Melbourne’s CIVIC – Jim McCullough (vocals), Lewis Hodgson (guitar), Roland Hlavka (bass), Jackson Harry (guitar). Matt Blach (drums) – kick off the new year with new single “Blood Rushes.” The song is a lush and brimming anthem whose pummeling drums and crystalline guitars magnify the moody longing of McCullough’s vocal work. It’s also the latest from CIVIC’s forthcoming new album Taken By Force – due out February 10 via ATO Records, pre-save or pre-order HERE.

In addition, the band was announced for SXSW 2023 – marking their first stateside shows ever.

“Blood Rushes” is the third single from Taken By Force and follows the fiery “Born In The Heat” as well as the album’s lead single and video (also directed by Gorter) for “End of The Line.” The new LP ushers in an exhilarating new chapter for the band who earned massive critical acclaim for their earlier releases including their 2021 debut album Future Forecast.

CIVIC opted to record the album over one week in the Castlemaine countryside with Rob Younger from seminal Australian punk band Radio Birdman producing. Mixed and mastered by another Australian punk legend Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current, Sonny & the Sunsets), Taken By Force finds CIVIC setting their artful venting of existential dread against a backdrop of blistering riffs, thrashing rhythms, and shout-along-ready vocals. They joyfully obliterate the line between furious catharsis and unbridled fun, introducing a vital new energy into today’s musical landscape.

Photo by Marcus Coblyn