Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Where: Manchester, TN
When: 13-16th June

Ultra Korea
Where: Seoul, South Korea
When: 14-15th June

 
 
Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts
Where: Glastonbury, UK
When: 26-30th June

 
 
T In the Park
Where: Kinross, UK
When 12-14th July

 
 
Tomorrowland Festival
Where: Boom, Belgium
When: 26-28th July

 
 
Fuji Rock Festival
Where: Niigata, Japan
When: 26-28th July

 
 
Osheaga Festival
Where: Montreal, QC
When: 2-4th August

 
 
Lollapalooza
Where: Chicago, IL
When: 2-4th August

 
 
Pukkelpop
Where: Hasselt, Belgium
When: 15-17th August

 
 
Reading Festival
Where: Reading, UK
When: 23-25th August

 
 
Rock in Rio
Where: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
When: 13-22nd September

Images: Rock in Rio, Sasquatch Music Festival
Words: Emma Remington

Civil Twilight, image c/o we-are-awesome

Richard Wouters, image: flickr.com/photos/sudnlybeautiiful

 
In terms of sound, what are the biggest changes you guys have made since your 2009 debut, Civil Twilight, and your 2012 release, Holy Weather?
I think we tried to go into the second record focussing on a few different things, mainly wanting to play out elements of groove and melody – so it’s more of a stripped down sound for us and more thought-out in terms of the arrangements and the sonics on the record. We worked with pretty experimental producers because we wanted to try out a bunch of stuff that we hadn’t done before and tried to push ourselves a bit. Those are the sort of things we had in mind, and the rest kind of came together as we went along; I guess you never really know, going into a project, what it’s going to sound like at the end of the day. Kind of what we had in mind was really thought -out rhythm parts and more alliance on the vocal and the melody than the first record.
 
The production process was also quite interesting; you guys worked on half the album with producer Dan Carey in London and then John Congleton in New York for the other half. What was this like? Did you find any difficulties in putting it all together in the end?
It was a little challenging I suppose to pull it together, there’s definitely an interruption of flow because you get into the groove with one producer and then you kind of have to start all over with the other. I don’t know if we’d do that again, but it was cool for the variety and keeping things fresh I suppose.
 

image: Brandee Nichols on phillymostlyvegan.com

You guys reference Radiohead as a big influence; ‘Creep’ was released 20 years ago and the track is still as potent… What do you think makes a track ‘timeless’ and is this something Civil Twilight aims to achieve with the songs?
I think that’s the ideal. What makes it timeless? I think the lyrics have a lot to do with it, and I guess with music it’s ultimately about the emotional connection with people, and if it’s really strong it can kind of transcend time. Sometimes the music just really fits well in a certain time with what’s happening at that moment and it won’t necessarily be as timeless. Ultimately, I think that a great melody and good lyrics is what forms the main components for that lasting appeal.
 
On your site the band is described as ‘a mystifying blend of atmospheric sounds with swirling guitars and hazy story-telling centered on the struggles and triumphs of human existence.’
Tell me what your biggest struggle has been and your biggest triumph?
I think it would be going to America – I think part of it would be that and part of it would be just staying together and continuing to grow… to develop as a musician and develop as a person and as an artist. Not to become stagnant or stale. You know, to keep things fresh and keep going. That’s the challenge I suppose, and one that I think we’re doing pretty well at for the most part.
 

 
Finish these sentences:
The biggest fallacy in the music industry is:
‘…that all rock stars are rich.’
 
Life, as we know it…
‘… is FUN. No, let me see. Fun, not perfect and a lot of work.’
 
Are you excited to play on home soil again? What do we have to look forward to?
Well we always love playing there (SA); every time we’ve been back we’ve really enjoyed it. We love the country and the people. It always feels like a kind of home coming, even though we don’t get there that often. So I think that we’d like to put out the best show we can of course, and hopefully people will come out and enjoy it and feel like it’s a bit of a reunion.
 

Find out more about the Civil Twilight SA Tour: JHB gig, DBN gig & CPT gig.
 

Civil Twilight - official tour poster

greenplastic.com

Of course, the statement started much speculation regarding the hinted-at collaboration between two of the most acclaimed musicians of this decade. Perhaps Yorke is enjoying messing around a bit with the press, taking a feather out of White’s cap, as earlier in his career the Detroit-native fooled the public into thinking that he and White Stripes drummer Meg White were siblings. White has since admitted that Radiohead have recorded new material at his studio in Nashville but insisted that he wasn’t involved in the process and maintained the shroud of secrecy by saying that he “[doesn’t] know how much to tell about it”.

jackwhiteiii.com/media

So Yorke and White may or may not be collaborating in the near future, keeping fans anxious to hear the lovechild of two of our generation’s most talented musicians. However, you don’t necessarily have to cryogenically freeze yourself until then to hear new music from them. Take, for instance, Atoms For Peace, Yorke’s side project. The supergroup, which originally got together for live performances of Yorke’s solo album The Eraser and includes Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, is set for a small release on Modeselektor’s 50 Weapons label. There are also rumours that they’re working on a full album. Meanwhile, White has also been busy in the post-White-Stripes era. In addition to doing work for his label, Third Man Records, White has recently released his debut solo album, Blunderbuss.

jackwhiteiii.com/media

jackwhiteiii.com/media

Oh, and if it seems like these bands have been around for ages, that’s because they have. It’s been twenty years now since radiohead’s first hit single ‘Creep’ was first being heard. Believe it or not, the single made many people label the Oxford band as one-hit wonders.

Words: Adam Alexander

Images from: jackwhiteiii.com/media; blogspot.com; greenplastic.com