Since the release of their third album Cruel Guards and their hit single Don’t Fight It, The Panics popularity, both within Australia and overseas, has soared. The significance of this feat is not lost on lead singer Jae Laffer. “The past year has just been really mad for us,” he concurs. “We’ve had some crazy gigs, sold a whole bunch of albums, so I’m very content and happy at the minute.”
Already plans are being made for the band to head back into the recording studio later on this year. The speed at which The Panics move is not surprising, when Laffer describes the rigorous routine he and his four band mates abide by. “We rehearse every day. We go down to the rehearsal room pretty much every weekday from nine till five at the moment. We try and keep really creative so it feels like were working really hard.”
The reason for this rigid schedule is because the band feel incredibly blessed to be able to make music for a living. And while they may not live like kings, they are able to live comfortably. “It was only nine months ago that I was washing dishes. I was scrubbing grease off other people’s plates for a living,” says Laffer.
When it comes to selecting producers for the next album, Laffer will not name names. However, he does admit, “We’ve got our little wish list, so we’ll call a bunch of old men and see who’s interested.” And what about material? “We’ve already got ten or so songs, so we would like to double that in the next couple of months. We’re very confident that we can bring out another good record, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Having slogged it out for many years before finally striking gold with Cruel Guards, The Panics take nothing for granted. Laffer talks more about what he hopes for the band’s future. “We all just want to travel a lot. I think we would like to get records released in as many places on this earth as we can, and be able to travel to them and play to as many people as possible. And I want to write a song that is remembered for a long time to come. Ultimately, though, that’s not for me to decide, so I’ll just keep writing songs and see what happens.”
The Panics promise to “shortly announce new tour dates for both Australia and around the world for the rest of 2008”. Watch this space!
