Five years after their self-titled debut album and three years after “Broken Machine”, Nothing But Thieves are releasing their third long player. With his title “Moral Panic” it seems to fit perfectly into this time, even if it wasn’t even with the single “Is Everybody Going Crazy?” is about a pandemic and the resulting changed society. However, mental health is one of the recurring themes of the band from Southend-on-Sea in the UK and is also featured on this album. Mostly because front man Conor Mason himself had to struggle with mental health problems again and again in the past. So bad for a while that it almost meant leaving the band. But it didn’t get that far, also because writing and music are therapy for Mason. He told ntv.de about this and a lot more in an interview.
Hi Conor, what you notice when listening to the new album is that you were inspired by different styles of music besides rock. Even hip-hop influences can be heard. Are you planning something like this or will it just develop into that at some point?

Conor Mason: That has developed into that. I can remember a moment when Dom (Dominic Craik, guitarist of the band – editor’s note) and I were sitting together and talking about other song structures, melodies, this and that. I have always loved listening to R’n’B and pop music and have dealt with it intensively, including hip-hop. You can definitely hear that on the album. I find that rhythmically very interesting. It fascinates me and transports rock music into the future instead of just orienting itself towards the past.

Because at some point you would get bored of just making rock music?

In any case. It is important to us to bring something new into production. Even though we’re classic songwriters, when it comes to production we try to keep pushing this thing forward. From disco to metal to hip-hop to R’n’B, everything we love. We definitely get bored easily. (laughs) I’m not 16 anymore and I don’t only listen to the Black Keys albums. I really hear everything. My playlist is almost a bit ridiculous … (laughs)

Okay, what’s the most ridiculous or embarrassing thing on your playlist?

Oh man, the question had to come now. (laughs) I’m almost obsessed with the old Britney Spears stuff. This is the best school on how to create the ultimate pop song. So that’s what you’re striving for, even though the first two albums were already quite successful commercially ?! Did that put you under any pressure for the third album? No, I think it made us more relaxed. We just wanted to do what we wanted. And we had the opportunity to do that. But of course we’re only human and want others to like what we do and what we love. We don’t really care about sales, but we already put our soul into our music and want to connect with other people through it. As far as I know, the album was ready before the pandemic broke out. Nevertheless, the single “Is Everybody Going Crazy?” to fit perfectly into the current time. Funny coincidence? Fate?

Right, that’s crazy. It fits better than we could ever have imagined writing it. I think we are all still struggling with the same problems as a year ago, only this virus has now shifted the focus to it, it works like a magnifying glass. The problems are no longer hidden from distractions, they jump right at you.

Does writing new songs help you cope better with these problems and difficult situations?

100 percent. When the lockdown came, you first had to think about who you really were. Many define themselves through their job, their hobbies or the like. If that suddenly disappears, you just have to think about yourself again or at all. This time was very important to me. I found out a lot about myself and implemented it creatively while writing. And I don’t mean that I’ve thought about myself as an artist, but as a person. For me, the writing process is extremely therapeutic, especially at a time when there is nothing else to do.

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