How have you been?

Cold and tired, mainly, but excited for summer and our album release!

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Mortuary Blue”?

We’d love to! This is the first single off of our forthcoming debut album ‘Motion Sick’ and we chose it as its an energetic ear worm that we hope grabs people’s attention. The lyrics speak to the idea of existing in a zombie-like, somnambulist state, where a misplaced sense of loyalty, obligation, allegiance to a one-sided relationship is making you, and inevitably those around you, sick.

Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?

As with most of our songs, the lyrics are more of a tapestry of experiences and ideas that contribute to an overarching theme – sort of like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. So in that respect, Mortuary Blue is more of an amalgam of reactions and feelings related to observing this sort of toxic relationship over time.

How was the filming process and experience behind the video?

We filmed it ourselves in a rehearsal studio – a fully DIY setup, it was a pretty manic day. Toby and James used their skills to edit and grade it and Mark gave encouragement from the side lines.

The single comes off your new album Motion Sick – what’s the story behind the title?

We wanted to touch on the idea of things happening outside of our control, often at a pace that is too fast for us to comprehend, protest or stop (like we’re hostage passengers to reckless drivers) and the nausea that comes from perpetually existing in that sort of state.

How was the recording and writing process?

The majority of the songs started life as a series of voice notes, which were then written over webcam, developed via shared Logic Pro projects, and then honed in snatched moments of lifted lockdowns. So, it was quite a long-winded and fractious way to try and write a cohesive batch of songs, but I think we were able to pull it all together once we could put them through their paces in a rehearsal room.

Once we were happy with the tracks we hit up the studio with Mike Bannard at Safehouse Studios. Mike was instrumental in making this record, he really got what we wanted to create with this album and helped us pull it all together. As well as recording at Safehouse Studios, we recorded parts of the record at Shaken Oak Studios, which is an amazing studio located on a working farm in rural Oxfordshire.

What role does London play in your music?

London was where we moulded our musical teeth together. We started playing as Civil Villains in our mid twenties, with late night band practices running til midnight on industrial estates, and gigs in pub basements where the drum kit was held together by gaffer tape. The classic moments every young band has to go through! Now we’re a bit older and can’t hack the late night band practices – it’s more of a coffee fuelled session at the weekend than some beers on a week night!

How has the likes of David Bowie and Tom Waits influenced your music?

There’s musical elements on the album, here and there, that you could say reference or tap into the sounds of Bowie and Waits, but I think their major influence has been on the lyric writing. Both artists are such incredible world builders and complete pros when it comes to storytelling and creating characters – I feel like listening to such great wordsmiths leaves an indelible mark on that poetic side of your brain, and hopefully some of the lyrical phrases on the album have benefitted from repeated exposure to these two Goliaths of songwriting.

Where did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?

Lyrically, I (James) have been really inspired by writers like Aldo Leopold, Wendell Berry, Sophie Raeworth, Roman Krznaric, Philip K. Dick, and there’s always films and cultural references that I always seem to come back to. Sometimes I think the tone and mood of the song almost sets out the subject for you – that’s definitely been the case for some of the more atmospheric tracks on the album.

As for the songs, I think things usually come about quite organically from noodling around. We’ve tried to stop approaching songwriting through the lens of other songs or bands we like, and then it’s usually just a case of us either feeling it or not and workshopping tracks bit by bit, maybe allowing ideas we’ve heard elsewhere to percolate in at those later points. I find it’s often the case that when a song’s finally finished that it’s very hard to remember where the original idea even came from.

What else is happening next in Civil Villains’ world?

All our energy is currently going towards the release of the new album, and putting together a tour for the summer – watch this space!

Pre-save ‘Motion Sick’ – https://civilvillains.ffm.to/motionsick

Pre-save ‘Mortuary Blue’ – https://civilvillains.ffm.to/mortuaryblue

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