It was released on March 8, 2011, by Merge Records in the United States and City Slang in Europe.

[3] On February 27, 2011, Wye Oak announced the release of their new album, along with the title track.

[6][7] On October 22, 2021, to mark the 10th anniversary of the album, Merge Records released "Civilian + Cut All The Wires 2009-2011".

An edited version of the title track of Civilian was featured in the 2011 trailer for the second season of The Walking Dead and also the closing scene of the second-season episode "18 Miles Out" (2012).

[10] Tim Sendra of AllMusic said: "The albums sounds brighter and better recorded, Wasner's songs are crisper and more memorable with an extra amount of sadness added, the performances invested with a level of intensity and fiery soul that had only been hinted at before.