Civil Twilight
“It seemed kinda surreal,” he explained. “It’s like this weird crash of two worlds that had been completely separate.”
I could only imagine.
“You’re used to hearing other bands’ music: bands that you like or admire that will play on the radio or TV,” Civil Twilight’s drummer, Richard Wouters, continued. “And then you hear your song and you have all these associations with your own music: there’s a lot of nostalgia and a lot of emotion attached to your own songs. It’s kind of strange feeling. It’s cool, but it’s hard to describe. Definitely surreal.”
Not every band has the chance to experience this collision—when their own music suddenly hits them in the face as they listen on the radio or watch on TV—but for Richard, this surreal clash is quite real indeed.
Civil Twilight started as a three piece hailing from Cape Town, South Africa with two brothers, Andrew and Steven McKellar, and Richard, all playing, writing, and actually learning their instruments together from a young age.
Speaking of their original three, I asked Richard if he ever dreamed his small Cape Town band would make it big. He laughed. “I mean when we first started we just loved to play. We didn’t really think much beyond that.” He paused, carefully thinking back. “We just enjoyed playing together, but as we went on, we definitely dreamed about playing on big stages and making a career of it.” And it was this dream that brought them to America, so they could “get a few years down the line and see what we could be.”
Moving paid off. Civil Twilight produced their debut album and their songs began appearing on prime-time television shows like One Tree Hill, House, and The Vampire Diaries. Two albums, the addition of band member Kevin Dailey, and numerous chart placements later, it was clear Civil Twilight was making headway as a band. But, for Richard, it is not the growing momentum that defines the band’s progress. Rather than reflecting on big crowds and a growing fan base, Richard focuses on the development of their sound, especially as evidenced in their new album, Stories of an Immigrant. “There’s a lot more freedom on this record,” said Richard. “Just freedom to be ourselves and not try to fit into any specific category: be okay with the music we make and want to make and let people do with it what they want to.”
This commitment to freedom of style is definitely evident. On this latest record, song styles range all across the board, with the band having written dozens of demos before settling on their favorites. Richard comments that there really isn’t one distinct sound for the record, but it is, instead, a collection of different sounds. “We tried to not be clouded by expectations from fans and other people or ourselves,” said Richard. “Just try to play as much from the heart as we could.”
When talking about the band’s musical influences, there was such a large number and range of artists they admired, that their own versatility came as no surprise. From British and American rock bands like Nirvana, Radio Head, Phil Collins, local jazz artists in Cape Town, and even Kevin’s Americana influences, Civil Twilight has never been wanting for new forums with which to be artistically inspired. It simply seems, on this past album, the band’s varied musical interests shine through more prominently.
While there is certainly a commitment to exploration in Story of an Immigrant, that doesn’t mean the group has lost their essence. There’s as much a Civil Twilight feel to this record as to the first, with emphasis on rhythms being one of many defining characteristics that remain present in all of Civil Twilight’s work. “I think drums are a big part of what we do, just because we were a three piece when we started,” said Richard. Rhythm carried a lot of weight for both their first record and their latest. “We’re just all into rhythm, so the drums were pretty much a collaborative effort.”
Influenced by the music, particularly South African rhythms, they listened to when they were younger, “some of those rhythms find their way back in” to the music Civil Twilight now plays. “When, When” is a clear example of the way these South African beats can sneak their way onto a track. “We’ve been messing around with that kinda stuff our whole lives,” said Richard, “but we’ve never really put it on the record until now.”
The band is proud of the album as a whole, but when asked about specific tracks that stood out, Richard mentioned the title track, “Story of an Immigrant.” This song was one of the first written for the album and after seeing relatively drastic changes once they got into the studio, it became a song that set the direction for the album as a whole. “It’s nice when something turns out well and you didn’t see it coming going into the studio,” said Richard. “It surprises you. The song comes to life in a way you didn’t anticipate.
With the new album in full swing, Civil Twilight is now concentrating on touring and playing around. They have Live on the Green on their bill, giving Nashville the perfect opportunity to get a taste of this band and the sound they’ve worked so hard to develop.
As far as where they are going, Richard seems content to just be going along for the ride. He isn’t entirely sure where the band will go with their next project, but he knows it’s important for all of them that they continue challenging themselves and never getting stale as a band: listening to a variety of music, pushing themselves out of their comfort zone, experimenting with different sounds. As long as they’re having fun, that’s the most important thing. “You have to enjoy what you’re doing and do it because you love it,” said Richard. “Some of the biggest bands in the world break up or they just quit and I think a lot of that is just when the love and passion start to die, it becomes difficult to carry through no matter how big the audience is.”
Keeping this love and passion as the focus is what Richard finds key to any musician or band’s success. “There will be a lot of people telling you what they think you should sound like and if you can stay true to what excites you, I think you have the best shot,” he said. “There’s no magic formula. You just have to make music that you love, play it to people, and over time people respond and you can build your audience.” Magic formula or not, Civil Twilight must be doing something right.
I could only imagine.
“You’re used to hearing other bands’ music: bands that you like or admire that will play on the radio or TV,” Civil Twilight’s drummer, Richard Wouters, continued. “And then you hear your song and you have all these associations with your own music: there’s a lot of nostalgia and a lot of emotion attached to your own songs. It’s kind of strange feeling. It’s cool, but it’s hard to describe. Definitely surreal.”
Not every band has the chance to experience this collision—when their own music suddenly hits them in the face as they listen on the radio or watch on TV—but for Richard, this surreal clash is quite real indeed.
Civil Twilight started as a three piece hailing from Cape Town, South Africa with two brothers, Andrew and Steven McKellar, and Richard, all playing, writing, and actually learning their instruments together from a young age.
Speaking of their original three, I asked Richard if he ever dreamed his small Cape Town band would make it big. He laughed. “I mean when we first started we just loved to play. We didn’t really think much beyond that.” He paused, carefully thinking back. “We just enjoyed playing together, but as we went on, we definitely dreamed about playing on big stages and making a career of it.” And it was this dream that brought them to America, so they could “get a few years down the line and see what we could be.”
Moving paid off. Civil Twilight produced their debut album and their songs began appearing on prime-time television shows like One Tree Hill, House, and The Vampire Diaries. Two albums, the addition of band member Kevin Dailey, and numerous chart placements later, it was clear Civil Twilight was making headway as a band. But, for Richard, it is not the growing momentum that defines the band’s progress. Rather than reflecting on big crowds and a growing fan base, Richard focuses on the development of their sound, especially as evidenced in their new album, Stories of an Immigrant. “There’s a lot more freedom on this record,” said Richard. “Just freedom to be ourselves and not try to fit into any specific category: be okay with the music we make and want to make and let people do with it what they want to.”
This commitment to freedom of style is definitely evident. On this latest record, song styles range all across the board, with the band having written dozens of demos before settling on their favorites. Richard comments that there really isn’t one distinct sound for the record, but it is, instead, a collection of different sounds. “We tried to not be clouded by expectations from fans and other people or ourselves,” said Richard. “Just try to play as much from the heart as we could.”
When talking about the band’s musical influences, there was such a large number and range of artists they admired, that their own versatility came as no surprise. From British and American rock bands like Nirvana, Radio Head, Phil Collins, local jazz artists in Cape Town, and even Kevin’s Americana influences, Civil Twilight has never been wanting for new forums with which to be artistically inspired. It simply seems, on this past album, the band’s varied musical interests shine through more prominently.
While there is certainly a commitment to exploration in Story of an Immigrant, that doesn’t mean the group has lost their essence. There’s as much a Civil Twilight feel to this record as to the first, with emphasis on rhythms being one of many defining characteristics that remain present in all of Civil Twilight’s work. “I think drums are a big part of what we do, just because we were a three piece when we started,” said Richard. Rhythm carried a lot of weight for both their first record and their latest. “We’re just all into rhythm, so the drums were pretty much a collaborative effort.”
Influenced by the music, particularly South African rhythms, they listened to when they were younger, “some of those rhythms find their way back in” to the music Civil Twilight now plays. “When, When” is a clear example of the way these South African beats can sneak their way onto a track. “We’ve been messing around with that kinda stuff our whole lives,” said Richard, “but we’ve never really put it on the record until now.”
The band is proud of the album as a whole, but when asked about specific tracks that stood out, Richard mentioned the title track, “Story of an Immigrant.” This song was one of the first written for the album and after seeing relatively drastic changes once they got into the studio, it became a song that set the direction for the album as a whole. “It’s nice when something turns out well and you didn’t see it coming going into the studio,” said Richard. “It surprises you. The song comes to life in a way you didn’t anticipate.
With the new album in full swing, Civil Twilight is now concentrating on touring and playing around. They have Live on the Green on their bill, giving Nashville the perfect opportunity to get a taste of this band and the sound they’ve worked so hard to develop.
As far as where they are going, Richard seems content to just be going along for the ride. He isn’t entirely sure where the band will go with their next project, but he knows it’s important for all of them that they continue challenging themselves and never getting stale as a band: listening to a variety of music, pushing themselves out of their comfort zone, experimenting with different sounds. As long as they’re having fun, that’s the most important thing. “You have to enjoy what you’re doing and do it because you love it,” said Richard. “Some of the biggest bands in the world break up or they just quit and I think a lot of that is just when the love and passion start to die, it becomes difficult to carry through no matter how big the audience is.”
Keeping this love and passion as the focus is what Richard finds key to any musician or band’s success. “There will be a lot of people telling you what they think you should sound like and if you can stay true to what excites you, I think you have the best shot,” he said. “There’s no magic formula. You just have to make music that you love, play it to people, and over time people respond and you can build your audience.” Magic formula or not, Civil Twilight must be doing something right.