Nothing But Thieves’ origins lie in schoolmates Conor, Joe and Dave’s efforts in a variety of bands in their hometown of Southend, Essex. They gained valuable experience on the local live circuit, even if they weren’t going to change the world. Then Dom joined their school in the sixth form and everything went up a notch. A classically trained guitarist from the age of six, Dom brought a musicality and learning to the table which made everyone sit up and take notice. Not that this puts him on a pedestal with his bandmates. They all agree that it’s the mix of his formal training with Joe’s self-taught chops which lies at the heart of the Nothing But Thieves sound.
They released their debut ep, "Graveyard Whistling" on July 18, 2014. The band's single "Itch" picked up Hottest Record and Track Of The Day accolades on Radio 1 and also made it onto the Radio 1 playlist, as well as being added in regular rotation of Sirius XM new hard-rock channel Octane. The same year they signed to RCA Records.
They released their self-titled debut album on October 16, 2015. Frontman Conor Mason said in an interview about the album: Since this record was our first album we especially wanted to make each song stand out in the best way possible. I guess there are tones, lyrics and themes that tie in throughout the album; however, we generally wanted each song to have its own space and world. Overall, I think we achieved the variety we were after and it’s nice that our fans feel the same way too.
They released their sophomore album, called "Broken Machine", on September 8, 2017. The concept for the album came alive soon after the band had written and demoed “Broken Machine,” the 4th track, which became the centerpiece of the album. Lead singer Conor Mason describes it as a metaphor for systems that seem perfect on the surface but cracked underneath, whether that’s mental health, love, religion, or even politics. The singles leading up to the album’s release are “Amsterdam,” released on May 2, 2017, “Sorry” released on August 14, 2017, “Broken Machine” released on August 21, 2017, “I’m Not Made By Design” released on August 26, 2017, and “Particles” released on January 11, 2018.
They released a new ep, titled "What Did You Think When You Made Me This Way?" on October 19, 2018. The lead single of the ep, "Forever & Ever More", was supported by a music video. On October 23, 2020, the band released Moral Panic. Which then followed with a tour in 2021 with Yonaka and Airways.
The band released three singles in 2023, "Welcome to the DCC" on March 15, "Overcome" on May 10 and "Keeping You Around" on June 23, before finally releasing their fourth studio album, "Dead Club City" on June 30, 2023, which peaked number 1 in the U.K Official Album Charts. They then released the single "Oh No :: He Said What?" on January 29, 2024 before dropping the deluxe edition of "Dead Club City" on March 15, 2024, this included the addition of new songs such as "Time :: Fate :: Karma :: God" and "Pure You" as well as the stripped edition of beloved songs from the original album.
Soda
Nothing But Thieves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's hard to accept
Because I try to be happy
But then I forget
They tell me I need to chill, man
It's all in your head
Maybe I'm paranoid
It's making me so unwell
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't wanna be myself
Just wanna be someone else
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I once had a thought
But don't know where it went
'Cause I've been living off soda
And cheap cigarettes
Maybe when I was a kid
I was dropped on my head
Yeah, that would make some sense
I don't wanna be myself
It's making me so unwell
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't wanna be myself
Just wanna be someone else
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't wanna be myself
It's making me so unwell
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't wanna be myself
Just wanna be someone else
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't wanna be myself
It's making me so unwell
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't wanna be myself
Just wanna be someone else
Yeah, yeah, yeah
The lyrics to Nothing but Thieves' "Soda" describe the struggles of accepting oneself and the desire to be someone else. The song opens with the character admitting that they have a hard time accepting that they are an exception, someone who is different from the norm. They try to be happy, but then forget, alluding to possible mental health issues. The character then receives advice to "chill out," to which they respond that maybe they are just paranoid.
The second verse reveals that the character has been living off soda and cheap cigarettes and has lost track of a past thought. The lyrics hint at a possible childhood trauma, and the line "yeah, that would make some sense" adds to this possibility. The chorus of the song repeats the desire to be someone else, as being oneself is making the character unwell.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the struggles of self-acceptance and the pressures to conform to societal norms. The character's desire to be someone else stems from their unhappiness with their current self, whether it be due to mental health issues or a traumatic event. The song highlights the importance of self-love and acceptance, but also acknowledges the difficulties in achieving this.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm an exception
I am different from others
It's hard to accept
It's difficult for others to understand and accept me
Because I try to be happy
I make an effort to stay positive
But then I forget
But sometimes I can't maintain my positive outlook
They tell me I need to chill, man
People advise me to relax and calm down
It's all in your head
They think my worries are not real, but only in my mind
Maybe I'm paranoid
Perhaps I am overly anxious and suspicious
I don't wanna be myself
I don't like my current self
It's making me so unwell
Being myself is causing me a lot of stress and discomfort
Just wanna be someone else
I'd rather be a different person
I once had a thought
I used to have an idea or plan
But don't know where it went
But I lost track of it, and no longer remember it
'Cause I've been living off soda
Because I've been relying on sugary drinks to get through the day
And cheap cigarettes
And cheap cigarettes to calm my nerves
Maybe when I was a kid
Maybe something happened to me when I was younger
I was dropped on my head
I might have suffered a head injury
Yeah, that would make some sense
It would explain why I feel the way I do now
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: CONOR MASON, DOMINIC CRAIK, JOSEPH LANGRIDGE-BROWN, LAURENCE JOHN HIBBITT, MIKE CROSSEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind