Cardiff’s formidable five-piece, Panic Shack, have announced their highly anticipated self-titled debut album, set to ignite airwaves and venues on July 18th via Brace Yourself Records. This news arrives hand-in-hand with the album’s electrifying lead single and opening salvo, ‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ – a track brimming with the raw energy and anticipation of stepping into a bustling club at the dawn of a night out.
‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ immediately throws listeners into the thick of it, opening with a vibrant and authentic soundscape of pub chatter, clinking glasses, and infectious laughter. Intriguingly, these opening sounds were captured live in the beer garden at an Amyl & the Sniffers gig, effectively crafting a party-punk introduction with a sonic nod to the iconic opening of Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’.
Of the track, the band states,
“‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ was the title of our inspiration playlist on Spotify when we first started the band. It’s had many deaths and rebirths but has been with us since the start, so it’s quite special to us. Not only because we’ve watched it morph into a certified banger (it was once named ‘Banger Potential’) but because it personifies our friendship and the electricity we feel when we’re together, whether that’s creating, playing or simply just grabbing a coffee … which as the song foretells, usually leads to a voddy.”
Panic Shack released the impactful single ‘Gok Wan’, a fiery commentary on toxic 00s tabloid culture and its effect on young women’s body image. The track, premiered on BBC 6 Music by Huw Stephens, quickly gained traction, winning the 6 Music Roundtable and reaching the station’s B-list. The single’s return was met with strong press support. The accompanying stark video, directed by Ren Faulkner with choreography by Lauren Fretwell, powerfully illustrated the societal pressures on women to adhere to male gaze-defined beauty ideals.
For their debut album, ‘Panic Shack,’ band Panic Shack—featuring Sarah Harvey, Meg Fretwell, Romi Lawrence, Em Smith, and Nick Doherty-Williams—teamed up with producer Ali Chant, known for his work with PJ Harvey and Yard Act. This collaboration marks a significant sonic expansion for the group, moving beyond their initial punk sound to incorporate vocal harmonies, synthesisers, electronic textures, and even unexpected instrumentation like the trumpet. The album’s lyrics adopt a conversational style, often rooted in band in-jokes, while addressing a broad spectrum of feminine experiences. This includes relatable everyday scenarios, such as online dating (‘Unhinged’) and the practicality of fashion (‘Pockets’), alongside explorations of more significant societal issues like body image (‘Gok Wan’) and sexual harassment (‘SMELLARAT’). The band emphasises that these themes arise naturally from their lives, often presented with an underlying sense of enjoyment rather than explicit political statements.
Tickets are still available for select dates on next month’s largely sold-out Don’t Quit Your Day Job Tour.
