Panic Pills: A Truth-Telling Feat by Featurette

Written by Meg Clemmensen

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

Photos courtesy of Featurette

Since the day I first met them, I knew Featurette had something special, a unique edge born out of their passion for the music they create. Now, approaching one decade into their career, their releases are still falling under the radar, and that simply doesn’t sit right with me. When lead singer Lexie Jay showed me her upcoming album Panic Pills, scheduled for release at the end of January, I knew I had to share this gift with the world. The group consists of a powerful trio, in which Jay is the face of the band and the primary brain behind the art, and Jon Fedorsen and Marc Koecher assist in bringing the music to life with their immense musical talents. The group specializes in dark electronic-pop earworms that prioritize story-telling and listener immersion. Their 2025 release sounds authentic to their roots, yet something entirely different from anything they’ve done before. It contains recorded versions of songs they’ve been performing live for five or more years, that are just finally seeing the light of day. Four singles have already been launched, setting the scene for what’s to come, but the nittiest, grittiest tracks of all will not be publicly available until January 31.

“Dirty Magic,” released on April 12, 2024, officially kickstarted a new era for Featurette. This tune is so danceable and has been one of my favorites to hear performed live. It sets the tone for the sound explored within the remainder of the record. “Red Rover” followed with a May 31 release. This sexy, oh-so-confident banger is about finding your own identity and coming to terms with the fact that it’s not possible to please everyone, so you may as well prioritize yourself. “Chocolate” was released on July 26, and it is easily my top pick of all the singles. I needed this one on repeat the day I first heard it live, so the ability to finally stream it was beyond exciting for me. This tune is extremely catchy, and it once again encapsulates the overarching mantra of Featurette as of late—letting go of those that hold us back from flourishing. “Next Life,” the final single, came out on September 6, right before the band’s latest tour. Jay cites the song as being about “living in the spaces in between a finished product and a work in progress,” and the lyrics are laced with uncertainty and anxiety, but an ultimate underlying hopefulness. It was made to be the happiest outlier on Panic Pills, tying together the promotional campaign and offering up a thoughtful, psychedelic music video featuring family and friends. The song possesses a very strong vocal and instrumental performance from the group, serving as a great segue directly into the album announcement.

Five unheard songs lie within the album, two of which I have spent years desperately yearning for the studio versions of. “Fires” opens the album as a lovely mood-setter; truly, there wasn’t a stronger contender for the first track. “Gemini Vibes” and “Monsters” are fresh and experimental. I adore all three of these tracks, and they do a splendid job of capturing the core essence of Featurette. “Gemini Vibes” is especially catchy, its fast-paced verses leading to an electronically charged chorus. The hooks on “Fires” capture a similar vibe of seductiveness and confidence. But “Interrogation” and “Golden Hour,” the album’s last two songs, are where it’s really at. I knew these two had amazing potential the first time I heard them. I’ve spent what feels like eons just staring at the titles on my setlist from a June 2022 show and waiting for the day I got to hear them as finished pieces. “Interrogation” bursts with energy and anger, as Jay screams her frustrations into the microphone. A large part of the reason why the band’s career hasn’t taken off to the extent it should be is due to being manipulated and mistreated by a business manager. This track speaks to that situation in the most honest glory I’ve ever seen or heard from Lexie Jay (which is saying a lot, given how much of an open book she always strives to be). “Interrogation” isn’t afraid to get messy and call scummy men out on their bluff. The first version of this song was written all the way back in 2016, making it the oldest song on the album by far. Finally, the right time has come to release it to the world. Taking back their power, the band has created their own label, Division Eleven, and this earworm about their negative experiences with someone else being in control of their music will no longer be a concern. “Golden Hour,” a mellow, peaceful ballad, is the complete opposite of “Interrogation.” Of course, in classic Featurette style, it doesn’t stay soft for the whole track. Listeners are met with a chaotic breakdown in the electronic style that the group is best known for. From start to finish, “Golden Hour” is a heavenly listening experience. While I truly can’t recommend the track enough, I must urge folks to go see the band live, because the songs—especially this one—are somehow even better that way. Jay cites this song as the most defining Featurette song thus far. She recounts a near-death experience which inspired the lyrics, as it’s meant to sound like the space in between life and death, the slow-motion feeling in which you’re taking in your surroundings before it all ends. She interprets the song, especially the peaceful verses, as the last thing you hear before you die in that instance, and with that imagery, it’s all the more powerful. A music video filmed in the beautiful nature of Iceland has been slated for future release, and I can confirm that it is a magnificent visualizer for everything the song stands for.

It baffles me as to why this phenomenal band remains so unknown. Panic Pills may very well be my favorite work by the group yet. Jay’s creative eye and artistic abilities really shine through on this project, with songs she has waited far too long to release. The album art brings the musical aesthetic to life as something mysterious, dark, and provocative, easing listeners into a world of insanity they’re about to enter. I’m unbelievably lucky to know these people and their music, and I wholeheartedly hope that their hard work on Panic Pills pays off and rewards them with the success they deserve. It took a village to create this project, which became clear at the band’s secret advanced screening for the record. The people who worked on this album spent countless hours and heaps of care to make everything perfect. The results of such dedication are evident. Hop on the Featurette fan train now, and you’ll have long-term bragging rights that you knew them before they blew up. Trust me, that’s something you’ll want to boast. Panic Pills will be out at the end of January, and in the meantime, you can indulge yourself in the album trailer here.