Civil Twilight plays as part of the 89X Birthday Bash this Friday.
In a lot of music industry circles, making it big in America is the ultimate goal for most people planning musical world domination. For the guys in the South African based band Civil Twilight, moving to the U.S. was an important piece for their quest for fame and notoriety.
Civil Twilight moved from Cape Town, South Africa to Los Angeles in 2005 and are now starting to see their fruits of their labor come to life. The trio released their self-titled debut album last year and have been on the road relentlessly since. The band is currently out on the road with Neon Trees through the end of July.
I had a chance to talk with Civil Twilight frontman Steve McKellar before the band played a date over on the East Coast. We discussed the transition from South Africa to America, and the band’s music used on numerous television shows. Here’s my interview with Steve:
MyCityBuzz: Growing up in South Africa, what were some of the ways you were exposed to music outside of that country?
Steve McKellar: There are a lot of bands from Britain that really shaped our music and helped influenced the direction we went in. When we were younger back in South Africa, one of the national radio stations (5FM) played rock music, mostly from England on Sunday nights for two hours. So, we were exposed to bands like Oasis and The Verve on that show, as well as American bands like the Pixies and Nirvana as well.
MCB: When you finally came to the States, what were some of the biggest hurdles you had to face?
SM: The biggest challenge was the whole culture of the music industry once we got here. The pace of life is far different here than in South Africa and there was a lot to learn. I always say moving to Los Angeles was like jumping off the deep end of the pool right off the bat. It was so vastly different than what we were used to and there’s so much more risk involved in the industry here. The stakes are definitely higher and so is the competitiveness of the bands here as well. We were three guys that were used to playing shows for friends and parties, so we didn’t understanding the concept of touring and a gig until we got here- so that is something we had to learn about right away.
MCB: What do you consider to be the major themes of the debut album?
SM: Looking back at it now, I think it has a lot to do with the transition and exposure to the new culture we were around. There was some definite culture shock that took place and we were totally alienated from this culture. It was an intense and dramatic experience- it’s like walking into a heavy rain without getting wet (laughs). That’s what I tell people usually…
MCB: How surprising was it to hear the band’s music used on television shows here in the States?
SM: It was a bit weird and we wouldn’t have known about the songs on TV because we really don’t watch TV- people we knew kept telling us a certain songs ended up on a certain show. I did hear one of the songs on an episode of “House” and it seemed a bit odd with the song being used during an operation scene. But there were a lot of people that said that they got a real emotional connection from that song in the scene- so it might seem weird, but it works.
MCB: What are the hardest and easiest parts about touring here?
SM: You know, I love every bit of touring to be honest. I like hauling the gear and equipment, meeting different people in new cities and all of that. If there is a obstacle on the road, it is making sure you get along with everyone and respecting everybody in the band and other musicians. But being out on the road makes me love music and being a musician even more.
Civil Twilight plays as part of the 89X Birthday Bash with Sublime, Rome and others at the Fillmore Detroit on Friday, July 16th. Tickets range from $30-$45 and are available at www.livenation.com. Additional band dates and info can be found at www.civiltwilightband.com.
