Southend five-piece Nothing But Thieves have shared the compelling, rousing and surreal video for their recently released single Real Love Song, which is taken from their forthcoming new album Moral Panic and follows their recent single Is Everybody Going Crazy?.
Produced by Mike Crossey (The 1975, Arctic Monkeys and Wolf Alice), Real Love Song was included as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World before being added to the B List on Radio 1 and has already achieved almost 3 million streams worldwide. The track has a self-explanatory title; it is a real love song, which strips the romantic idealistic nature of love away and lays open the unrequited or painful reality experienced by many – “I’ve got a thing about you and it won’t go away”. Richly anthemic and wildly grandiose, it builds triumphantly with a hymn-like euphoric melody alongside singer Conor’s poignant almost operatic vocals.
Amidst mesmerising animations and a gritty performance from the band themselves, the Basak Erol directed video showcases the dreamlike story of three characters seeking love in the wrong places. A different perspective to relationships in the digital age, it addresses themes of confusion and losing the grip of reality on what’s real and the darkness it evokes.
Speaking about the video, the band say;
“As an audience, we are often presented something that is excessive or overblown, especially when it comes to love stories. We wanted the video to capture the irony of the song whilst making sure it was still affecting. This is a song within a song and the video, with its nods to the modern relationship and its sensationalised band moments, tell two sides of the same story. Where does the cynicism end and the real begin? It was amazing to work with Basak and her team who totally got where we were going and created a story that works on these different levels. This is a love song, so what?
Remaining on the Radio 1 Playlist for 8 weeks, as one of the longest running tracks on their playlist, Is Everybody Going Crazy? was the band’s biggest Airplay hit to date, achieving 10 million streams worldwide and welcoming the exciting return of Nothing But Thieves. A gritty dark rock song, lyrically it discusses a fractured, barely recognisable civilisation and desire for escapism, which proved curiously relevant to the world right now
Real Love Song and Is Everybody Going Crazy? is the band’s first new music since their 2018 EP What Did You Think When You Made Me This Way, their 2017 acclaimed album Broken Machine, which charted at #2 in the UK album chart, and their debut self-titled album Nothing But Thieves. They have recently announced the release of their third album Moral Panic, which will be released on 23rd October, with the pre-orders now live here.
The past few years have been quite a ride for Nothing But Thieves. Amassing over 700,000 album sales and 750million streams so far, they have built up a loyal and wide following for their impactful alt rock sound, cementing themselves as one of the best current rock bands in the world. Selling 150,000 tickets on their last album campaign, which included their biggest UK headline tour to date and a sold-out show at London’s Alexandra Palace, and selling out their entire worldwide Broken Machine headline tour, their success has been global.
