Survivor Talks “Damage Control,” Carmen Caine, and the Art of Making Bad Decisions

SURVIVOR: “WE’RE ALL VERY GOOD AT MAKING BAD DECISIONS”

Vex Monroe and her bandmates discuss their new single “Damage Control,” joining forces with pop provocateur Carmen Caine, and the complicated business of turning emotional disasters into irresistible rock songs.

Survivor have never been particularly interested in playing nice.

The rising alternative-rock quartet have built their reputation on razor-sharp guitars, seductive electronic textures, and choruses that make emotional catastrophe sound strangely appealing.

Fronted by the magnetic Vex Monroe, alongside guitarist Jett Valentine, bassist Rafe Blackwood, and drummer Nico Vandal, Survivor are four childhood friends with a shared musical history and a taste for beautiful dysfunction.

Now they’re preparing to release “Damage Control,” featuring Carmen Caine. Released through Empty Skull Records, the single also features two additional tracks, “Chemically Yours” and “Negative Space.”

We caught up with the band to discuss the new record, their unlikely pop collaboration, and why Survivor have never been especially good at apologizing.

“Damage Control” is a provocative title. What’s the song about?

VEX MONROE: It’s about knowing you’ve made an absolute disaster of something and then trying to convince everyone, including yourself, that everything’s perfectly fine.

JETT VALENTINE: Which is usually when things get considerably worse.

VEX: Exactly. It’s that wonderful moment when you’re apologizing to someone while secretly believing you were completely justified.

RAFE BLACKWOOD: So every argument you’ve ever had.

VEX: I thought this was supposed to be a friendly interview.

How did the song come together?

JETT: It started with a guitar riff. Something quite abrasive and ugly. We liked it, but it wasn’t really going anywhere.

NICO VANDAL: Rafe started playing this bassline underneath it, and suddenly the whole thing had a different pulse. It became something you could move to.

RAFE: We started building electronic textures around the guitars. I wanted the track to feel tense, almost claustrophobic, but still have a groove.

VEX: I’d had the phrase “damage control” written down for months. When I heard what they were doing, it clicked. The song became this argument between what someone says and what they’re actually thinking.

How did Carmen Caine become involved?

VEX: Carmen and I had been discussing a collaboration for a while. We have quite different musical backgrounds, but there’s a lot of common ground in what we write about.

We both love songs about people making terrible decisions while looking absolutely fabulous.

When we recorded the first version, I kept imagining another voice answering mine. Not harmonizing with me. Challenging me.

JETT: We wanted someone with enough personality to stand opposite Vex without disappearing.

VEX: Carmen certainly doesn’t have that problem.

What was working together like?

VEX: Brilliant. Infuriating. Occasionally both at once.

Carmen has very strong instincts. She’d hear a line and immediately suggest something sharper or more provocative.

There was one section where I thought the lyrics were finished, and she essentially told me I was being too polite.

NICO: Nobody has ever accused Vex of being too polite before.

VEX: I know. I was devastated.

But that’s what made it exciting. Carmen brought something we couldn’t have created on our own.

Carmen comes from a pop background. Did that change Survivor’s sound?

RAFE: It made us think differently about space and arrangement. We wanted both voices to have room without sacrificing the guitars.

JETT: There’s still plenty of distortion. Nobody needs to worry about that.

VEX: I don’t believe in the idea that rock and pop are opposing forces. A great hook is a great hook.

Carmen brings this glossy, seductive quality to the song, but there’s something quite vicious underneath it. That’s very much our territory too.

The single also includes “Chemically Yours” and “Negative Space.” How do those songs fit together?

VEX: I like the idea that the three songs are connected without necessarily telling one story.

“Damage Control” is the confrontation. “Chemically Yours” is the attraction you know you should resist. And “Negative Space” is what happens when there’s nothing left to say.

RAFE: Musically, they explore different sides of what we do. There’s a balance between the electronic elements and the more atmospheric, guitar-driven material.

JETT: We wanted the additional tracks to stand on their own, not feel like leftovers.

VEX: Besides, we’re very attached to our leftovers.

You’ve all known each other since childhood. Does that make recording easier?

NICO: Easier and considerably more irritating.

JETT: Nobody’s afraid to tell someone when an idea doesn’t work.

RAFE: There’s a level of trust that comes from knowing each other for so long. We can disagree about something without it becoming a crisis.

VEX: We’ve been arguing about music since we were kids. We’ve just acquired better equipment and more expensive clothes.

Vex, you’re very much the public face of Survivor. How does that dynamic work?

VEX: Well, I’m the one holding the microphone. It’s difficult to hide.

But Survivor has always been the four of us. Jett brings the aggression, Rafe brings the atmosphere, Nico brings the energy, and I get to stand in front of it all looking expensive.

JETT: She also has approximately forty-seven opinions about every chorus.

VEX: Forty-eight. I’ve had another one.

There’s a lot of darkness in Survivor’s music, but also a sense of humor. Is that deliberate?

VEX: Absolutely. I don’t think being miserable automatically makes something profound.

Some of the worst experiences in your life become quite funny once you’ve survived them. Sometimes the humor is the only thing that makes them bearable.

RAFE: We like contrast. Dark lyrics against a really infectious melody. Aggressive guitars with something beautiful underneath.

VEX: If we’re going to write about heartbreak, betrayal, and obsession, we might as well give people something to dance to.

Are you already thinking about what comes after “Damage Control”?

JETT: We’re always writing. There’s no shortage of ideas.

RAFE: We’re experimenting more with production, especially the relationship between guitars and electronics.

VEX: I don’t want us making the same record over and over again. I love the idea that Survivor can evolve while still being immediately recognizable.

But right now, we’re excited about this single. Carmen brought something special to it, and I think people are going to hear a different side of us.

Finally, what should listeners expect from “Damage Control”?

NICO: A big chorus.

JETT: Some very loud guitars.

RAFE: A little emotional instability.

VEX: Two women with excellent voices and questionable judgment.

And absolutely no apologies.

“Damage Control” by Survivor featuring Carmen Caine

Featuring the additional tracks “Chemically Yours” and “Negative Space.”

Released on Empty Skull Records.

Beautiful songs about ugly feelings. Survivor are only getting started.