Oxford, UK alt-rock/post-hardcore trio Civil Villains are delighted to announce that their second album, A Sleeper, Underneath, is set for release on 8th May 2026 via Thundersnuff Records.

Recorded at Shaken Oak Studios and Safehouse Studios in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, the album was produced and mixed by Mike Bannard and Civil Villains, and mastered by Alain Paul Mastering, Germany.

The album’s title comes from the line “A sleeper, underneath which my flower grows”—a nod to transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau’s classic book Walden, in which he describes the arrival of the railroad and each sleeper—“each wooden tie”—as a person being crushed or trapped under the weight of progress.

“I’ve always found that image really powerful,” explains vocalist James King, “The idea that society pushes forward so quickly that people, and the natural world, often get crushed in the process. But I liked imagining something still managing to grow through all of that pressure—rising up, blooming, refusing to stay buried.”

To celebrate the news, AA single ‘High Achievers’/’Shadow Weight’ is out now on all good digital service providers and showcases two scintillating new tracks from the forthcoming album.

Commenting on the two tracks on the new AA single, vocalist James King says: “‘High Achievers’ was born in a generator-powered, converted cowshed in Hampshire. The chorus riff had previously been abandoned after we tried to cram it into too many songs, but we’d never tested it as a lyrical bed. Turns out it just needed the right home. File under: sardonic social commentary.”

“‘Shadow Weight’ is a song of two parts, something we’ve done plenty of before, but this may be our most successful attempt. The first half is based on an idea I’ve carried around forever; the second is entirely Mark’s beautiful construction. Part eulogy, part dream-state. On some level I think the lyrics were subconsciously influenced by watching X-Men ’97.”

“We all felt that the approach to writing, if not the music itself, was more stripped down and immediate this time and wanted to reflect that in trying to honestly capture the recording process for the ‘High Achievers’ video. We also wouldn’t be able to produce anything we’re near enough proud of if we ourselves weren’t a team as a band, but especially if we didn’t have the great skills and support of people like our producer/engineer Mike Bannard and studios like Shaken Oak as collaborative and creative partners. It’s nice to try and show that bandmate-interplay and feature some of those people and places in our work—it takes a village!”

“The video for ‘Shadow Weight’ attempts to reflect the dichotomy reflected within the track itself. There’s a real yin and yang to the two halves of the song, and the video attempts to capture and portray this, highlighting the soft and hard, the smooth and the angular, the gentle and the harsh.”

The album’s lead single ‘Come Home’ was released earlier this year and captures the band at full force—intricate rhythms, controlled dissonance, and moments of melodic clarity that cut through the noise. ‘Come Home’ picked up a slew of early spins from long-time supporter Dave Gilyeat at BBC Introducing, plus underground alternative tastemaker support from Already Heard, Buttonpusher DIY and more.

Forthcoming new album A Sleeper, Underneath marks a shift toward something more open and instinctive from Civil Villains’ sound. While still rooted in the band’s characteristic contrast—angular guitars, dynamic structures, and rhythmic unpredictability—the new material places greater emphasis on clarity, space, and emotional immediacy.

It’s a natural evolution: tighter, more distilled, but still unmistakably Civil Villains, as the three-piece continue to refine their identity, creating music that remains inventive and expressive while reaching toward something more immediate and resonant.

These early glimpses of their new material expand on the trio’s signature tension between aggression and intricacy, offering a sound that’s both cerebral and cathartic; proof that Civil Villains continue to evolve with purpose and precision every step of the way.

Further live dates TBA over the coming months.

Live Dates:

06.03.26 – Tunbridge Wells – The Sussex Arms (aka The Forum Basement) w/ Mould