Panic Shack return with new single, "Gok Wan"

"Gok Wan" sees the band taking on the toxic culture of body 'improvement' shows that dominated the airwaves in the noughties during their formative years: "Growing up in the '00s we were bombarded with constant images of super skinny models and ‘IT girls’ as well as TV shows all about ‘looking good’ and ‘being thin’. We wanted to write a song that embodied the ludicrous nature of what we were consuming as literal children and how it affected us then and to this day," they explain.

"We dug deep into our shared memories of that time, bought some trashy magazines at the corner shop and watched some old shows on YouTube, ‘Trinny and Susannah’ and ‘Ten Years Younger’ being a couple… but honestly there are SO MANY to choose from. It was shocking to watch them back. The stark difference to what’s acceptable now, discussing women’s bodies with such negativity felt satirical, albeit a plus knowing things have come along a fair bit since then. We took headlines from the magazines and worked a few into the lyrics, ‘fat or pregnant’ being one, yes that’s a genuine magazine headline."

"Gok Wan" is the first release from Panic Shack since the 2022 double-header of the "Meal Deal" single and their debut EP Baby Shack. It precedes their run across the UK this May on the headline Don't Quit Your Day Job Tour.