Dog Paw: Local Provo band takes on the stage

Provos music scene has long been a launchpad for emerging indie artists, with small venues, garage shows and student-run events giving new bands room to experiment and grow.

Big-name groups like Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees and The Backseat Lovers all got their start here, helping put Provo on the map as a place where young musicians can develop their audience.

The Provo music scene is the type of environment that can take a group of friends with casual jam sessions into something real.

Dog Paw is an indie band from Provo, with members Ethan Nielsen (drummer), Jaden Haney (lead guitarist), Garrett Bailey (singer and bassist) and Neil Dalton (rhythm guitarist and singer).

It all started when they met on their missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fort Collins, Colorado. They all knew they had previously played instruments and were musically talented.

Once they returned home from their missions, they all would be living in Provo, so they decided to all get together and form a band. Dog Paw has been together since 2024.

Dalton shared that the story behind their unique band name came from a small moment one day at work, I was just sitting in my truck, I saw a dog, and I was like: dog, dog paw. I texted the chat, and everybody agreed.

The band started off playing garage shows for fun, then took about 6 months to just write music. They plan to write many more songs by the start of the next school year.

We all love music a lot, and we all love playing music together, Nielsen shared as he explained what motivated them to form the band.

Since the band began, Dog Paw has performed in various venues around Provo and even the infamous Kilby Court in Salt Lake City.

At their shows, the band said fans will sometimes bark at them. It started as a running joke created by their mission friends who would come and support their first few shows, but it eventually became a part of the Dog Paw concert experience.

They also have participated in competitions such as the BYU Battle of the Bands, where they won second place, and the Battle of the Bands at Velour in Downtown Provo, where they won first place.

Even with the momentum, Bailey said they try a lot to not try so hard, explaining that staying grounded matters to them.

There's so much ego when it comes to being a small band because everyone's trying to make it and be better than others, and I just feel like it's important to remember that we do this for fun, and the purpose of it is to do it it's not as a means to an end, Bailey said.

The band shared that songwriting helps them express and cope with their feelings, and they all come to contribute different parts while songwriting. Every song has a different story behind how it came to be, along with its inspiration.

When I write lyrics, it's usually me trying to express how I'm feeling at that moment in time; I try to complain to my guitar, Dalton said. Typically, the lyrics that I sing are the best way I represent myself.

The band shared that they all have a love for the Provo music scene. It has helped them make new friends and meet good people.

(Local shows are) what I always wanted. Growing up in my town, we just never had that. To be able to provide some of that feels really good, Nielsen said.

As for the future, the band remains optimistic. They said whether or not they make it big, they simply enjoy being with each other and expressing their love for music through playing.

As they talked about what comes next, each member reflected on what being part of Dog Paw has meant to them personally.

Bailey shared that creating music has become a way for him to better understand himself.

I just love being able to play music, (go through) the process, and being able to just create, Bailey said. You learn so much about yourself, you learn what you know and then you learn what you should know it's getting to know myself and what I can do.

For Nielsen, the process has been rewarding no matter how the end product turns out.

I wouldn't change anything, even if we don't wind up playing massive stadiums or anything. It still has been the best couple of years, Nielsen said.

Haney compared their journey to sharing a piece of art.

I just think of an artist: If you have an artist that paints a picture, are you then going to stuff it in a drawer or are you gonna put it on the wall? I feel like this opportunity has let us put it on the wall and have it out there," Haney said.

To learn more about the band and find more information on upcoming shows, visit their Instagram page.