NEWS: PAPER TIGERS Tear It Up With Debut Single “Gucci Smiles”

Belfast based band PAPER TIGERS released their debut single ‘Gucci Smiles‘, at the start on November in McHugh’s bar, Belfast and now just released the video.

‘Gucci Smiles‘ takes no time to let you know it intends to blow your socks off with its fast, furious and fuzzed up rock, it is a riff turbocharged tune with lead singer Hayley belting out the vocals with no compromise. It has an energetic ‘as angry as a hornet and determined as a shark’ feel, with its fuzzy riffage and titanic rhythms spilling out of the speakers and rolling into the very centre of your being. Whilst it has a definite alt rock vibe there is a beautiful Led Zepplinesque familiarity about it with its slight nostalgic nod towards “The Immigrant Song”.

The song itself pulsates throughout with riffs and rhythms to please many a rocker of all hues and the vocals just blend seamlessly into the fast scuzzy sound. PAPER TIGERS is a band well worth watching as they can only go in an upward trajectory and ‘Gucci Smiles‘, as their debut single, is a perfect launch pad. This single is well worth adding to your collection.

The video for the single showcases the band where they feel most at home; live and tearing up stages across the country. Shot by Bob Logan, the 5th Tiger, across a number of different shows the video captures the energy and passion of any Paper Tigers show.

The single is already getting media attention and radio play, earning PAPER TIGERS a support slot on tour with Life, who are fresh off tour from supporting Idles.

Formed by Michael Smyth in October 2018, armed with a handful of songs and a drive to do something completely different from any previous projects Michael set about gathering his fellow Tigers. Looking to capture lightning in bottle, this led to an extended and tumultuous search with the line up finally being settled upon in September 2019. Paper Tigers are Hayley Norton on vocals, Michael Smyth on guitar and vocals, Mickey Teague on drums and Stevey Henry on bass and vocals.

Initial shows introduced Paper Tigers as an alt rock powerhouse, pounding drums, driving rhythms and more hooks than a slaughter house floor. Once the line up was cemented Paper Tigers wasted no time entering the studio to record a handful of songs and swiftly announced ‘Gucci Smiles‘ as their debut single, which was recorded live in one take with Jonny at Bear Cat, capturing the energy of the band and of the song was paramount to the recording process. Its the sound of the band tearing through the song like only they know how.