Dear friends, fans, and followers of Panic Room…
We are deeply saddened to have to make the announcement today that Paul Davies – our lead guitarist – will be stepping down from the band as of this time.
We know that this will come as a huge shock to everyone; and indeed, it is a very sad time for us all.
Paul has not just been our band-mate, but our best friend too, for many years.
But, the time has come where Paul feels he must step away from Panic Room, for personal reasons; and we, as his close friends, must accept and respect any decision which he makes, fully and with nothing but care and admiration for him.
Paul is simply a stunning musician, with a talent as deep and true as his heart; and he has been with us on this journey since the very beginning. He is a brother to us, and so it is just not possible for us to put all our feelings into words right now.
But, we hope you will all join us in wishing Paul the very best for the future, as we send him our love, support, gratitude, and sheer awe at everything he has achieved and created.
For those of you who are coming to see PANIC ROOM play live this Spring / Summer, fear not – we will not be cancelling any of our Tour Dates, as we wish to honour each commitment and not let anyone down.
So, we are pleased to announce that our good friend Pete Harwood – of the band Morpheus Rising – will be ‘depping’ with us on lead guitar for the next few gigs. We are incredibly grateful to Pete (and of course his band-mates) for agreeing to play some shows with us, and for being such a huge help at this most difficult of times.
View PANIC ROOM Tour-Dates
PANIC ROOM also plan to record our 4th studio album later this year, with recording sessions booked for August onwards.
But, we wish to allow ourselves – and our loyal fans – enough time and headspace to take stock of everything and to readjust, before we commit to finding a long-term ‘replacement’ for Paul.
So, we intend to write and record this next album as a 4-piece, then possibly add some ‘special guest’ guitarists to the mix, each bringing something new and positive to our music.
We are looking forward, and keen to create another brand new musical ‘world’ to share with you, as we have with each of our past albums.
As a band, we have always strived to create and move through new areas and musical adventures all the time, and standing still has never been an option for us. This is equally true today.
Each band has its own ‘journey’, and ours has been an amazing experience so far… Like any kind of journey though, there will be unexpected detours, obstacles and changes along the way. But you have to hang in there – keep your eye on the ultimate destination you’re aiming for, and keep on moving.
Sometimes, not everyone will make it to the end of the journey; they might make a different turning of their own, and move down a path which leads them away. But, you know that you wouldn’t have got to where you are now without them being a part of it…
And for us, Paul will always be a part of the reason that Panic Room are where we are today.
The next few weeks will be very intense for us all, as we plan, rehearse, and work on a multitude of things to make this next Panic Room chapter as successful as it deserves to be…
But we are committed to making both the Live shows and the next album absolutely spectacular, and you know that we never like to disappoint!
So we hope that you will join us every step of the way, as we brave these rough seas over the next few weeks… because your amazing support and devotion has always kept us afloat; and right now, every ounce of that is something we will draw strength from.
With love, light, and a million stars to guide the way…
from Anne-Marie, Jon, Gav & Yatim. *x*
Not really much I can add to that. It’s come as a complete shock to me and no doubt to many other fans. Unlike some of their peers Panic Room had kept a stable lineup for some time, and I’m sure that’s been one factor that’s made them such a tight live band over the last couple of years. Paul will be a very hard act to follow
