Melbourne’s brilliant punk rock outfit, CIVIC, have today announced the May 30th release of their third album, Chrome Dipped via ATO Records.
With the band willing to cut the ties to the raw, distinctly Australian punk rock blueprint of Future Forecast (2021) and Taken By Force (2023) CIVIC push themselves into fresh creative territory with Chrome Dipped.
Marking a bold shift from their signature sound, the LP finds the band exploring new sonic territory while maintaining their sharp intensity.
“We’d been pushing a sort of ’70s Australian punk sound with our first two records, but I think we wanted to take it in a different direction,” says guitarist Lewis Hodgson. “I think it was all starting to feel a bit stale.”
“We didn’t really know what we were going to make, but we went into it very open for change,” adds vocalist Jim McCullough.
Today CIVIC share the first taste of this new sound via the self-titled lead single Chrome Dipped. The track blends gritty, swaggering riffs with a driving relentless energy and the band share, “’Chrome Dipped’ is about finding human emotion and a world that’s hurling towards complete reliance on the machine.”
To guide CIVIC (rounded out by bassist Roland Hlavka and drummer Eli Sthapit) to these new sonic pastures, the band tapped Australian singer-songwriter Kirin J. Callinan to produce the record, and legendary musician and producer Chris Townend to engineer. It was Callinan’s idea to spend a week recording at Frying Pan Studio at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania, a far cry from the outback house in which CIVIC laid down Taken By Force.
“We’ve always done our records DIY,” says McCullough. “This time we wanted to step up and make it sound as big as we could.”
The end result is the work of a band expanding their boundaries. “We kind of stuck to the rules a little bit earlier on like, do Australian punk rock properly and all that,” says Hodgson. “But after touring around the world and seeing what all these other bands are up to it’s like, you can really do whatever the fuck you want. And so it’s fun to just kind of let go.” He continues, “I hope people feel a little confused at first. Then a bit angry, and then feel good, and then interested, and then they feel like, ‘Oh, this is sick.’ That process exactly. I hope it’s a bit challenging.”
In support of Chrome Dipped, CIVIC will embark on an international tour this year, crossing North America and supporting the Sex Pistols feat. Frank Carter on a tour of Australia, before touching down in the UK, Ireland and Europe this summer. With UK stops including Belfast, Glasgow and Manchester, the band round off this leg of the tour with a set at 2000 Trees festival.
Tickets are on-sale here and all dates are listed below.
North American Tour Dates
May 24th -25th | Las Vegas, US – Punk Rock Bowling
May 28th | Reno, US – Holland Project
May 30th | Seattle, US – The Vera Project
May 31st | Portland, US – Polaris Hall
June 3rd | San Francisco, US – Bottom Of The Hill
June 6th | Los Angeles, US – The Echoplex
June 7th | San Diego, US – Soda Bar
June 11th | Washington, US – Pearl Street
June 12th | Philadelphia, US – Foto Club
June 13th | New York, US – TV Eye
June 14th | Boston, MA – Middle East Upstairs
June 16th | Toronto, CA – The Baby G
June 17th | Hamtramck (Detroit), US – The Sanctuary
June 18th | Chicago, US – Schubas
June 19th | Minneapolis, US – 7th Street Entry
Australian Tour Dates
April 5th | Melbourne, AU – Festival Hall *
April 6th | Adelaide, AU – Hindley Street Music Hall *
April 8th | Sydney, AU – Hordern Pavillion *
April 9th | Brisbane, AU – Fortitude Music Hall *
April 11th | Fremantle, AU – Fremantle Prison *
UK/EU Tour Dates
June 24th | San Sebastian, ES – Dabadaba
June 25th | Madrid, ES – El Sol
June 26th | Valencia, ES – Loco Club
June 27th | Barcelona, ES – Upload
June 28th | Vitoria, ES – Helldorado
June 30th | Bologna, IT – Freakout Club
July 1st | Milan, IT – Punkadeka Preview @ Magnolia
July 3rd | Belfast, UK – Voodoo
July 4th | Dublin, IE – Workmans Cellar
July 5th | Waterford, IE – Luca Records & Skate Shop
July 6th | Limerick, IE – Kasbah
July 8th | Manchester, UK – Gullivers
July 9th | London, UK – Moth Club
July 10th | Cheltenham, UK – 2000 Trees Festival
July 12th | Belgium, BE – Sjock Festival
July 13th | Dusseldorf, DE – Ratinger Hof
July 14th | Berlin, DE – Privatclub
July 15th | Hamburg, DE – Goldener Salon @ Hafenklang
July 18th | Kristiansand, NO – Ravnedalen Live
July 19th | Tromso, NO – Bukta Festival (with DJ set that night)
July 24th | Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
July 25th | Paris, FR – Supersonic
July 26th and 27th | Binic, FR – Binic Folk Blues Festival
* support for Sex Pistols feat. Frank Carter
