Moral Panic

Album: Moral Panic (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Nothing But Thieves wrote this song about global warming. They penned the tune around the time the grassroots climate change movement Extinction Rebellion was hitting the UK headlines with their protests.
  • At the start of verse two the track transitions from the slower 110 beats per minute of the first verse and chorus to a faster, 146 BPM instrumental with heavier drums. Guitarist Joe Langridge-Brown explained to HMV: "The song was quite early in the process and it's a weird song for us. It's pure experimentation and got this big tempo shift. Not a typical song for us. But the title does absolutely sum up the album, all the tension people are feeling."
  • Nothing But Thieves named their third album after this song. Asked by The Sun why the band chose "Moral Panic" as the title track, singer Conor Mason replied: "It summarizes everything we were trying to say on the album. The album hinges on the effect the pressures of the modern world and the information age have on us. It's about people."
  • Mike Crossey (The 1975, Arctic Monkeys and Wolf Alice) produced the album. Crossey also helmed the band's second album, Broken Machine.
  • Moral Panic was Nothing But Thieves' third consecutive Top 10 album in the UK, peaking at #3.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard

Joe Elliott of Def LeppardSongwriter Interviews

The Def Leppard frontman talks about their "lamentable" hit he never thought of as a single, and why he's juiced by his Mott The Hoople cover band.

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Early Days of MTV

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.