The Peace and the Panic by Neck Deep

The Peace and the Panic is the third studio album by Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep. After the release of Life's Not out to Get You in mid-2015, guitarist Lloyd Roberts left the group and was replaced by Sam Bowden of Blood Youth/Climates. The group planned to work on material for their follow-up album by the end of the year, though were unable due to tour commitments. In June 2016, the band went on a two-week writing retreat in Wales, creating 40 song drafts in the process. At the end of the year, vocalist Ben Barlow said the group had around 30 demos and two completed songs. Following a support slot for A Day to Remember in early 2017, the band began recording The Peace and the Panic in March and April in Los Angeles, California. Mike Green produced the album with assistance from engineers Will McCoy and Colin Schwanke. Most of the album was mixed by Neal Avron, while Green mixed three of the songs. The album's theme is showing how the band has grown in the period following the release of Life's Not out to Get You. The album's songs were written by a combination of the band, Mike Green and Ben Barlow's brother Sebastian. Sam Carter of Architects, Laura Whiteside, and Ella, Evie, Finlay and Darcy Jones provide vocals to different tracks. Barlow said the main part of the album's artwork is about "being on a tightrope between 'The Peace' and 'The Panic' – trying to find the balance between the good and the bad". After two teasers, as well as a support slot for All Time Low, The Peace and the Panic was formally announced, and music videos were released for "Where Do We Go When We Go" and "Happy Judgement Day". Following performances at Slam Dunk Festival in the UK and Warped Tour in the US, music videos were released for "Motion Sickness" and "In Bloom". The Peace and the Panic was then released on 18 August through independent label Hopeless Records.