Hailed by Stereogum as “an unholy lo-fi pile-up of garage rock, punk and 90s-style noise rock,” Melbourne-based punks CIVIC — Jim McCullough (vocals) – Lewis Hodgson (guitar) – Roland Hlavka (bass) – Jackson Harry (guitar) – Matt Blach (drums) — have developed a reputation for reimagining the reckless intensity of proto-punk for an era of unending and unceasing uncertainty.
Earlier this year, the Aussie outfit released their acclaimed album Taken By Force through ATO Records. They supported the album with a European tour, which brought their brand of masterfully controlled chaos, which blurs the line between furious catharsis and unbridled fun. And they’ll be embarking on their first Stateside tour this fall. The tour will include an October 7, 2023 stop at Elsewhere Zone One, an October 8, 2023 stop at Johnny Brenda’s and several others across the country, as well as sets at this year’s LEVITATION Festival and Gonerfest. All tour dates and ticket info can be found below.
Along with the tour announcement, the members of the acclaimed Melbourne-based punk outfit share a new single, the blistering ripper “Hourglass.” Built around scorching riffage, breakneck drumming, an angular bass line and Jim McCullough’s snarled delivery, “Hourglass” is a mosh pit friendly anthem that’s furiously cathartic yet upbeat. The song manages to evoke the sensation of wanting to bust out of rut, even if you don’t know how.
“Off the back of Taken By Force we wanted to create something new, an evolution of sound for us,” CIVIC’s Jim McCullough explains. “We’d dropped down to a 4 piece so already Lewis [Hodgson] had more space to come through with his guitar parts, be more experimental, less chaotic; more defined. Lyrically I am touching on aspects of change, more specifically the process during change. Going through some kind of shit and sediment and coming out the other side; a hopeful development of a refined version. We start again”
Directed, filmed and edited by Oscar O’Shea, the accompanying video follows a Mickey Mouse sweater-wearing man with headphones rocking out throughout various locations in suburban Melbourne, while the band drives around aimless and goofs off in a claustrophobia-inducing room. Proudly DIY and endlessly goofy, the video accurately captures the sense of wanting to bust out of a rut.
US Tour Dates – Tickets
9/29: Memphis, TN @ Gonerfest
10/01: Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
10/03: Birmingham, AL @ LCY
10/04: Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/05: Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
10/06: Baltimore, MD @ Metro Baltimore
10/07: New York, NY @ Zone One
10/08: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas
10/10: Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
10/11: Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary
10/12: Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
10/13: Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
10/14: Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
10/15: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/17: Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10/18: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
10/20: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
10/21: Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory
10/22: Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
10/24: San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
10/25: Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
10/27: Austin, TX @ LEVITATION
