A Journey Into The Panic Sequence (NIGHTBOX TAKEOVER)

1. Burning
– The first track off our latest EP “The Panic Sequence.” I remember the lads and I, along with our buddy Sebastien Grainger (DFA 1979), travelled to the countryside, about 3 hours north of Toronto for some new inspiration. We set up an old Korg and a run-down Juno synth and played an arpeggio that set the whole tone and mood of the song. And just like that ‘Burning’ was born. It all happened so organically. That’s what I love about this track – everything just seemed to work. It was effortless. The lyrics talk a lot about being borderline obsessed with someone or something. Being up in the countryside and feeling secluded had a big effect on the writing for this track.

2. The Panic Sequence
– I aimed to write a song where the verses were rather bare and simplistic and contrast that with a loud, pounding chorus. I wanted it to feel unexpected and frantic when the chorus hit, like someone suddenly starting to panic and lose their mind. I don’t really like going into detail about what my lyrics mean. I’d rather leave it up to the fans to interpret them as they wish. It’s more special that way. I’m pretty certain this song is about a mental case.

3. In The Rural
– I grew up in Ireland with my brother Nick, and met the rest of the band there. Moving from the middle of nowhere in rural Ireland, back to Toronto had a massive impact on the songwriting for the band. The fresh country air, the lush greenery and the peaceful mornings were now replaced by pollution and noise. I refer to Toronto as a woman in the song. A woman that’s really pissing you off… The heavy electronics in the track really emphasize the feelings of aggression and frustration.

4. Wonderworlds
– I remember recording an acoustic guitar through my laptop speaker and reversing it. That’s what you hear at the start of Wonderworlds. This song was the inspiration to further write pop songs with obscure/unconventional sounds and textures that just work in a really beautiful way. I like how this song is always changing. It takes the listener on a journey.

5. Wash
– This song came together very quickly actually, and it’s perhaps the most different song on the EP. I had a rough recording of the song and thought it sounded okay but felt it was missing something. James Tebbitt then had the idea of recording an acoustic guitar (again through a laptop speaker), chopping it up and sampling it. That’s what you’re hearing throughout the song. It’s very special to us as musicians as it encouraged us to write a handful of new songs with this chopped up acoustic/electronic sound. The lyrics paint a picture in my head of someone being baptized in a river, in an attempt to rid them of their sins.

The Panic Sequence is out now on Rare Beef. Purchase on iTunes.

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This post was written by Nightbox frontman / songwriter Jacob Bitlove, as part of their Takeover of Indie Music Filter.  Find them on twitter here.