| Circa Survive | |
|---|---|
Circa Survive playing at Bullmoose in Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Genres | Indie rock, experimental rock, alternative rock |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Atlantic, Equal Vision |
| Associated acts | The Sound of Animals Fighting, Saosin, This Day Forward, Taken, Psychic Babble |
| Website | www.circasurvive.com |
| Members | |
| Anthony Green Colin Frangicetto Brendan Ekstrom Nick Beard Steve Clifford |
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Circa Survive is an American rock band from the Philadelphia suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green (the former singer of Saosin) and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward.
Their first album, Juturna, was released on April 9, 2005, by Equal Vision Records, and received mixed, yet mostly positive, reviews. However their second album, On Letting Go, released on May 29, 2007, met widespread critical acclaim. Their third album, Blue Sky Noise, was released on April 20, 2010, on Atlantic Records to even greater critical acclaim and mainstream success.
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After going back to his hometown of Philadelphia for a dentist appointment and to visit his girlfriend Meredith, Anthony Green went to the airport to return to California to work with the band Saosin, of which he was the lead singer. However, while on a layover in Rassen, he suddenly had an epiphany – despite the fact that Saosin was close to success, he knew he would be miserable if he returned. When asked about his decision to leave home he said, "I left primarily because I didn't want to sign to a major label in that band." Green also said that another reason for leaving Saosin was because he was very homesick and missing his family.[1] Green returned to Colin Frangicetto, a friend with whom he had "jammed" during his stay, and they decided to begin recording and recruiting. Thus, Circa Survive was born.
Frangicetto and Green, with full support from Equal Vision Records, then recruited Brendan Ekstrom. Ekstrom had been Frangicetto's bandmate in This Day Forward, which had recently disbanded. Both Ekstrom and Frangicetto had toured with Taken during their This Day Forward days, and procured Nick Beard, the previous bass guitarist of Taken, as Circa Survive's next member. The band met Stephen Clifford through Vadim Taver of the band Marigold (and also from This Day Forward); "Steve jammed with us for a week and from there it was on," said Frangicetto.
Circa Survive's first release was the EP, The Inuit Sessions, on March 18, 2005. It contained four tracks: "Act Appalled", "Handshakes at Sunrise", "The Great Golden Baby", and "Suspending Disbelief".
Juturna, Circa Survive's first album, was released on April 29, 2005, in the United States and on January 31, 2006, in Japan on Equal Vision Records. It had been initially announced via the band's MySpace page in November 2004. Details as to its sound remained vague, although the band stated they would keep their fans posted via their website, MySpace page, PureVolume page, and YouTube page. Shortly before its official release, the album was posted on their MySpace page in its entirety. Juturna peaked at #183 on the Billboard 200. The album was produced by Brian McTernan at Salad Days Studios in Baltimore. The band drew inspiration for the album from House of Leaves, The Boondock Saints and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. During an online Q&A session on April 20, 2010, Brendan dismissed the claim that Juturna was a concept album based on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but did say that there is an underlying concept.
On Letting Go is Circa Survive's second album. Released on May 29, 2007, by Equal Vision Records, the album entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at #24, selling about 24,000 copies in its first week. Up to July 11, 2007, it had sold 51,357 copies in the U.S. alone.
As with previous albums, Esao Andrews designed the artwork and Brian McTernan produced the album. The band's sound did not radically change with this release. It was still polished and refined, with guitars and drums much tighter (but still meandering when needed to) and bass more prominent. Lyrically, the band "...evokes an era when hazy lyricism and reckless introspection were prerequisites for legitimacy and timelessness."[2]
In spring 2008, Circa Survive released an On Letting Go B-side, "1,000 Witnesses", to fans through the charity Invisible Children in an effort to raise money for the cause. In June 2008, they also released the B-side "The Most Dangerous Commercials" as a charity download to help support the relocation of local music shop Siren Records, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
After supporting Thrice and Pelican for their spring 2008 tour, Circa Survive returned to Philadelphia to write for the then-untitled third album. A short leg of shows in the Eastern U.S. occurred in late 2008 and four shows were played in Southern California in February 2009. After that, the band did not tour again until the tentatively planned headlining tour for their forthcoming third album. They posted videos on their websites showing snips of the creation and recording of the album.[3][4] Anthony Green's growth as a guitarist played a major role on Blue Sky Noise, which the band framed as an entirely "new chapter". The album entered the Billboard Top 200 at #11.[3][5]
The band posted an update in the form of a video on their website, with lead singer Anthony Green thanking fans for all their patience. He also said to check within the coming weeks to find out when they would be recording and who they would be recording with. On August 3, Circa Survive stated that they had begun recording their third album in Toronto and had chosen David Bottrill as producer. They also stated, "After completing our contract with Equal Vision we embarked on a long search to find our next home. We met with lots of labels and decided that Atlantic Records is the best place for us to continue our growth as a band and to help us release our music around the world."
On Twitter, they stated that they would be recording 16 songs, but that they would not all be on the album. However, they said they would release them all somehow.[6] They posted eight video updates showing some song teases.[7]
Studio recording was completed at the end of October 2009 and mixing was completed on 1 February 2010 by Rich Costey.
On February 16, 2010, they announced their new album would be titled Blue Sky Noise, and would be released on April 20, 2010. The album could be pre-purchased, and those who did so received a digital copy of the album a week early, and the first single, "Get Out", instantly.
On October 18, 2010 , Myspace Transmissions released an EP of the band playing five tracks from Blue Sky Noise as well as a cover of the Nirvana song, "Scentless Apprentice".
Circa Survive's second EP, Appendage, was released on November 30, 2010. It contains five tracks: "Sleep Underground" (Demo), "Stare Like You'll Stay", "Everyway", "Backmask" and "Lazarus".
Anthony Green stated that he has begun writing and demoing songs for their next full-length album. He also mentioned putting the release of his next solo album, Beautiful Things, on hold until next year to focus on the new Circa material.[8]
Circa Survive has toured on several occasions, including national tours within the United States. They toured in winter 2005 with My Chemical Romance and Thrice. That summer they co-headlined a tour. Circa Survive has also opened for MUTEMATH, Mae and Dredg on each of their headlining tours. Circa Survive played The Bamboozle festival in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 in New Jersey.[9] They also played a few dates on The Vans Warped Tour in 2005. In early 2006, they embarked on a tour of Europe with Coheed and Cambria and Thrice, after having previously completed a tour in September 2005 with Motion City Soundtrack. They also toured with Saves The Day, Moneen and Pistolita. In summer 2006, they embarked on their first headlining tour, The Twilight Army Tour, with The Receiving End of Sirens, Days Away, Portugal. The Man, YouInSeries and Keating. Then in fall 2006, they went on tour with Thursday, Rise Against and Billy Talent. The band also played on the Rockstar Alternative Press Tour headlining with Cute Is What We Aim For, and with supporting acts As Tall As Lions and Envy on the Coast. In April 2007, Circa Survive played at the Coachella arts and music festival in Indio, California. In summer 2007, the band played the entire Vans Warped Tour alongside bands such as Coheed and Cambria, The Used, Anberlin and Bad Religion. Circa Survive opened for My Chemical Romance's 2007 shows in Worcester and Australian and New Zealand shows as well. Circa Survive opened as the main support for 30 Seconds To Mars September 14, 2007, at the Brixton Academy. Circa Survive completed touring with Ours, Fear Before The March Of Flames, with Dear and the Headlights and The Dear Hunter in November, 2007. On New Year's Eve 2007 they had a coming home show with Thursday and The Gaslight Anthem played at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band is in the Kerrang! 2008 Tour with Madina Lake, Coheed and Cambria and Fightstar. It was announced on January 24, 2008, that Circa Survive would be going on a spring 2008 tour with Thrice and Pelican.[10]
Circa Survive is known to add humor and props to their live concerts. Anthony Green frequently wears dresses to outdoor music festivals, most notably The Bamboozle in 2006 and The Vans Warped Tour[11] in 2007. On their summer 2006 Twilight Army Tour, the band threw glowing fluorescent beach balls into the crowd.[12] The band's On Letting Go tour included a silent film projected above the band.[13]
In 2010, after mixing for Blue Sky Noise was completed in February, Circa Survive began performing shows in the midwest United States in March, often accompanied by Good Old War and The Christmas Lights. The band performed at the annual SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, from March 18 to March 24. They also performed in Anaheim at the Hoodwink Festival on March 26 and at The Bamboozle on March 27. One month later, following the release of Blue Sky Noise on April 20, Circa Survive embarked on an extended tour with Coheed and Cambria and Torche, beginning in Charlotte, North Carolina, on April 22 and ending on May 29 in Atlantic City. On June 19, 2010, Circa Survive performed at Santa Monica Beach at the Pac Sun Beach Ballyhoo event, which was shut down early due to overcrowding before the band could perform their last two songs. After an eleven-day U.S. west coast tour in late July, Circa Survive embarked on a September European tour with Middle Class Rut, beginning in Hamburg, Germany, on September 6 and ending in Nottingham, England, on September 18. Their show in London on September 15 was streamed live over the Internet and attracted more than 43,000 viewers online.[14]
They then went on on their U.S. Blue Sky Noise tour with Animals as Leaders, Dredg and Codeseven. The tour began on October 15, 2010 in Hartford, Conneccticut, and concluded on December 13 in Bakersfield, California. They begin touring with Anberlin and Foxy Shazam in January 2011. It has been rumored that they will be playing at Warped Tour 2011. They also opened for Linkin Park during the A Thousand Suns Tour for their shows in Dallas and Houston, Texas.
Circa Survive toured with My Chemical Romance as their opening act along with the Architects (American band). Both bands opened for My Chemical Romance for the North American leg of The World Contamination Tour.
| Year | Title | Label | U.S. Charts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Juturna | Equal Vision Records | #183 |
| 2007 | On Letting Go | Equal Vision Records | #24 |
| 2010 | Blue Sky Noise | Atlantic Records | #11 |
| 2012 | Untitled Fourth Studio Album | Atlantic Records |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Inuit Sessions | Equal Vision Records |
| 2010 | Appendage | Atlantic Records |
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Act Appalled" | The Inuit Sessions |
| 2006 | "Act Appalled" | Juturna |
| "In Fear and Faith" | ||
| 2007 | "The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is in the Dose" | On Letting Go |
| 2010 | "Get Out" | Blue Sky Noise |
| "Imaginary Enemy" | ||
| "I Felt Free" |
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