The Panics

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The Panics
Background information
Origin	Perth, Australia
Genre(s)	Rock
Years active	2002–present
Members
Jae Laffer (Vocals, Guitar & Keyboards) Drew Wootton (Guitar) Myles Wootton (Drums) Paul Otway (Bass) Julian Douglas (Keyboard, Guitar & Vocals

The Panics are a band from Perth, Western Australia who started out while Jae Laffer (singer /guitarist & keyboards) and Drew Wootton (Guitar) were still at high school. They added Drew's younger brother Myles on drums, Paul Otway (Bass) and Julian Douglas (Keyboard/ Guitar and Vocals) soon after. They are signed to the UK-based label LittleBIGMAN Records, a label set up by Pete Carroll and Gaz Whelan co founder of The Happy Mondays.

Their first release, a self-titled EP in 2002, enjoyed high rotation on Australian radio station Triple J and community radio stations around Australia, from which they gained some attention. The following two EPs This Day Last Year and Kid You're A Dreamer also generated radio exposure across Australia.

In 2002 The Panics were the first Australian band to be invited to play at “In The City (festival)” the UK’s annual music convention. While in England they commenced recording tracks for their debut album, with parts being recorded in Manchester UK and the rest co-produced with Steve Bond in Australia, and mixed by Jeremy Allom (The La's, Massive Attack). A full-length album, A House on a Street in a Town I'm From followed in 2003 to local critical praise. In 2004 the band signed a worldwide deal with Festival Publishing. They have also had several tracks featured in films, most recently This Day Last Year was commissioned for "Jew Boy", which was broadcast in 2005.

In late 2004 the band headed back to England for a second UK tour, including supporting the Happy Mondays at a sold out show to over 12,000 people on Clapham Common in London. The band based themselves in Manchester and commenced writing new material for their next album. On return to Australia they recorded the new album at Megaphone studios in Sydney with Australian producer Tim Whitten (who produced albums by The Clouds, Powderfinger, Art of Fighting, The Go Betweens, The Necks, 78 Saab and worked in England with The Smiths). Their second album, Sleeps Like a Curse was released in August, 2005, and was nominated for a J Award in the same year.