Attending a small high school in South Africa, friends Richard Wouters and Andrew McKellar did what so many young, aspiring musicians do—they formed a garage band. A mix of musical aspirations and grand ambition set the course for this emerging rock band. Noble as their initial pursuit may have been, however, Wouters and McKellar soon came to the cold realization that they both played guitar, leaving a void that called for a drummer at the least.
Without losing any time, Wouters decided to learn how to play the drums and fill the gap himself. Shortly after, he began drum lessons, and soon he and McKellar were writing songs together. It wasn’t long before McKellar’s younger brother, Steven, tagged along to practice and was honored with an official band position as the lead singer.
The band’s first show—opening for a local band—came only a few weeks after their first practice. “It was really bad,” Wouters says. “We only had guitar and drums with Steven singing. No bass.” But, in true Civil Twilight style, it wasn’t long before Steven found himself with a bass in hand. “We were like, we don’t have a bass player, so we should probably get one. [Steven] is not doing anything with his hands—he’s just singing,” Wouters relays with a laugh. “So we gave him the bass, and he turned out to be pretty good. We were lucky.” Steven also became the band’s pianist.
Thus, Civil Twilight came to be. They continued to play around the city of Cape Town for the next nine years. Though they were not touring, they were consistently playing the local club circuit and establishing a solid following. “We were doing it because we loved it. We never really thought about it being a career,” Wouters says. “As we got better and saw people responding, we thought that it could go somewhere.” After years of being a local favorite, the band left their homes and familiar lives in hopes of doing something big.
In 2005, with their dreams in sight, the members of Civil Twilight departed from South Africa and arrived in Los Angeles with nothing more than grounded self-assurance. The first few years were tirelessly spent playing shows, making new friends and sharing their lives in a way the band say they had never imagined. “We were definitely poor. Our currency was weaker here in the US, and we couldn’t work for a while. We ended up meeting some friends at a church and rented a garage from some of the guys, doing some odd jobs to pay for rent,” Wouters says.
Now, an old van, one cell phone and many bean and cheese burritos later, the South-African outfit finds themselves on the brink of national success. With the recent release of their self-titled debut and three songs featured on the television shows House, One Tree Hill, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles and Without A Trace, Civil Twilight know that passion is key. Wouters admits, “It was pretty rough at first. There were moments that we wanted to go home, but we knew it would just be for a while and it would get better. So, we had to push through it. We didn’t want to go home. That would be like admitting defeat.”
And Civil Twilight never left. Trying their hand in the indie circle, they garnered a quick fan base in LA. But it wasn’t long before they felt the need to take on a new territory. For adventure’s sake, they packed their bags and trekked across the country to South Carolina, where they recorded their recent self-titled debut album and signed with Wind-up Records. Then, in September of 2008, they relocated to Nashville and released their album online in July of 2009. They say they have found their home both creatively and personally. “I haven’t seen the kind of community that we have found in Nashville,” Wouters says. “People are patient and friendly while musicians work together to help each other out.”
This communal approach is what Civil Twilight take to songwriting. Although Andrew focuses on the lyrics, each member of the trio contributes a significant element to each song. “The best songs are usually written quickly and at the same time, when melody, arrangement and lyrics come together,” Andrew says. “For me, it’s as if each song has a soul and you have to work out what it’s saying.” Wouters agrees, saying, “Andrew may come in with a guitar riff while Steven has a melody. We all start playing off of each other and create a mood. We like to get a feel or a vibe and work from there.”
It’s this same experience the band likes to offer their audiences during live performances. “We try to connect emotionally with people. For us, that’s what music is all about—taking people on a journey when they come to watch our show,” Wouters says. Steven adds, “I would love to get people to dance, laugh, cry and sing all at the same time, to get a song that incorporates all of those things—that’s our goal.” Yet, the journey doesn’t end in the realm of feelings. “We hope to inspire people to create,” Wouters says. “We hope that our music moves people to think about truth and what life is about. Hopefully, it can give people hope in some way.”
Listeners will be enthused to know that a live album is planned for release in January, while the self-titled debut, which is currently available online, will hit store shelves in the spring. The band is also looking forward to a major tour to be announced for the spring of this year.
The passion that permeates Civil Twilight’s music is still driving their quest for everyone to hear it. The band admits that the success has been good, but it has not altered their optimism, nor has it fueled their collective ego.
Even Andrew jokes that the band is “clueless” about what is going on. “We are passionate about music and performing but still feel a sense of not knowing what we’re doing. We’re trying to work things out and continue to understand why we’re doing this,” he says. Wouters adds, “When you’re younger you look at bands and you see the glamour, the award shows and hear them on the radio; it seems like another world. There are moments of that for us, but the majority of it is working, driving, touring—a lot of work.”
The guys of Civil Twilight say they’ve learned that the journey is their story—three friends making music. “It’s the music that brought us together and the music that has kept us together,” Wouters concludes. “The reason why we keep going is kind of a weird thing, but it’s about the story we’re creating.” ✪
Tags: Fringe 5