Unlike plenty of other solo debuts, Paw is far less a concessional affair following a band breakup than it is the impetus for closing that musical chapter in the first place. Avery Tucker has undergone enough change in his personal life over the past decade that a project of such an autobiographical nature seemed inevitable, even as his band Girlpool began reaching wider audiences propelled by the intimate feelings explored by Tucker and his bandmate Harmony Tividad over the course of four records.
Which isn’t to say that Tucker didn’t lean heavily on collaborators while crafting Paw. MUNA’s Katie Gavin and Porches’ Aaron Maine both make appearances on the record, while production was handled by A. G. Cook and Alaska Reid—the latter of whom actually persuaded Tucker to ease off the elaborate production design that might distract from the emotions at the heart of his lyrics. “She encouraged me to not shy away from the rawness I had written,” he shared in a press statement. “Instead of dressing the songs in production, she pushed me to serve the spirit of the songs.”
Tucker also found plenty of inspiration elsewhere—even beyond the lineage of singer-songwriters such as Joan Armatrading, who initially inspired Tucker’s music career when he was seven years old. The artist credits his dog, Dizzy, for centering him during the album’s conception, while the ABC series Nashville provided an aesthetic reference point for the album’s twang. You can find more of those non-musical influences below, and you can listen to Paw here.
Moon Canyon Park
I was living very close to Moon Canyon during the making of Paw. I’d listen to a lot of voice notes from my phone while the songs were in the works, walking through the park back down to my house.
Nashville (the TV series)
I'm a huge fan of the TV show Nashville. I love Rayna James and Deacon Clayborn’s collaborative relationship and really enjoyed the original music.
Dizzy
My beautiful bull terrier, Dizzy, is a huge light in my life. Her paw is actually the album cover. Dizzy's unwavering presence and love provided the spirit of home during times I felt lost in the process of discovering Paw.
God
The creative process can feel like a practice of allowing—to let whatever the experience needs to be to illuminate itself. That surrender influenced songs and lessons that I will always carry with me.
My truck
I write a ton of my lyrics while I’m driving. I love to work on a song for hours, get in the car, and listen to something else, then put on the song that I’m working on. Refreshing my ears and driving through a beautiful environment is one of my favorite ways to turn the page during the song-making process.
