INTERVIEW: :Panic :Over Are Turning Northern Irish Indie Into a Global Sound

Neal McClelland meets the Northern Irish band whose anthemic sound is turning heads from Belfast to Tokyo. There’s something electric about catching a band right before liftoff — that mix of confidence, humour, and disbelief that it’s all really happening.  :Panic :Over — made up of Charlie, Ruben, Ben and Darsh — started jamming their way through lockdown boredom and somehow ended up representing Northern Ireland at the World Expo in Japan.

How did :Panic :Over come together?

Charlie: We formed the band out of pure boredom! We’d play in each other’s gardens, writing songs just to keep ourselves sane. When the world opened up, we hit every open mic we could find. Then in 2023, we entered the SONI Battle of the Bands — and somehow… we won!

Ben: That win changed everything. It caught the attention of Smashing Buttons, who now manage us. Since then, it’s been go, go, go — shows, festivals, touring, and writing non-stop.

How would you describe the :Panic :Over sound?

Charlie: Four mates having a good time.

Ruben: Think Sam Fender meets Foo Fighters — big guitars, big choruses, and songs that make you feel alive.

Your music’s been used everywhere — Love Island, football coverage, ITV… even the EUROS!?

Ben: Yeah, it’s wild! A mate texted me during a match like, “That’s your song!” Hearing it soundtrack those kinds of moments is unreal.

Tell us about representing Northern Ireland in Japan.

Darsh: That was insane. Four shows in one day — we were jet-lagged, sweaty, and loving every second. Seeing people from all over the world dancing to our songs — unbelievable.

You’ve just released a cover of Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.” Why that track?

Ruben: Warner sent over a list of potential covers, and that bassline just jumped out.

Ben: We love the original, but we wanted to keep the spirit and make it our own — give it that :Panic :Over energy.

Any other covers sneaking into the setlist?

Charlie: We’re big ABBA fans — Does Your Mother Know always goes off live.

Ben: I’d love to give a Dua Lipa or Sabrina Carpenter tune the :Panic :Over treatment someday!

Who inspires the band most?

Ruben: Sam Fender, Foo Fighters, The Enemy, The Royston Club, Wonderhorse… but the real glue is our friendship.

Charlie: Best mates making tunes — that’s what :Panic :Over is all about.

What’s next for you guys?

Charlie: Our management company recently launched a record label, with distribution through AWAL/Sony. We’ll be re-releasing our album False Alarm through them, plus we’ve got three brand new singles ready to drop early next year. Big things are coming.

Don’t Panic — The Liftoff’s Already Begun

Four mates, big tunes, and zero ego — :Panic :Over are Northern Ireland’s next great export. Keep your eyes on the horizon — the rise starts here.