Rapidly approaching the release of his hotly-anticipated third EP, when i’m feeling better we could dream together due out next month, New Zealand-born, London-based queer alt pop alchemist Jack Panther returns today with a heart-rending yet soaring new single, Just a Dog, ahead of his debut Australian performance also locked in for May.
With stylistic nods to Mitski and Lana Del Rey, Just a Dog also brushes with influences from Portishead, Caroline Polachek, Ryan Beatty, Mk.geeand Dijon, with its lush textural climax also recalling the powerful serenity of Coldplay merged with Jack Panther’s inescapable charm. “This single I view as a part two to Why Won’t We, the sophomore single from the EP, which featured a video directed by David J East (Foals, The Japanese House),” shares Jack of Just a Dog. “Just a Dog is a little more metaphorical and harrowing in its approach to its lyrics and melodies. I wrote it during my first winter here in London, it was cold, the sun was setting so early and I feel that you can really hear the longing in my vocals and the sound.”
“It’s about falling in love with a friend and instead of telling him how I felt, I wrote this song,” Jack adds. “A lot of songs I write about things left unsaid, and this might be the most intimate one of mine yet.”
Written and produced by Jack Panther himself, along with UK pop-producer and writer duo Rhys Fletcher and Lucan Mills (Gia Lily, Matt Terry), Just a Dog and the broader when i’m feeling better we could dream together EP also features additional production from Will McGillivray, who co-produced every track on the project, with mixing courtesy of the Grammy Award-nominated Andrew Maury (Kacy Musgraves, Shawn Mendes, Lizzo), and mastering by the Grammy Award-nominated Emily Lazar (Jacob Collier, Lady Gaga, Coldplay). And across four tracks, Jack paints a vivid sonic portrait of empowerment and introspection, with each song on when i’m feeling better we could dream together reflecting real-world emotions and/or moments in Jack’s life over the past three and a half years in exceedingly relatable fashion.
A moving, vulnerable and blissful journey throughout, when i’m feeling better we could dream together opens with Changes; an uplifting and airy alt-pop outing that balances tranquil instrumentation, flowing melodics and Jack’s hypnotic vocals as he muses on the trepidation and also hope that accompanies life’s many changes. And fluctuating between acoustic tenderness and oscillating euphoria (Just A Dog), through to melancholia threaded with dreamy reverb and tranquil pulsations (Why Won’t We) and, ultimately, swaggering and modern ambience (closing track Breathe), when i’m feeling better we could dream together also balances raw intimacy with stylistic diversity that retains a powerful and cohesive thread from start to finish. “I feel as though my artist voice is the strongest it’s been,” shares Jack of the upcoming EP. “Even if a track is sad in its theme, there is still an ‘outburst’; a big emphasis in the project was to create a journey. I want the audience to feel like each song encompasses its own emotion and journey. In a way, it’s a celebration of feeling that emotion. And I think a lot of the tracks within the EP still cling to a lot of hope. I started writing the project during COVID lockdown, and I wanted to write about things with a more positive or hopeful outlook.”
Hailing from New Zealand and now based in London, Jack Panther has seamlessly cultivated a reputation for his raw, emotional storytelling, and his unique blend of indie, alt and pop since first announcing himself to the world in 2020 with his debut single This Dream. From there, Jack has gone on to release two EPs, most recently showcasing his insatiable creative flair with his 2022 sophomore EP, why don’t you come over?, which saw Rolling Stone Australia declare its lead single, SKI LIFT 001, to be “one of the most hard-hitting tracks you’ll hear all year”. Securing chart success in New Zealand and international airplay, 2022 also saw Jack generate 250,000 streams, sell out a homecoming show in Auckland, and catch the attention of Tone Deaf, with the latter featuring Jack to their Class of 2022 roundup. In 2024, Jack’s vibrant music video for the single WEEKEND AT BERNIES won Best Directing (NZ) at the Clipped Music Video Festival, with last year also finding Jack signing a distribution deal with Mahogany Songs, unveiling new material, and selling out his first ever international headline show in London.
“New Zealand is such a supporting scene for independent artists, but London is great,” Jack shares of his current locale in the UK. “It’s such an incredible place to grow as an artist and discover new scenes. London is a very up and down city, the highs are amazing and the lows can be tough. In the UK you need to be able to prove yourself a little more. I think I forgot that when you move to the other side of the world you need to reintroduce yourself to fans. I’m very lucky to have such supportive friends and partner. The support of new types of music and art is amazing. I love how each artist supports one another and we all just want to grow and share out skillsets.”
In 2025, the sky is barely the limit for Jack Panther, with his sublime third EP due out on March 14, as well as an international tour that will see Jackhead to London, Auckland and also tick off a career first in Melbourne imminently, set to perform his first ever show on Australian soil at The Evelyn Hotel on May 3. “I’m HUGELY excited to play my first Australian show in Melbourne,” Jack enthuses. “I’m a massive fan of the Melbourne music scene and I just love the venue The Evelyn Hotel, it’s been a goal of mine to play there for years! Previously selling out headline shows in both London and Auckland, this marks my second headline in London which is so exciting, and marks my homecoming show in Auckland. I’m very excited to play some of these songs LIVE for the very first time and to play a special cover my band and I have been working on!”
Just a Dog is out today.
when i’m feeling better we could dream together is due out, Friday March 14.
JACK PANTHER – UPCOMING SHOWS:
Tickets available from jackpanthermusic.com
SAT 3 MAY | THE EVELYN HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC