Just one listen to Panic Division and you’ll be transported to a neon pink-colored cloud of eighties vibes for days. Not mad.
The moniker of San Antonio musician Colton Holliday, Panic Division’s newest offering, Touch, is best described as a “vibrant re-emergence” of sound with a taste of eighties nostalgia and plenty of electronic elements to get lost in.
“I bled this album for over 4 years. I have never pushed this hard for anything in my life. It’s been a massive reawakening of my sound, and one I cannot wait for fans to finally experience,” shared Holliday, and we think it’s safe to say that all that pushing bred something beautiful and quite addicting.
Diving into elements of love, heartbreak, fear, mental health, and inner strength, Touch encompasses what it means to be human with a dab of sugary, synthy goodness for good measure.
There’s always a story behind every great album, so naturally we knew we needed to get the scoop on this one! We asked Holliday to break down Touch for us in this exclusive track-by-track commentary. Enjoy and don’t forget to buy Touch here or here.
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“Feather”
I wrote this song for a close friend that passed away last year, and it shocked everyone. I wanted the actual melody and duration to represent his short lived life, and an abrupt ending. He was in love with birds and went by the name “Feather Companion” online, so I named it Feather for short. This is ironically the song that gave me some magical spark to write the entire album.
“Graveyards”
“Me and my girl dug a hole tonight. You’re saying everything is fine, yours is bigger than mine” encompasses what the entire song is about. Two people trying to get passed the early stage of a relationship while obsessively digging up the others dirt from their past. In this song, a graveyard is used as a metaphor, imagining both people digging up the others grave. After all, that’s where secrets go in the end right?
“Touch”
This song is what ignited the entire album. It’s one of those songs that somehow just writes itself, rapidly with almost no effort. When I started writing the new record, I was pretty terrified. I found out I now had asthma and was worried I couldn’t sing anymore. I was older. I wasn’t motivated to write and started thinking about how I tend to take things I love and dive so deep into them that I eventually lose the spark over time. I was worried I lost my passion for music and then out of nowhere this song just came to me, and lit a massive fire that began the writing process for the album.
“Wild Nights”
This is my love letter to Las Vegas, one of my favorite places. Being a gambler myself, the entire album has heavy themes based on Vegas and gambling.
“Mother, Father”
I have lived with severe anxiety disorder for most of my life and sadly most people that do, tend to self medicate. I went through a very dark week where I quit drinking liquor for good and was so terrified reflecting on how hard it must be for my wife to carry my issues on her shoulders, which is hinted at in the chorus lines, “Carry all my weight now.”
“Sugar High”
Simply about dating someone who was never compatible with you in the first place. Referring to a fling as a “Sugar High” and how short lived a bad relationship can be.
“Kill The Lights”
I’m a Vegas rat. MGM Grand is a second home to me and regardless of my relationship with the casino, I wrote a love letter to my relationship with summers in Vegas and the ups and downs of gambling.
“Out Of My Head”
Living with severe anxiety disorder most of my life and never being taken seriously. People don’t understand what they cannot see and this is my way of trying to paint a picture for them.
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