Panic Shack - Panic Shack Panic Shack
If there's one thing Panic Shack know, it's how to have a good time. Comprised of Sarah Harvey (vocals), Meg Fretwell (guitar/backing vocals), Romi Lawrence (guitar/backing vocals), Em Smith (bass/backing vocals) and Nick Williams (drums), the band formed in 2018 as a middle-finger to the members-only club atmosphere of indie and punk scenes not just because they're male-dominated, but because they make playing music seem out of reach or, even worse, boring. Boys make it look so hard, Em says, rolling her eyes. Whenever I see someone on the floor fiddling with their pedals with a face like a slapped arse I think, you're making this look so unattainable and it's actually so fucking easy.
This carefree approach gives Panic Shack's music the same effect as popping a bottle of Prosecco explosive, intoxicating, and delightfully chaotic. With barely any music available online, they built a word-of-mouth following off the back of their live shows, which have been praised for fusing thrashy early LA-style punk with choreography that owes something to the Go-Go's and Iron Maiden all at once (The Guardian). That quickly snowballed into tours with the likes of Bob Vylan and Soft Play, and festival appearances at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Green Man, End of the Road, SXSW and more. Released in 2022, their acclaimed Baby Shack EP bottled the lightning they have on stage, cementing their ability to blend killer hooks with a contagious sense of humour. The first vinyl pressing splattered pink, obviously sold out almost instantly.
To be released in July, Panic Shack's self-titled debut album represents a serious level up. Linking up with producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Yard Act), it finds the band expanding their gutsy punk sound into fuller territory, packed with vocal harmonies, synths, electronic experimentation, and even a trumpet at one point.
Irresistible because of their simplicity and charming because of their familiarity, Panic Shack are the answer to a question that, quite frankly, isn't asked often enough: what if the funniest girls you know started a band? The sonic equivalent to a coming-of-age film unfolding over a single night, Panic Shack takes the shape of a bender, beginning by approaching a bar and ending with an impassioned speech at sunrise about how much you love your friends. Swerving the expected topics of sex and romance, the entire album revolves around the ionic bond between the four girls.
Dinked 345
— Red / white campino vinyl *
— Black & white A5 zine *
— Set of 2 double-sided beer mats (one side for each butt on the album cover) *
— A5 tattoo sheet (illustrated by Sarah from the band) *
— Limited pressing of 600 *
*EXCLUSIVE to Dinked Edition
Also available on standard "Latex Red" vinyl and CD.
Tracklisting
1. Girl Band Starter Pack
2. Gok Wan
3. Lazy
4. Tit School
5. We Need To Talk About Dennis
6. Do Something
7. Personal Best
8. Pockets
9. Unhinged
10. SMELLARAT
11. Thelma and Louise
Brace Yourself