Panic Switch

"Panic Switch"
Single by Silversun Pickups
from the album Swoon
Released	March 17, 2009
Genre	Alternative rock, shoegaze
Length	5:44
Label	Dangerbird
Writer(s)	Silversun Pickups
Producer(s)	Dave Cooley
Silversun Pickups singles chronology
"Little Lover's So Polite" (2008) "Panic Switch" (2009) "Substitution" (2009)

"Panic Switch" is a song by the American alternative rock band Silversun Pickups. It was the first single released from the group's second album, Swoon (2009), on March 17, 2009. The song reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, becoming their first number-one single on any Billboard chart.^[1] "Panic Switch" was the first song by an independent artist to reach number one on the chart in 11 years.^[2] After a one-week stay at number one, it spent 11 weeks at number two behind Linkin Park's "New Divide". It is also their first Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 92.

When asked about the song, singer Brian Aubert told MTV that the song was added late to the album, almost as an afterthought. It is meant to represent a nervous breakdown, which is a major theme of the album.^[3]

In 2012, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign received a cease and desist request from Silversun Pickups, who alleged illegal use of their song at a campaign event set-up in North Carolina. Romney's spokeswoman, Amanda Henneberg, stated that playing the song before the event began was covered under the campaign's regular blanket license and would not play it again.^[4]

Chart performance

References