Ahead of his debut Australian performance, London-based queer alt-pop artist, Jack Panther, is back with his third EP.
You first debuted to the world in 2020 with your single This Dream. Was that difficult considering the pandemic?
For sure. I graduated from university, went to London in December 2019, and created my first EP with producer Ian Barter. He was wonderful to work with, and I was going to stay there, but something in my gut was saying I wasn’t ready. Flash forward three months, and the world was in lockdown. So, I’m very grateful to have trusted myself, because I think living in London would have been hard. It was a difficult time, but some great things came out of it. I also got to work with my favourite director, Charlotte Evans. Creating This Dream came at a tumultuous time, but for me, it’s all about the long game.
Did the angst of lockdown add to your creative writing?
Completely! I wrote so much over those lockdown years. Living in New Zealand was similar to Australia’s lockdown, where they had it tough. It started to have an impact on my mental health, and I went through the motions of losing a lot of hope, as a lot of people did. That’s when I began writing for this current project. I needed hope. I couldn’t listen to or write sad music anymore, and it was the first time I’d experienced that. I’ve always been a melancholic writer. I was pushed to write more out of necessity than anything.
As a child, were you a performer?
I was a very performative child! One time, a babysitter was looking after a whole group of us, and we put on a show. I loved performing, and I put on a musical and dance act. Around that time, my mum asked me if I wanted to be a musician. I said it was too hard and I’d rather be an actor!
What acts did you dance to in the living room?
I’m right on the cusp of Gen Z, and there were so many great acts in the 2000s! Pink was a big moment for me. She had put out her first album, Can’t Take Me Home, and I’d dance around the living room to it. That album sent me through my childhood.
Jack Panther
What was growing up gay like for you?
It was tough. I came out in school at fourteen when someone leaked it. It was a tricky age and I just had to play it off. But I’m grateful that it gave me a lot of strength and forced me to deal with the pain of being outed, through music. I looked at it as a kind of blessing. My friends in school were great and very accepting, and when I came out to my parents, they were very supportive too.
You’ve just released your third EP, When I’m Feeling Better, We Could Dream Together, with the lead single Just a Dog. What influenced the writing of that particular song?
The song is kind of part two to Why Won’t We, which, funny enough, is the song after it on the record. It’s the only song I wrote in London, and you can feel how I was going through my first London winter. The performance has a harrowing feeling, and I love that because it shows a different side that the other tracks don’t have. Just a Dog encapsulates a hopeful longing.
“I came out in school at fourteen when someone leaked it.”
History’s best creative music seems to come in times of social unrest. Considering the current state of the world, do you think we’re on the verge of a great era in music?
Absolutely! If you look at places like the US, the only thing that can come from something like that is a revolution of sense and music. In the Eighties and Nineties, a lot of music was protest, and of course, in the Sixties too. It’s definitely coming again, and I’m excited for it. We need some fresh voices, and in the age of TikTok and other social media, I think that’s where it’ll happen sonically.
Your new EP included mixing by Grammy-nominated Andrew Maury who has worked with Shawn Mendes and Lizzo, and was mastered by Grammy-nominated Emily Lazar, who worked with Coldplay and Lady Gaga. That’s a big win!
Yes, I feel very grateful. Part of where I’m at is finding the right team, and I was very impressed by their work. They’re very supportive and went the extra mile with me. They believed in my music, and being recognised like that is very special.
Who are your influences?
I love any pop artist that pushes the boundaries, like Haim, who almost has a Sheryl Crow twang. It’s like modern rock, alternative pop with fresh energy. I also love Clairo, and when creating my project, I understood what she’s about. That became powerful for my voice and writing. Then there’s Remi Wolf, who got me through to the end of lockdown. Her album Juno is a burst of colour. I worked with her sound mixer on my track, WEEKEND AT BERNIES. What an honour to be in that same world.
Your single WEEKEND AT BERNIES is such a great song, and the quirky music video won an award at the Clipped Music Video Festival. Was it fun making that?
Jack Panther
I had such a joyous time working with the director, Charlotte Evans. We had been chatting for years about making a video together. She’s my favourite New Zealand director, and I trust her instinct and craft. I had imagined the clip being like a 2000s boy band like NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, and from there, we made something fun. I loved working with Lochie Stonehouse on the costumes. We did fourteen outfit changes that day. It was incredibly demanding, but the whole team nailed it.
Do you have a music diva/songstress?
Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine is such a good diva. She’s like a powerhouse. I’ve seen her play twice and she’s ethereal and owns the stage. She’s the epitome of working a crowd.
What was your first-ever concert?
Rhianna and Chris Brown! They toured together. It was during Rhianna’s Umbrella period. She’s one of my top divas too, and I’d also have to say Kate Bush. I love her quirkiness.
You’ve called London home for a few years now. Do you feel the vibe of its musical history, such as Beatlemania, Punk Rock, Brit Pop and the New Romantics?
I certainly do. I love how music in the UK feels so fresh. It feels like ‘difference’ is not only celebrated but encouraged. There’s a certain grunge feel that I’m bringing into my music, and being in London has shaped that.
Have you visited the iconic Abbey Road?
Not yet. I have a friend who works at the studios on The Beatles catalogue, so maybe if I wait, I’ll get into the vocal booth to record!
What has been your career highlight, thus far?
A big moment was being interviewed as a featured artist for the BBC Music Introducing in London program. Also, last year I got to record at Rockfield Studios where Queen made music. I was in the same studio where Coldplay made Yellow. That was a big pinch-me moment.
What can people expect from your first Australian show?
I’ve tried to make it not just song by song, but more a cinematic experience by interweaving things and making it feel like a show. My catalogue is eclectic, and I want people to be entertained by coming on the journey with me.
For more: jackpanthermusic.com
Follow Jack on Instagram @jackpanthermusic
