Panic Shack channel joy, fury, and freedom through snotty punk-infused songs.

Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Siân Adler.

"It's wild how far the songs from the 'Baby Shack' EP have taken us," says Panic Shack guitarist Meg Fretwell. The vision for the band's debut record? "There wasn't one. They were the first songs we'd ever written, and we wrote them before we'd ever played a gig. We couldn't really play guitar either," adds Romi Lawrence before breaking into a grin. "We were a bit crap back then."

A lot has changed for the Cardiff-based four-piece since they wrote the likes of 'Who's Got My Lighter' and 'Jiu Jits You', though. Sure, the number of songs they've actually released still sits in single digits, but Panic Shack definitely aren't crap. Instead, they've become a must-see live act, channelling joy, fury and freedom via snotty punk-infused songs. "We've been so busy playing those songs, we didn't leave any time to write new ones," admits Meg. "This year, in general, has been a bit wild."

Ahead of the usual buzzy chaos of festival season, the band went on their first headline tour in February. "That felt like the end of the first era of the band," says Meg. "We called that first EP 'Baby Shack' because we felt like babies, but being able to do that tour felt incredibly special.

"Every night, we walked onto the stage and were able to feel the excitement from the crowd," she continues, with that energy continuing at festivals across the country.

"Before this year, it always felt like the crowd was there for other people, and we'd have to win them over," adds Romi. "Now, they're there for us. There's always been an element of imposter syndrome, but we must be doing something right if people are paying money to come see us."

"It's been great for my ego," says Meg.

Panic Shack didn't expect to be where they are today, sold-out shows and the looming pressure of a debut album, when they first formed. Instead, their friendship came first, with vocalist Sarah Harvey, bassist Emily Smith, Romi and Meg going to weekly karaoke sessions and watching their mates play gigs around Cardiff. Eventually, they decided to give it a go themselves, but mainly as an excuse to spend more time together. "We never thought this was going to happen," admits Romi.

"No, but at the same time, I always knew we could do it," continues Meg. "I didn't know things like playing Glastonbury were a dream I wanted, but if we were going to be in a band, we were going to go all in."

Panic Shack were inspired by the likes of Amyl And The Sniffers, The Clash and The Slits, but as well as those punky influences, the band also drew from Confidence Man ("They've got such a party vibe, and we wanted that as well") and 00s girl bands. "We basically wanted to be a girl band with guitars," says Romi, namechecking the likes of Girls Aloud, Sugababes and Spice Girls. "We didn't know much about music, but guitars felt like the easiest way to do something," adds Meg.

Romi knew Panic Shack were special after they wrote their first song, the rumbling revenge anthem 'Jiu Jits You'. "I just thought it was hilarious, and no one else was doing anything like it," while Meg's mind was made up after a last-minute appearance at Cardiff's SWN Festival in 2019, where the band played to a packed room. "Very quickly, it felt like we were on to something," she explains. "Perhaps people were drawn to the authenticity of it."

"We sing about mundane stuff that people think themselves, but nobody has put into a song," continues Romi. "Some people might think it's too silly or on the nose, but we think it's hilarious."

"I think because we're so close as friends, people feel like they know us. It's easy for them to feel like part of the party," she continues, turning to look at Meg. "I do think there's something pretty magical about our friendship."

It's not all been plain sailing, though. A professionally filmed clip of Panic Shack performing thundering anti-romance song 'The Ick' on the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading 2022 was shared on TikTok and saw the band flooded with hateful comments. "It's just misogyny at the end of the day," says Meg with The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg and countless other bands facing the same braindead hostility online. "There's literally no point in arguing either because that's all they want from it."

"We had to get thicker skin," says Romi. "Now we don't give a shit," she shrugs. Following the backlash, Panic Shack's fanbase founded The Baby Shack Facebook group, which has grown into a close-knit community that exists online and in the physical world. It's typical of Panic Shack to find positivity in shitty situations. "Our whole ethos is if we're not having fun, then what's the point?" explains Romi. Things may have shifted from playing gigs in their local pubs to appearing at massive festivals, but that ethos hasn't changed. "It turns out there's always something to laugh about."

Across their songs, Panic Shack wrestle with everything from catcalling to capitalism. "I don't think we ever set out to write a political song, though," says Meg.

Take 'Baby', which challenges gender roles and the expectations of women. "That one started because Emily really didn't want to hold someone's baby, but then we started talking about those experiences, and it evolved," says Romi. "We wrote 'Meal Deal' because we were skint and pissed off about it."

"We've all come from working-class backgrounds. I didn't realise this until we got more involved with the music industry, but there really isn't that much representation. People don't get the same opportunities. It feels like being women and working class, you have to work twice as hard for half as much," continues Meg. There's fury in their music, but onstage, it's transformed into joy. "That really is how it feels to be performing," says Romi. "Part of it comes from the fact we can't believe we are able to do this though."

Still, the band have always thrown themselves at every opportunity, which isn't changing now either. "We know where we want to take this, so you just have to keep working towards that end goal," she adds.

"I'm excited to show people who we've become and what we're capable of now," starts Meg, with Panic Shack currently working on their debut album.

"That first EP does sum us up. It's all a bit silly; it's about having fun. It was a really good introduction to who we are. I'm excited for people to hear what we do next; now we've got the experience of playing live and are much better musicians," continues Romi. "Mature is not the right word. They're definitely not mature, but we know how to write songs now. They're still going to have this funny sort of social commentary, but nothing too poetic. The sound feels elevated," she explains.

Over the past year, the band have been collecting ideas while on tour, and when they finally managed to find space between day jobs and gigs, they sat down with a giant piece of paper and "wrote every single random idea out. We then just went with what felt most exciting," explains Meg. "There's no overriding idea; it's just our own personal beliefs and experiences."

There are nerves about the debut album, but the band aren't going to let that spook them. "Hopefully, there's something for everyone on the album to resonate with, but it's all for us," says Romi. "There is this feeling that because we've come this far, we don't want to lose anyone, though. And because we've been doing this for so long without an album, it feels like there's more pressure," she continues.

Luckily, the new songs they've been playing live have been going down an absolute treat, which has helped calm those concerns.

After the success of this year, Meg's ambitions are just to make things "bigger and better". "We don't want to be a flash in the pan," she explains, with the album bouncing between their everyday reality and where they want the band to one day be. "We want longevity."

Speaking about what she wants Panic Shack to mean to other people, Romi explains: "I want them to be able to see themselves in us. I mean, if we can do it…" she says with a grin. "It would have been nice when we were younger to have had that. The scene has changed a lot in recent years, which is amazing, but when we were younger, it felt like guitar bands were just men. Being in a band, especially with my friends, it just didn't feel like something I could have ever done."

It's one of the reasons Meg and Romi are so quick to talk about how crap they used to be at playing guitar. "I felt like I didn't deserve to be where we were because there were these people looking down their noses at us. I've learnt there's a big difference between writing a really good song and being a really good musician, though. It would have meant the world for me to see someone who wasn't an amazing guitarist but was onstage just having the best time possible," says Romi.

"Confidence has been a big thing for us," continues Meg, with the band putting the work in to get to where they are today. "We're not shit," she says with a grin. "Now, I love it when I see teenage girls who've come to our shows with their mum or dad. I want it to mean something to them."