Civil Service releases new video for ‘URBNDCY’

Civil Service, a Manchester-based instrumental rock collective, has recently unveiled a new video for their latest single ‘URBNDCY’ (pronounced Urban Decay). This release signals the band’s preparation for their upcoming album ‘DARK ///’, promising to be their most intense and uncompromising work to date, set for release this November.

In contrast to their 2024 release ‘/// LIGHT’, which delved into humanity’s transient quest for meaning, ‘DARK ///’ takes a different approach by exploring the insurmountable challenges that stand in our path. Through its expansive and atmospheric soundscapes, the album tackles weighty topics such as mental health struggles, the silent suffering of undiagnosed conditions, the ineffectiveness of power in the face of tyranny, and the desperate yet shaky attempts to find solace amidst chaos.

The band elaborates, stating, “Where ‘/// LIGHT’ sought enlightenment, ‘DARK ///’ delves into the barriers we collide with on our journey. It embodies isolation, despair, collapse, and the fractures within ourselves and our society that we cannot evade.”

Civil Service was born from the remnants of their prior indie projects disbanding, with its inception traced back to the members’ shared experiences at early editions of the ArcTanGent Festival. Inspired by renowned acts like Mogwai, 65DaysOfStatic, Mono, God Is An Astronaut, MaybeSheWill, and Alcest, the band set out to create expansive and atmospheric instrumental rock compositions.

Following a series of preliminary singles, Civil Service emerged from the pandemic with ‘Life///Death’, preceding their ambitious double album project – ‘/// LIGHT’ and ‘DARK ///’. Both segments were recorded under the guidance of Dave Sanderson at Crystal Ship Studios.

Establishing themselves as a dynamic live presence since 2022, Civil Service has hosted their own shows in Manchester, featuring fellow artists like Din Of Celestial Birds, Kusanagi, LOE, Mount Forel, and La Bestia De GavAudan. Additionally, they have shared the stage with notable acts such as Overhead The Albatross, FORT, and Blackshape, and even supported bands like And So I Watch You From Afar and The Dear Hunter.

‘DARK ///’ stands as a resolute soundtrack for a world teetering on the edge – a record steeped in dread yet brimming with defiance, encapsulating the essence of Civil Service’s artistic evolution.