Page 19 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 112

BV112 pg 16-19 Thieves Of Liberty Interview.qxp_BV112 pg 19 10/05/2025 14:17 Page 4

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 19

James tells us a little more about the song, "It's kinda like a public service announce- of different people, but, if it's a case of never
‘Caviar And Diamonds’. "Kieran wrote a lot of ment," James concludes. saying anything, then you'll never know what
the lyrics for these ones and what we were try- could have been, so there are definitely ele-
ing to get at is about how things are today and lsewhere on the album is a song called ments of that."
how things go. People see things on the news E'Casual Tragedy', in which James
every day and everyone sees everything going sings, ‘Pick up the phone, don't make me your ith 'Until the End' including the lyric,
on around them every day and there are peo- tragedy’. W‘Erases me, replaces me, no trace of
ple who feel there is nothing they can do, or James tells us, "I try not to go too much me’, we end by asking how they hope they and
they might feel cheated. The way I feel about into the subject of mental health because there the Thieves will be remembered and whether
those lyrics is that, every day, there are people are so many mixed opinions with these things, they are at all concerned with being erased or
who feel cheated with the things that are going but people should talk to each other. If you replaced without a trace.
on around them and we're the mugs some- have people close to you, friends, then no-one Tom replies, "That is certainly a big thing
times. should sit in silence and wallow or feel like shit. for me. The idea of a legacy and that you al-
"Without going too far, I think there is an But situations can be so complicated some- most die twice. You die and then you die again
angst for change the last time
in a lot of ways, someone
but the good says your
thing about that name, and
song is that that is a big
music has al- philosophy in
ways been a my life. Being
catalyst for peo- able to leave
ple who, maybe, a legacy that
didn't have a stands the
voice to be able test of time.
to say some- It's a case of
thing, and that is leaving a last-
the reason why ing memory
the song is on at least
there. one person
"There are and, if you
so many things can, you've
people say done a good
every day. We job."
were talking Agreeing
about 'Sweet As wholeheart-
Today' and turn- edly, James
ing off the news. says, "A lot of
There is so people get
much stuff out this worry of,
there that affects ‘Fuck! An-
the way people other year
are, and so, I do gone, another
think it's time for year gone,
change in a lot another year
of ways. Every- gone,’ and
one wants to put people feel
the world to that they
rights in their haven't made
kitchen at 2am!" progress.
The song in- And, I think,
cludes the lyric subcon -
‘Hate is wise, sciously, it is a
love is foolish’. bit of a legacy
James tells thing, be-
Black Velvet, cause you
"Obviously, there is irony in that lyric; we don't times, it's not for anyone to speak on. want to leave something behind rather than
want anyone to be hateful. The best thing you "I'm guilty of not talking when I should and just rotting in a ditch!
can probably do, at the moment, is keep the people tell me that all the time. It's like we were "Sometimes you have to take your time to
people you love close to you. Keep an eye on saying before about trying to change things realise what you're doing. The song is about
everything that is going on and, if you get the about yourself but sometimes things are a time running out, but you do have to take the
chance to change something for the better, try slow-moving train. Hopefully, it will get there time to appreciate what you are doing at the
and change it. eventually, but I can write a song and say time. Like, when we travel around, all the
"People at our level have just got to live, something that way, and that's my way of pick- laughs we have together, and playing these
you know what I mean? Get on, go to work, put ing up the phone, but maybe it means some- songs, that's where it really is at."
food on the table and everything. The best thing different for someone else who is And so, we leave James and Tom to plot
thing is to just try and be happy with the life that listening." their next heist. The release of their album has
you have got and make something of it." Tom adds, "When I listen to that song and underlined their ability and talents, the live per-
Tom adds, “The chorus of the song is writ- James' lyric, I took it as, ‘Don't let a failure of formances confirm that their skills translate to
ten from the opinion of the oppressor, rather talking to someone ruin what could be. So, the stage and the past 30 or so minutes high-
than the people trying to preach a message. don't throw me to the side for fear or trying to light what thoroughly nice fellas Thieves Of Lib-
It's them kinda saying, ‘Sit down, know your resolve a situation.’ I don't know if that's what erty are. So, be warned, they might not just
role, and do your work,’ and kinda everyone fall he meant, but that was how I took those steal the show when you see them, they may
into the binary, bland, no kind of personality, words." steal your hearts as well.
kind of thing, so, the final line of, ‘why the hell Clearly impressed to hear this from his Visit www.thievesofliberty.com
do we do this?’ is a retort against that kind of bandmate, James continues, "It might have a
mindset, and that was the running theme of the certain, specific meaning to me, but it's in- Words By Michael Coventry
song." tended to mean a lot of different things to a lot

THIEVES OF LIBERTY