London’s alternative rock trio JW Paris are back — and louder than ever. With their latest single “Anything,” released on October 20, 2025, the band channels the raw energy of the ‘90s Britpop scene through a modern lens. The result is a restless, guitar-driven anthem steeped in nostalgia but aimed squarely at the present day.
Made up of Gemma Clarke (Babyshambles, Adam Ant, Tuggawar), Danny Collins, and Aaron Forde, JW Paris blends swagger, grit, and melody in equal measure. The track’s spiralling guitars, defiant lyrics, and anthemic hooks capture the tension between freedom and frustration — between wanting to be everything and realising that sometimes, everything is nothing.
Following breakout singles like “Geeks & Freaks” and “Royalty,” the band has built serious momentum, earning radio love from BBC Radio 1, Radio X, and 6 Music, and even going viral after their BBC Big Weekender performance. Now, with “Anything” leading the charge into their 2025 EP, JW Paris prove that Britpop’s fire isn’t just still burning — it’s roaring back to life.
We sat down with Danny Collins to talk about the single, the band’s evolution, and the chaos that fuels their sound.
Interview with JW Paris
Danny Collins: “Anything” represents a full-circle moment for us. It’s the sound of where we came from and where we’re going. Musically, it’s got that raw, driving energy that made us fall in love with guitar music in the first place. It nods to the spirit of Britpop and the chaos of London life, but with our own modern edge. It’s the kind of track that feels like running through the city at night — loud, restless, and alive.
Emotionally, it’s probably one of the most personal songs we’ve ever put out. Aaron (Forde, singer) and I actually started it back in 2018, just after we’d moved to London together. It captures that feeling of stepping into the unknown, young and broke, but buzzing with possibility. We first tried to record it years ago at Foel Studio in Wales, but the chorus never landed right. After some time (and a bit of luck from one of our songs, “Radio,” getting picked up on a US TV show), we finally had the means to go back and finish it properly.
Going back to Foel Studios felt poetic. It’s in the middle of nowhere, the kind of place where you can lose track of time and just make music until sunrise. That’s the heart of “Anything”: a song about chasing something bigger than yourself, even when it feels out of reach. It’s about dreams, identity and the tension between wanting everything and realising that sometimes “everything is nothing.”
Danny Collins: There’s definitely a strong Britpop influence in our DNA — it’s the music we grew up on. Bands like Blur, Elastica, Oasis… they had this swagger, attitude, and honesty that we’ve always connected with. But for us, it’s never about recreating that era; it’s about taking that spirit and pushing it forward.
We like to think of it as reimagining Britpop for our generation — same energy, different lens. We live in a time where music, style, and culture move so fast. We’re constantly blending those classic sounds with new textures and production ideas. “Anything” is a good example of that — it’s got the dirt and drive of a ’90s guitar anthem, but the way it’s built, produced, and delivered feels very now.
A big part of keeping it fresh is that we do everything ourselves — from the songwriting to the visuals. Even the single artwork for “Anything” was inspired by this old Japanese sticker I found in a thrift store in Tokyo. I reworked it into something that felt nostalgic but new, like a remix of the past. That’s kind of how we approach our music, too: a collage of eras, but with our own fingerprints all over it.
Ultimately, we’re not trying to sound like anyone else. We’re just making music that we’d want to listen to — loud, messy, emotional, and real.
Danny Collins: The lyrics for “Anything” came from that moment in life where everything feels possible but also completely uncertain. It was written during a time when we’d just moved to London, chasing the dream, but constantly questioning what “making it” actually means. There’s a lot of self-discovery in there — between who you want to be and what the world expects from you.
It’s definitely personal, but not just in a diary-entry kind of way. It’s about how that shared feeling of disillusionment and hope sits side by side — especially in your 20s, when you’re figuring everything out. We wanted the lyrics to feel like they were coming straight from that restless place between optimism and chaos.
Danny Collins: That line came out of a late-night writing session when Aaron (our singer) and I were feeling completely burnt out. We’d been working like crazy, saying yes to everything, trying to be everywhere — and it hit us that sometimes, in trying to be everything, you lose a sense of who you are. So yeah, it’s self-reflective, but also a bit of a wake-up call. It’s not bitter, though — more like realising that meaning doesn’t come from doing it all, but from doing what actually matters to you.
Danny Collins: That sound really came from the space we recorded in — Foel Studios in Wales. It’s one of those places that has this 70’s energy about it. It’s in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields and sheep, so once you’re there, it’s just you, the band, and the music — and not a Tesco’s for an hour’s drive. We’d be up until stupid o’clock, bouncing ideas off the walls and getting loud.
Foel Studios has this incredible mix of history and grit — from The Stranglers to Klaxons — and you can feel that when you plug in your guitar. We wanted “Anything” to sound raw and alive, not overly polished, so a lot of what you hear is us just leaning into the imperfections. We kept the amps loud, the mics close, and let our wild sides take over.
The cinematic part comes from the way we built it with Danny Sprigg (producer). Those spiralling guitars and big choruses feel like they’re opening up into the night. It’s got that widescreen energy — but with the dirt. Foel Studios was the perfect place to capture that balance.
Danny Collins: The reaction to tracks like “Royalty” and “Geeks & Freaks” honestly gave us the push we needed going into this new era. Getting that kind of support from people like Jack Saunders, Steve Lamacq, and John Kennedy — the same DJs we grew up listening to — was a real pinch-me moment. Hearing our songs played alongside the bands that inspired us felt surreal, but it also lit a fire under us to keep raising the bar.
Having our music picked up by BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, and Radio X, and seeing “Geeks & Freaks” sit on the Radio X playlist for two weeks straight, really showed us there’s an audience out there that gets what we’re doing. It’s given us a new sense of confidence and clarity that we don’t have to chase trends — just keep being unapologetically us.
Danny Collins: That line about spinning ‘round and ‘round really sums up where we’re at as a band. Being a DIY indie rock band in 2025 isn’t easy — it’s chaos half the time. We’re juggling jobs, long nights, while trying to make everything happen ourselves: from recording to artwork to promo. It’s mad, but it’s also what keeps us grounded.
There’s definitely that balance between freedom and chaos — the freedom of making the music you love and the chaos of trying to keep it all afloat. But honestly, that’s what “Anything” is about at its core. It’s that feeling of spinning between it all, but still finding your centre in the noise.
What keeps us going is the love of getting loud — being on stage, seeing people connect with the songs, singing them back. That energy makes all the late nights and uncertainty worth it. It reminds us why we started doing this in the first place.
Danny Collins: Yeah, the Big Weekend was definitely a turning point for us. To go from being this DIY band from Luton to stepping out on a BBC stage and seeing all those people discovering our music was surreal. That kind of moment doesn’t just give you exposure — it gives you belief.
We actually made a short documentary about the whole experience, which you can find online. We wanted to capture what it really meant to us — not just the performance, but everything that led up to it: the graft, the laughs, and the pride of representing Luton, where we’re from.
Coming from Luton, it’s always been important for us to show that great stories can come from anywhere.
Danny Collins: We’ve just come off the back of our sold-out headline show at The Hawley Arms to celebrate the release of “Anything,” and honestly, it felt like the perfect way to kick off what’s coming next. The energy in that room was unreal — it really set the tone for this new chapter.
Our next single, “Crazy,” is already on the way, and it’s got a completely different flavour — still loud and unapologetic, but with a twist that might catch people off guard. After that, we’re gearing up for a tour in early 2026 and then the full EP will drop, which ties everything together.
Closing Thoughts
“Anything” is more than a single — it’s a statement. JW Paris has found the sweet spot between swagger and sincerity, nostalgia and now. With its gritty guitars, fearless lyrics, and pulse of London nightlife running through its veins, the track proves that British rock still has something to say. As the band gears up for their next release and a new chapter ahead, one thing’s for certain — JW Paris aren’t just keeping the spirit of Britpop alive; they’re rewriting it for a new generation.
