocals and guitar), Justin Parr (drums), Brody Buster (guitar, harmonica and keys), Heather Lofflin (vocals and guitar), James Garvic (bass guitar and guitar) and Kurt Nesbitt (bass guitar) in The Diamond Heart Club in Lawrence, from 2006-2007.. They will reformed under the name 1950 D.A. (without Garvic and Nesbitt) and released some songs of both the formations on their MySpace page. Around the web can be find an unnamed song by The Diamond Heart Club (under the name Track 5)

Grant Fitch and Dan Hines are currently playing and performing with drummer Jason Jones in The New Franklin Panthers, in Lawrence. They have released on bandcamp.com Hot Dogs Are Cool: In III Movements on February 1, 2008, the EP Circus Act on January 13, 2011, Gman Rides Again on July 26, 2012, and re-released World Without Horses under the name Grant Finch and Palomar

Peter Fitch is currently playing and performing with the vocalist and guitarist Brian Conway in Las Vegas.

In 1997, Charles Bryan became "the fastest human in suborbital freefall reaching a mindblowing speed of 327 mph". He is married and has two children, Emma and Rocket.

In 2014, Mark Hennessy formed Godzillionaire with Justin Parr (Drums), Benjamin White (Guitar) and Michael Dye (Bass) and released on Soundcloud.com the singles Avalanche and Absolute Zero

Members

Session members


Discography

Studio albums
Rarities Compilations
Singles

B-Sides: Imaginary Lover (Atlanta Rhythm Section cover), Suicide Shift and Slow Burn

B-Sides: Jessie (Acoustic live at WERS-FM, Studio C Boston, MA on 11/29/93) and I Know Where You Sleep (some versions contain instead the BBC Radio One sessions of November 7, 1993)

B-Sides: Suicide Shift and Imaginary Lover

Cheap Trick cover from the S.F.W. soundtrack

B-Sides: School (Nirvana cover) and Kid Cotton

Tracks: Built Low, Last One, Death To Traitors, School and Surrender

Tracks: Seasoned Glove, Max The Silent, Hope I Die Tonight, Jessie, Couldn't Know, I Know Where You Sleep and School

No B-Sides

Tracks Findable On Bootlegs

References

  1. ↑ "Lazyeye Interview: Paw". Timmcmahan.com. 1998-09-10. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
  2. ↑ Performance at Wakarusa
  3. ↑ "Paw Reunion Show, Live at the Bottleneck".
  4. ↑ "Hennessy's author page at Unholy Day Press".

External links