Cardiff’s finest punk rabble-rousers are back. Panic Shack have just dropped their first new music since their self-titled debut album landed last July, and it’s a banger — a fizzy, teeth-bared punk ripper called grin & bear it out now via Brace Yourself Records. Oh, and they’re about to invade North America for the first time. No big deal.
The track almost made it onto the debut LP but the band felt it wasn’t quite there yet — not enough grit, they said. So they sat with it, reworked it in stolen hours between day jobs and gigs, and brought in producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, Amyl & the Sniffers, Yard Act) to finally crack it open. The result is a blazing slab of beefy guitar noise and righteous fury, with vocalist Sarah Harvey tearing into the grind of the rat race using lyrics she scrawled on a scrap of paper during a long, lonely nightshift back in 2023. Relatable content, honestly.
“It almost made it onto our debut album, but it just wasn’t where it needed to be; we felt it didn’t have enough grit — until now. We really clicked with Ross in the studio and are super proud of what the track has become; it sounds massive.” — Panic Shack
The video is pure chaos in the best possible way — shot entirely by the band themselves while on their recent headline tour of Germany. Think graffiti walls, green room hangs, and every cool monument they could find used as a backdrop. DIY to the core, exactly as it should be.
Listen + Watch
A Quick Recap on the Debut
In case you need a refresher: ‘Panic Shack’ hit shelves in July 2025 to a wall of critical love — The Guardian, NME, Kerrang, Rolling Stone UK, Clash, DIY, and more all losing their minds over it. Singles Gok Wan, Girl Band Starter Pack, and Thelma & Louise got playlisted at BBC 6 Music, the band taped a session for Huw Stephens, and they made their UK national TV debut on Later With… Jools Holland in November 2025. The album debuted at #32 on the UK Albums Chart and hit #1 on both the Official Downloads Chart and the Rock & Metal Albums Chart. Not bad for five people who just wanted to make playing music look fun again.
North American Tour — June 2026
Panic Shack’s first-ever North American headline run kicks off June 9th in Washington, DC and wraps June 29th in Los Angeles. Come out, lose your mind, maybe scream a little.
June 9 — Washington, DC — The Atlantis
June 10 — Somerville, MA — The Rockwell
June 12 — Philadelphia, PA — PhilaMOCA
June 13 — New York, NY — Mercury Lounge
June 14 — New Kensington, PA — Preserving Underground
June 16 — Toronto, ON — Hard Luck Bar
June 18 — Chicago, IL — Cobra Lounge
June 19 — Milwaukee, WI — Summerfest Festival †
June 21 — Denver, CO — Hi-Dive
June 24 — Portland, OR — Polaris Hall
June 25 — Vancouver, BC — The Cobalt
June 26 — Seattle, WA — Baba Yaga
June 28 — San Francisco, CA — Rickshaw Stop
June 29 — Los Angeles, CA — Zebulon
Full 2026 Tour Dates
MAY
22 — Derby, UK — Bearded Theory Festival †
23 — North Shields, UK — A Stone’s Throw Festival †
28 — Brussels, BE — Les Nuits Botanique
29 — Hellendoorn, NL — Dauwpop Festival †
JULY
2 — Llangollen, UK — Live at Llangollen #
5 — Ewijk, NL — Down The Rabbit Hole Festival †
11 — Halifax, UK — Piece Hall *
26 — Southwold, UK — Latitude Festival †
AUGUST
1 — Cardiff, UK — Cardiff Castle *
15 & 16 — Winchester, UK — Boomtown Festival †
23 — Crickhowell, UK — Green Man Festival †
28 — La Tour-de-Peilz, CH — Nox Orae Festival †
30 — Lisbon, PT — Meo Kalorama Festival †
SEPTEMBER
11 — Dallas, TX — Longhorn Ballroom & Backyard Amphitheater *
12 — Austin, TX — Emo’s *
13 — Houston, TX — House of Blues Houston *
15 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works *
17 — Kansas City, MO — Uptown Theater *
20 — Ottawa, ON — CityFolk Festival †
21 — Toronto, ON — HISTORY *
22 — Montréal, QC — L’Olympia *
24 — Quebec City, QC — L’Anti *
25 — Northampton, MA — Iron Horse Music Hall *
26 — New York, NY — CBGB Festival †
† Festival Appearance | * w/ Sex Pistols | # w/ Super Furry Animals
About Panic Shack
Formed in Cardiff in 2018 as a middle finger to the “members-only club” energy of indie and punk scenes, Panic Shack — Sarah Harvey (vocals), Meg Fretwell (guitar/backing vocals), Romi Lawrence (guitar/backing vocals), Em Smith (bass/backing vocals), and Nick Williams (drums) — built their following the old fashioned way: killer live shows, word of mouth, and an infectious refusal to make music look anything other than a total blast. Their 2022 Baby Shack EP sold out its first pink-splattered vinyl pressing almost instantly. The self-titled debut followed in 2025 and the rest, as they say, is history in the making.
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