Interview with Rachel Eaton
In an exclusive interview, Owain Davies, lead vocalist of the indie rock band Panchiko, talks connecting with fans, touring the world and inspiration.
Nowadays, it's common to see videos of celebrities with supposed superiority complexes, dismissing fans at every opportunity, however, Davies contradicts such a narrative; "they're your equals”. Davies explains that he tries to make as much time for as many fans as he can, as "without everyone who listens, I wouldn’t be doing this!”. Panchiko are currently on their Europe tour having previously toured across America, in an attempt to see as many fans as possible.
Formed in the late 90s, the indie rock band Panchiko from Nottingham first received public attention in 2016 when a 4chan user posted a picture of their 2000 album D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L on the popular site, after discovering it in an Oxfam charity shop in Nottingham. Nobody was able to find the long sought-after members of the band until 2020, when Owain Davies was contacted by a fan through Facebook, and as of 2023, they have amassed over 800,000 spotify monthly listeners, following their reformation and reissuing their rotted 2000s album.
When asked what inspiration he gets to help him create music, Davies commented “I don’t think I knew about life”. Davies details how his experience as a teenager and being a “miserable teenager”, heavily shaped the foundations of the songs that are loved by many. Panchiko as a group are heavily influenced by anime, as seen in their name a misspelt reference to Pachinko, a Japanese arcade game, as suggested when Owain relays that he used to ask his mum to call up a shop in Bangor in Wales to buy anime videos. The lead vocalist also expresses that accessibility of anime now is astronomical compared to the 90s, which may be the reason that the band have found so much success in recent years.
'Without everyone who listens, I wouldn't be doing this'
However, unlike you would suppose, Panchiko is more heavily influenced by music today, “there’s always something good ongoing”. It is important to realise that Owain is, and has been for decades, a Radiohead fan, along with liking Super Furry Animals and Pulp back in the day, but davies stresses that he also indulges in many newer artists’ music, such as Alex G and Remi Wolf, introduced to him during their tour in the USA by fans. This has spurred the members of Panchiko to experience things outside of their comfort zones, in order to “become a more knowledgeable person and more versed in a wider set of influences”, which they challenge their fans to do as well.
As a result of their music going viral, Panchiko released their debut album Failed at Math(s) in May 2023 as a reformed group with original members Owain, Andy and Shaun along with Rob and John who joined the ensemble in 2021. Subsequently, they embarked on their Failed at Math(s) tour in the US and then on their Europe tour with the same name. Touring the world has taught the band many things, but lead vocalist Owain states that what travelling on the job has made him realise is that “human beings are much more alike than we are different”. Visiting countries such as Italy, and performing in venues such as Circolo Arci Bellezza in Milan has allowed Panchiko to interact with fans of different cultures and with different stories but one thing that unites people in the view of Owain is that “we’ve all got common goals”.
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