AUTOMATIC PANIC
released JUNE 9, 2026
ALBUM 59, RELEASE 160
Oh hey it's the new album, featuring cover art by Robert Pollard from Guided By Voices. I still can't believe that. It fits the album well, I think. It's easier on the ears than the last few, at least. "Sleeper" dates back to 2013, before I'd started putting my music online, and kept reappearing in my life every now and again as I tried to make a song I was truly happy with to go with the chords. The chords remain mostly unchanged from the original version to now, but the lyrics are a recombination of the 4 different sets of lyrics this song had before I finally managed to get it on an album. The day of the album's release, 2 different people texted me to say this was an incredible album opener. The way I sequenced this album was by designating each of the 15 songs as "light" or "heavy" and then alternating between "light" songs and "heavy" songs. You may notice that this album actually has 12 songs and not 15. 2 of the other 3 were axed for just not being quite there, and will be on an upcoming outtakes EP. The last one was excellent but didn't fit on this album at all, so it will be on the next album (currently self-titled). "Bet On Love" was the 2nd track on my demo tape for this album (also an upcoming release) so making it track 2 on the proper album felt like a good call. The song is about a man betting he can get laid on Polymarket or Kalshi. The "halo in the lake" is the man pissing himself because he doesn't realize how foolish he's being. "That's The Word" started as the titular vocal hook. It took a while to figure out what the rest of the song would be. I tried a few different arrangements that almost worked. It's one of my favorites on here. The next few are also among my favorites on here, or ever. "Locusts Invade Charlotte" is a blast. The 2nd guitar just plays one chord the whole time. "Hit" was a voice memo from January 2026 that I stumbled upon and fell in love with as I was figuring out how to finish the other songs. It was a late addition to the album but I think it's the best song on it. Acoustic guitar, fake recorder (acting as the bass of sorts), MIDI strings. What more could you want? Well, you could want none of the same instruments or vibe, which "Gentleman's Guess" offers. I think I recorded the synth loop on "Surely This Is What You Asked For" while I was still working on To Breathe Your Air Is Violence, and I knew full well it wouldn't work on that album, so I waited patiently. Four verses is a good amount, right? "New Tool" sticks out a little on here. It's really the only song here I'd classify as "weird" or "offbeat" or what have you. "Having a Time" dates back to 2019 and I've been itching to make it land the way I originally wanted to for a long time now. My family found a piano on the side of the road and brought it inside, so while I was back in NJ for a bit I found the time to record this song on the piano before heading back to Philly. I like how I used the electric guitar in "Last Minute", especially the second verse. I set up two mics in front of the amp so it's kind of a stereo signal. I wrote "Know This Headache" with the chord buttons on my chord organ, and made it a jam at the end so it could close shows and let us jam out. The demo had an organ lead that didn't make it onto the album version for whatever reason. When we do it live, I play that lead. There's a banjo on here because my roommate left it on the living room couch one night, and I realized it fit well with one of the guitar leads from the original demo.