Crammed full of razor-sharp wit and zippy indie-punk, Panic Shack’s self-titled debut is an absolute riot of sound and colour. The Cardiff quartet talk to Kerrang! about bin men, body image and why their bond is “unbreakable” after seven years…
Excluding the July heatwave, it’s pretty much Christmas Eve in camp Panic Shack – and they have plenty of presents to deliver. Ten hours after our conversation, their self-titled debut album will be gifted to the world, before they invite fans into their Cardiff pop-up shop to celebrate the occasion. Right now, it’s about 20 per cent built, as they take a momentary breather to chat to us.
“We have a very traditional colour scheme as a band: pink and green, or leopard print,” explains guitarist Meg Fretwell, painting the picture of how the space will come to life for the day. “We're stocking new stuff, but then also flogging a bunch of super-limited and exclusive old stuff. It was honestly how we survived in the earlier days, flogging merch. The merch desk is part of our success story, for sure.”
Since forming in 2018, the Cardiff four-piece have caused a ruckus on the live circuit, crash landing their way onto tours with SOFT PLAY and Lambrini Girls. Last week, 2000trees’ Forest Sessions Stage hosted some Panic Shack pandemonium, while both Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds have already been graced by their presence.
“[Our debut album] has been a long time coming,” beams guitarist Romi Lawrence. “I shed a tear yesterday at work!” adds vocalist Sarah Harvey. Despite the momentous occasion of their long-awaited LP, Meg is quick to point out that not an awful lot has changed, in terms of the band’s core dynamic.
“We've always known that we could amount to amazing things,” she says. “The only way it's changed is that we've taken it a bit more seriously, [not going] to the pub after every practice… this could be a long-standing, lifelong career.” That “humble goal” of Panic Shack being able to exist as their full-time jobs isn’t too far off – and this album can surely punch that door wide open.
If you haven’t caught the band live yet, it’s clear from the first chant of ‘We get hyped’ in Girl Band Starter Pack that having more fun than anybody else is one of their key ingredients
“A hive mind!” exclaim Romi, Meg and bassist Emily Smith in unison.
“We've been through everything – more than friends would go through,” says Sarah, before Emily jumps in. “We’re unbreakable!”
All four continue to bounce off one another, finishing each other’s sentences. “Boys who we know in bands are always like, ‘God, you're so nice to each other…’” laughs Romi.
“It restores my face in humanity,” adds Meg. “It’s our determination, and we've all got a really strong work ethic. Coming from a working-class background, you've got to be willing to graft.”
Happy-go-lucky closer Thelma & Louise is a love letter to their friendships, while Girl Band Starter Pack and Pockets (‘Making jeans without them remains a mystery / And tonight I kinda wanted to be hands-free’) transport us live and direct to one of their (many) wild nights out. Four drag queens play Panic Shack in the music video for the former, maybe giving us an insight into what the inevitable biopic could look like.
“We want a documentary one day, there’s so much footage over the years!” confirms Meg.
Things only get more obscene. Personal Best recounts the moment Emily decided to take magic mushrooms, four miles into running a marathon around the streets of Cardiff. “Performance-enhancing drugs!” quips Sarah. Unhinged, meanwhile, reels off all the Hinge prompts that make us shudder on a daily basis.
Then there’s SMELLARAT, which tears down predatory male behaviour, using one of many words that Panic Shack have invented. “We were walking through Newport, really pissed, and we started spitting bars about the bin men,” recounts Emily.
“Romi is terrified of rats, and one ran past us,” adds Meg. “It fit this ratty, horrible person that lives in Cardiff.” Sarah joins the dots together. “We had this song about ‘rat boy’, and the song about bin men – let’s combine them. Poof, magic!”
The album took shape with Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, The Mysterines) across nine “exciting-slash-overwhelming” days in Bristol – which included a brief trip to see Amyl And The Sniffers. Such financial and time constraints made sure that their collective “stream of consciousness” took centre stage, when it came to moulding the album into shape. Gok Wan, for example, was brought to fruition within a “cathartic” two hours, calling out the toxic standards that women’s bodies are constantly subjected to in the media.
“I was reading a magazine the other day, and one of the headlines was, ‘Men ageing like fine wine,’” says Emily. “Then you’ve got, ‘Look at this fat bitch’ – men get away with so much.” Inspired by gossip magazines and episodes of Trinny & Susannah – “to get us in the mood” – it’s a song that remains alarmingly poignant.
“It references TV shows from the ’00s, but it is still relevant today, [because of] the beauty standards that women are having to contend with, and the fact that they are constantly changing,” says Romi.
When we ask how many more thoughts they’re dying to express in musical form, all four vivaciously nod their heads in unison. While the core punk sensibilities and hyper-specific lyrical style have put them on the map, this album’s brief electronic and art-rock escapades prove that Panic Shack have a million tricks up their sleeve, whenever the world is ready for them. But crucially, it all stems from that killer instinct.
“It’s like a voice note of us all taking the piss,” concludes Em, summing everything up succinctly.
“Honestly, we don't sit on an idea for too long,” adds Meg. “We do the first thing that comes to mind, and I think you can't be too precious about stuff. It's worked so far!”
Panic Shack’s self-titled debut album is out now via Brace Yourself Records
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