Every time singer Jayna Doyle’s heart has been broken, she has written about it.
She channels her failed relationships into catchy pop songs that represent how her life could have been. Her songwriting for the band Death of Paris of Columbia, S.C., says what others are thinking but are afraid to say.
Doyle and guitarist Blake Arambula both attended the University of South Carolina. Shortly before graduating, Doyle and Arambula’s previous band fell apart, and they both found themselves wondering what to do next.
“In the meantime of ‘not knowing what’s next,’ we began working on unfinished songs from our old band,” Doyle said. “Those finished songs became demos, and we were soon contacted by a [Los Angeles] based producer we knew in college.”
They formed Death of Paris and added rhythm guitarist Patrick Beardsley and drummer Bryan Lee Bass. In 2013, the band went to Atlanta to record their next album with Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, both who have worked with bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Mayday Parade.
“We really wanted to work with someone who had a distinct way of producing,” Doyle said. “We were drawn to the off-the-wall way that they record drums, like hanging mics from a sunroof and then slamming car doors to add a different type of sound with the bass drum, or like crushing light bulbs in a trash bag as an extra crash cymbal.”
The sound of Death of Paris has changed since its inception in 2010. Its first album was a mix of Doyle and Arambula’s writing styles. Arambula said on the band’s latest release, “Gossip,” they were able to incorporate everyone’s writing styles.
“On this record, we also were able to try out many of the new songs live before recording them,” Arambula said. “That process let us tweak the sounds more and really keep our live show in mind while recording.”
Growing up, Doyle and Arambula were both heavily influenced by music. Doyle started taking cello lessons when she was 6 years old, but at 4 years old, she told her parents she would be a singer. She attended every show that came through the local House of Blues, wanting to play on the same stage as them.
Arambula’s mother was really big in the local karaoke scene. When he was allowed, he would watch her. He was fascinated by seeing crowds enjoying music and people performing on stage.
“I wanted to become a part of that somehow,” Arambula said.
Death of Paris will play Thursday at Green Bar. Doors open at 9 p.m, and there is no cover. The show is a launch party for a local clothing label, Live, Grind, Love! which aspires to donate to arts-based groups and charities, promote underground artists.
This will be the band’s first time in Tuscaloosa.
“Most of the dates during this tour will be in new cities we’ve never played before. Hopefully we can make Tuscaloosa a new stop on our future tours,” Arambula said.
