London’s paper hats have released their new single ‘Tether’, a confident journey that winds between restless crescendos, weaving guitar lines, and belligerent noise. Defiant against radio-friendly formats, weighing in at seven minutes long, the song’s hypnotic, odd time-signature rhythm emboldens sorrowful lyrics that curse the days wasted from being unable to get out of bed. It sets the standard for the band’s 26-minute debut EP Once was enough, set for release in May via State 51 distribution.
Influenced by the unconventional sounds of ‘90s post-hardcore, paper hats have risen through the ranks of London’s underground circuit with their purging, impassioned energy, paper hats have supported UK rising acts such as Man/Woman/Chainsaw, The Orchestra (For Now), and UNIVERSITY, while also opening for LA noise-rock behemoths Shearling (formerly Sprain) and China’s Re-TROS and playing Rotterdam’s Left of the Dial festival. Their recent in-the-round headline at Venue MOT in January descended into a moshing frenzy and screamed lyrics from the crowd, cementing the band as an act to catch live.
With regards to the new single, there is an electric tension that is maintained throughout the entirety of ‘Tether’, with dense swirling guitar counterpoint suddenly dissolving into sparse crunching chords. As paper hats’ quietest song (which isn’t saying much), it’s clear the focus lies in the rhythm section’s methodical momentum and the rolling dynamics that finally rupture into screamo vocals and heavy, combative choruses. The lyrics are, on first glance, authoritative, but their orders mask an introspective pain.
Describing the production of ‘Tether’, the band’s bassist and producer, Gabe Khitarishvili-Awde, described the production:
“For the climax, Sam’s squealing guitar amp alone maxed out the studio’s dB meter. He was twisting the guitar away from the amp to ring out all these different frequencies – you could hear it through all the sound padding in the control room. There’s this feeling that a zipper is being sharply pulled in your ears each time the rhythmic chords try to pierce a hole through the feedback.”
paper hats Live Dates
March
20 – Salty Dog, Northwich (with UNIVERSITY)
21 – Future Yard, Birkenhead (Navigation Festival)
22 – The Washington, Sheffield
April
1 – Windmill Brixton, London
3 – The Lanes, Bristol (with FEMUR)
For more information on paper hats please check their instagram.