Canadian blues-rock artist Trevor Finlay turns personal experiences with anxiety and intrusive thoughts into his latest single, “(No) Time to Panic.”
Originally from Ottawa and now based in Nashville, singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Trevor Finlay has released his new single, “(No) Time to Panic,” on October 30, 2026.
Drawing from his own experiences with anxiety and intrusive thoughts, the track captures the overwhelming feeling of a racing mind, where even the smallest thoughts can spiral into something much bigger.
“The idea for this came from anxiety and intrusive thoughts,” Finlay explains. “When the snare comes in it resembles a ticking clock. The phrase ‘no time to panic,’ the ‘no’ struggles to be heard over the much louder ‘time to panic’ and the message almost changes to mean the opposite. It’s a bit of an insight as to how my mind works sometimes.”
Written by Finlay and produced by Michael Klooster, the song combines blues-rock with experimental production elements, including a ticking-clock-inspired snare and theremin-inspired sounds layered over the guitar solo.
“One of my favorite things about working with Michael Klooster is his openness and fearlessness about crazy sonic experimentation,” Finlay shares. “Swooping in just over top of the guitar solo is him playing something theremin inspired, adding a really interesting aesthetic that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.”
With more than three decades of experience, Finlay has shared stages with legendary artists including James Brown, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Chris Isaak, and Charlie Daniels. He also spent eight years touring with Tiffany as a guitarist and occasional Musical Director.
Following his previous singles, “Shut the Hell Up” and “A Little Too Much,” Finlay continues building toward his seventh studio album.
Behind the Music: Trevor Finlay’s “(No) Time to Panic” – Interview
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Sure! I am proudly Canadian but I’ve been living in Nashville for over 15 years. I put my first band together at 12 years old, my first professional gig was at the age of 15 and I became a full time musician in my 20s. I’ve released 6 studio albums and number 7 is on the way. I have toured all over the world as both an artist and as a side man, and I still love what I do with every fiber of my being.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
The most recent release is called “(No) Time To Panic” and it’s a bit of anxiety and a bit of an insight into how my mind works sometimes, where the word “no” is often too quiet and “time to panic” becomes the focus.
It was engineered, produced and mixed by Michael Klooster at his studio. I really enjoy working with him – he attacks every song with wild abandon, not scared to try anything and the results speak for themselves.
Walk us through your creative progress when creating music.
Funny you should ask! I was just having this conversation with another musician friend and we were both talking about how we’ve adapted to the times and technology. A few years ago, you and your band would go into a rehearsal space and work it out. Now when I’m working on a song, I’ll sit with my guitar in front of my computer and work out the arrangement from the speed of the song to how long the guitar solo lasts, then record rough guitar and vocal tracks, send off files to the drummer who will then record his parts and then send them back to me, and then off they go to the bass player who does the same thing. It’s been great because everyone has the time to work on their individual parts and add their personalities and styles to the songs, within reason.
From there, I head into the studio and lay down my guitar and vocal tracks.
Now that the music is out, what does the ‘road ahead’ look like? Beyond tours and videos, what’s one ‘bucket list’ goal you hope to achieve with this release?
Oh wow. The thing is that I love doing the videos and touring!
But I guess the “bucket list” goal would be to get songs into film and television. Thanks to directors like Edgar Wright, Quinton Tarantino and James Gunn, soundtracks are almost an intangible but important character in the story. That would be something else.
Every artist has a ‘lightbulb moment’ where things just clicked. Looking back, what’s the one performance or milestone that made you realize, ‘Okay, this is what I was meant to do’?
That’s easy – I was playing a gig in rural Saskatchewan as a hired guitarist for Larry “The Bird” Mootham (RIP). Instead of security or bouncers, the bartender kept a loaded 12 gauge shotgun behind the bar and a bat with nails sticking out of it hanging on the wall. The rooms that we stayed in were located above the venue – there was an unknown powder that lined the walls in the hallway, there were no showers, only bathtubs, the television had two and a half channels (the half was because a third channel would come in depending on where you stood in the room) and my bed sat at a 45 degree angle lengthwise. I distinctly remember laughing to myself and saying “God help me, I love this. It sucks right now but this is going to make a great story later!”
And here we are.
We love championing Canadian talent. If you were curated a ‘Must-Listen’ playlist of emerging artists right now, who is the first person you’d add?
The first name that came to mind is the Sheepdogs. I got to see them when they came through Nashville and I was really impressed. I’ve known their new guitar player Ricky Paquette for years, and when he got the gig it fit like he’d always been there. Great songs, great sound.
There’s nothing like the energy of a live room. Where can fans catch you on stage next, and for someone seeing you for the first time, what should they expect from a Trevor Finlay live experience?”
My focus is always on the good times – I joke around, I play songs that I hope take people by surprise and maybe take them off guard, and in a perfect world I would hope that everyone leaves with a smile on their faces and a song in their hearts. When I play, I have a big and genuine smile on my face. I’m here to have a great time and everyone is welcome to join me.
Connect with Trevor Finlay:
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