Circa Survive is an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, that formed in 2004. The band, led and founded by Anthony Green, consisted of former members from

This Day Forward This Day Forward was a Philadelphia-area band active from 1996 to 2003 whose style varied from metalcore to post-hardcore with indie rock influences. History The band was formed in 1997 in the Philadelphia suburbs by brothers Mike and Gary ...

and Taken. Circa Survive quickly made a name for themselves in the

indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, DIY ethic, do-it-yourself approach to r ...

scene in little over two years with their 2005 debut album, ''

Juturna In the myth and religion of ancient Rome, Juturna, or Diuturna, was a goddess of fountains, wells and springs, and the mother of Fontus by Janus. Mythology Juturna was an ancient Latin deity of fountains, who in some myths was turned by Jupit ...

'', and second album, ''

On Letting Go ''On Letting Go'' is the second studio album by American rock band Circa Survive, released on May 29, 2007, through Equal Vision Records. The album was produced by Bryan McTernan and was recorded throughout 2007 at the Salad Days Recording Studio ...

'', released in 2007. Both albums were released on

Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand. The label originally existed solely to ...

. Their third album, '' Blue Sky Noise'', was released via

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

in 2010. After parting ways with Atlantic Records, the band's fourth album, ''

Violent Waves ''Violent Waves'' is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Circa Survive. It was released on August 28, 2012. As Circa Survive wanted a record that would capture the band's live sound, where they felt the magic of the band lay, the ...

'', was released independently in 2012. Their fifth album, '' Descensus'', was released by

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.Hopeless Records Hopeless Records is an American independent record label in Van Nuys, California. History Hopeless Records was founded in 1993 by Louis Posen. The label's artists are generally considered to fall under the genres of punk rock, pop punk, post-ha ...

in October 2017. The band would follow with two EPs on Rise Records: ''A Dream About Love'' in October 2021, and ''A Dream About Death'' in February 2022. The band would then announce an indefinite hiatus in October 2022.

History

Formation and ''The Inuit Sessions'' (2004–2005)

Vocalist Anthony Green left the band

Saosin Saosin is an American rock band formed in Orange County, California in 2003 by Beau Burchell, Justin Shekoski, Zach Kennedy, and Anthony Green. The band released their first EP, ''Translating the Name'', in 2003. That year, vocalist Anthony Gre ...

, in 2004, later noting "the big thing was that I was just scared. I was scared of committing". Green met up with 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

, then recruited Brendan Ekstrom. Ekstrom had been Frangicetto's bandmate in

, 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'' (2005–2006)

'', Circa Survive's first album, was released on April 19, 2005, in the United States and on January 31, 2006, in Japan on

. 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 PureVolume (formerly Unborn Media) was a website for uploading and streaming of music files, the first independently run of its type. PureVolume was created by Unborn Media, Inc; Mitchell Pavao; Brett Woitunski; and Nate Hudson, all from the Univer ...

page, and YouTube page. Shortly before its official release, the album was posted on their MySpace page in its entirety. ''Juturna'' peaked at No. 183 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album was produced by

Brian McTernan Brian McTernan is an American musician and record producer from Baltimore, Maryland. McTernan was the lead vocalist in the hardcore punk band Battery, the guitarist in Ashes, and is the singer in Be Well. In 2009, he was named one of "the 50 m ...

at Salad Days Studios in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. The band drew inspiration for the album from ''

House of Leaves ''House of Leaves'' is the debut novel by American author Mark Z. Danielewski, published in March 2000 by Pantheon Books. A bestseller, it has been translated into a number of languages, and is followed by a companion piece, '' The Whalestoe Le ...

'' and ''

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (also simply known as ''Eternal Sunshine'') is a 2004 American romantic science fiction drama film written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. P ...

''. 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. That concept is speculated by fans to be vaguely about human memories. "Oh, Hello" exemplifies this with its lyrics. The decision to call the album's bonus track that appears after "Meet Me In Montauk" and the silence that follows it at 8:56, "House of Leaves" was more or less a joint one by the band and their fans. Various members of the band have stated that they have read at least some portion of the book over the years since its 2000 release. The album's sound is characterized by its prominent utilization of effects-laden, dual guitar melodies over polyrhythmic percussion. The guitarists' approach to songwriting takes on characteristics of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...

music. The album has since gone on to be considered massively influential to the

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...

community. Members of the band have recently recognized

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra was a Canadian post-rock band that formed in 1999, originating from Montreal, Quebec. Variations of the name used on the band's releases include A Silver Mt. Zion, The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & ...

, and

Godspeed You! Black Emperor Godspeed You! Black Emperor (sometimes abbreviated to GY!BE or Godspeed) is a Canadian post-rock band which originated in Montreal, Quebec in 1994. The group releases recordings through Constellation, an independent record label also located i ...

as influences on the album's sound.

''On Letting Go'' (2007–2008)

'' is Circa Survive's second album. Released on May 29, 2007, by

, 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 Esao Andrews is an American painter, working with oil on wood panels. His work blends Gothic grotesque, erotic and surrealism. Life Andrews was born and grew up in Mesa, Arizona where he attended Red Mountain High School. He designed skateboards ...

designed the artwork and

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." In spring 2008, Circa Survive released an On Letting Go

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

, "1,000 Witnesses", to fans through the charity

Invisible Children ''Invisible Children'' is a 2006 American documentary film that depicts the human rights abuses by the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. Synopsis In the spring of 2003, Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole traveled to Africa to document ...

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 A music store or musical instrument store is a retail business that sells musical instruments and related equipment and accessories. Some music stores sell additional services, such as music lessons, music instrument or equipment rental, or re ...

Siren Records, in

Doylestown, Pennsylvania Doylestown is a borough and the county seat of Bucks County in Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Trenton, north of Center City, Philadelphia, southeast of Allentown, and southwest of New York City. As of the 2020 cen ...

''Blue Sky Noise'' and ''Appendage'' (2008–2010)

After supporting

Thrice Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school. Early in their career, the band was known ...

and

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

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 Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

in February 2009. After that, the band did not tour again until the tentatively planned headlining tour for their forthcoming third album. Anthony Green's growth as a guitarist played a major role on ''Blue Sky Noise'', which the band framed as an entirely "new chapter". On August 3, Circa Survive stated that they had begun recording their third album in Toronto and had chosen

David Bottrill David Bottrill is a Canadian record producer. He has won three Grammys. Formerly, he owned Rattlebox Studios in Toronto, Ontario with producer Brian Moncarz. Moneen, Basia Lyjak, and The Getaway Plan are among the artists to have recorded at th ...

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

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 Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, 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. They posted eight video updates showing some song teases. Studio recording was completed at the end of October 2009 and mixing was completed on February 1, 2010 by

Rich Costey Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling ** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated commun ...

. 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. The album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 11, the band's highest position. On October 18, 2010, Myspace Transmissions released a live EP of the band playing five tracks from ''Blue Sky Noise'' as well as a cover of the

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

song, "Scentless Apprentice". Circa Survive's second EP, ''

Appendage An appendage (or outgrowth) is an external body part, or natural prolongation, that protrudes from an organism's body. In arthropods, an appendage refers to any of the homologous body parts that may extend from a body segment, including anten ...

'', was released on November 30, 2010. It contains five tracks: "Sleep Underground" (Demo), "Stare Like You'll Stay", "Everyway", "Backmask" and "Lazarus".

''Violent Waves'' (2012–2014)

On April 16, 2012, Circa Survive began recording their fourth record, "

". On June 25, 2012, Circa launched the

Pre-Order webpage, officially announcing the album's title and release date, August 28, 2012, along with a new song titled "Suitcase". The band also confirmed that the album would be self-released. On March 3, 2014, it was announced via Pitchfork that Circa Survive would be releasing a 7-inch vinyl record split with the band

Sunny Day Real Estate Sunny Day Real Estate is an American emo/indie rock band from Seattle, formed in 1992. The band currently consists of founding members Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar) and William Goldsmith (drums), alongside Greg Suran (gui ...

for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

2014 (April 19). The split features "Lipton Witch" by Sunny Day Real Estate - their first new song in 14 years - and "Bad Heart" by Circa Survive, a b-side that was recorded after the release of 2012's "Violent Waves" album.

''Descensus'' (2014–2016)

In mid April 2014, Circa Survive once again entered Studio 4 in Conshohocken, PA to record their fifth album with producer/engineer Will Yip. They recorded 11 songs during the sessions and concluded recording by the end of May. On May 19, 2014 during a Saosin interview at Skate and Surf, Anthony Green stated that Circa Survive "have a new record coming out, hopefully in the fall, I mean I fucking shouldn't even say that, probably". On April 19, 2014, the band released a split EP release with Sunny Day Real Estate titled ''Sunny Day Real Estate / Circa Survive Split 7"''. On August 15, 2014, the band announced their signing to

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.Violent Waves ''Violent Waves'' is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Circa Survive. It was released on August 28, 2012. As Circa Survive wanted a record that would capture the band's live sound, where they felt the magic of the band lay, the ...

''. In an Alternative Press interview published in August 2014, Green said, "Well, the next Circa record is done. We’re in the final process of getting the final mixes right now." "It’s definitely the most aggressive Circa record we’ve ever made. It’s the first record of ours I’ve been able to listen to front to back without having that song that I’m like, 'Yeah, I could’ve done better here.' Every song has this moment in it that makes me feel ridiculous. I feel like I just outdid myself. I feel like we did better than we did before." The album, entitled '' Descensus'' was released on November 24, 2014. The album art was once again made by

. On October 27, 2014, the band released the first single and music video from ''Descensus'' titled "Schema". The second single "Only the Sun" was shown on November 5, 2014. Its video features visuals used in the tour for the album with Title Fight,

Tera Melos Tera Melos is an American math rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2004. They incorporate many styles of rock, ambient electronics and unconventional song structures. They are currently a three-piece, consisting of guitarist/keyboard ...

and

Pianos Become the Teeth Pianos Become the Teeth are an American band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2006. Their early musical style has been inspired by post-rock and early screamo acts, and they are a part of a post-hardcore music movement also represented by Tou ...

. In January 2017 the band began a tour to celebrate ten years of 'On Letting Go' with support from

MewithoutYou MewithoutYou, usually styled as mewithoutYou, was an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consisted of Aaron Weiss (vocals), Michael Weiss and Brandon Beaver (guitars), Greg Jehanian (bass guitar), and Rickie Mazzotta ( ...

and Turnover.

''The Amulet'' (2017–2021)

On July 10, 2017 the band announced their next LP '' The Amulet''. Alongside the announcement they released a single titled "Lustration" with accompanying music video. The album was released on September 22, 2017 through

Hopeless Records Hopeless Records is an American independent record label in Van Nuys, California. History Hopeless Records was founded in 1993 by Louis Posen. The label's artists are generally considered to fall under the genres of punk rock, pop punk, post-ha ...

. On August 10, 2017, the band released its second music video single "Rites of Investiture". On August 30, 2017, they released their third and title track single "The Amulet". Shortly before the LP's release on September 14, 2017, the band released its final music video single "Premonition of the Hex". The band announced a co-headlining tour with

, accompanied by

Balance and Composure Balance and Composure was an American alternative rock band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They formed in the winter of 2007, after the breakup of two local Doylestown bands. The band's music was often suggested having similarities to Title Fig ...

and

Chon CHON is a mnemonic acronym for the four most common elements in living organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The acronym CHNOPS, which stands for ''c''arbon, ''h''ydrogen, ''n''itrogen, ''o''xygen, ''p''hosphorus, ''s''ulfur, r ...

, across North America beginning in San Jose on November 2. In October 2018, the band released two songs called "Dark Pools" and "Indras Net" for the upcoming deluxe edition of "The Amulet" on November 2, 2018. As well as a video for the song "Flesh and Bone".

''Two Dreams'' and hiatus (2021–2022)

On June 4, 2021, the band teased a new single during the credits of the ''Live Sky Noise'' livestream. On October 8th, the band would release the single as ''Imposter Syndrome'' and announced an EP coming later that month. On October 22nd, 2021, the band released ''A Dream About Love'', followed by ''A Dream About Death'' on February 4, 2022. These EPs represent a slight departure from the band's established sound, embracing a more electronic approach. On August 30, 2022, the band announced that their members would be transitioning away from Circa Survive as their full-time job, leading to speculation on the band’s future. Green would clarify on his Twitter page that the group had not disbanded. However, on October 18, 2022, the band confirmed they were taking an indefinite hiatus. A statement from the band was shared: On October 19, 2022, Circa Survive announced they would combine both "Dream" EPs and re-release them as the band's seventh studio album titled ''Two Dreams'' due out December 16, 2022. The album release will be accompanied by live session videos.

Influences

According to lead singer Anthony Green, Circa Survive have been influenced by

Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

dredg Dredg (stylized as dredg) is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California. The band's lineup consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer and pianist Dino Campanella. Originally sta ...

, and

. Green cites

as a major influence, with Circa Survive frequently performing covers of Nirvana songs. Green stated that one of his favorite albums is

Mapping an Invisible World ''Mapping an Invisible World'' is a studio album by American indie rock band Days Away. It was released in 2005 on Fueled by Ramen Fueled by Ramen LLC is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by 300 Elektra Enter ...

Days Away Days Away was an American indie rock band based in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, formed in 1998. Biography Days Away formed in 1998 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. When first formed, the group consisted of Keith Goodwin (vocals/guitar), Matt Austin (guit ...

. Throughout their musical career, but particularly with respect to their first album ''

'', the 2004 film ''

'' has been a large influence on Circa Survive. The album's

hidden track In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...

is based on the Mark Z. Danielewski novel ''

'', lending it an unofficial title. Lyrically, their third album '' Blue Sky Noise'' is based on Green's struggles with

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

, with many of the lyrics written during his voluntary three-week stay in a mental health facility.

Band members

Current members * Anthony Green -

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

Colin Frangicetto Colin Frangicetto (born July 3, 1981) is a musician and painter from Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He is currently one of two guitarists in the experimental rock outfit Circa Survive, sole musician in Psychic Babble and previously in the band This D ...

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

*Brendan Ekstrom -

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

*Nick Beard - bass,

*Steve Clifford -

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

Session/touring members * Keith Goodwin - keyboards (2021-2022)

Touring and performing

Circa Survive has toured on several occasions, including national tours within the United States. They toured in winter 2005 with

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mi ...

and

. That summer they co-headlined a tour. Circa Survive has also opened for

Mutemath Mutemath (sometimes styled as MuteMath or MUTEMATH) is an American alternative rock project founded by American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Paul Meany. Originally co-founded as a band with Darren King in 2002, Me ...

Mae Mae is an American rock band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience", based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University. Histor ...

and

Dredg Dredg (stylized as dredg) is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California. The band's lineup consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer and pianist Dino Campanella. Originally sta ...

on each of their headlining tours. Circa Survive played

The Bamboozle The Bamboozle is an annual three-day music festival which was held in New Jersey from 2003 to 2012, and is scheduled for a 2023 revival by its founder. Every year, new bands competed for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the ...

festival in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. They also played a few dates on The

Vans Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...

in 2005. In early 2006, they embarked on a tour of Europe with

Coheed and Cambria Coheed and Cambria are an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The band consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), an ...

and

, after having previously completed a tour in September 2005 with

Motion City Soundtrack Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Courtney Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew ...

. They also toured with

Saves The Day Saves the Day is an American Rock music, rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, and bassist Rodrigo Palma. After forming under the nam ...

Moneen Moneen (sometimes stylised as .moneen.) is a Canadians, Canadian indie rock band from Brampton, Ontario. History Moneen formed in 1999 after the dissolution of another band, called Perfectly Normal. The founding members were singer/guitarist Ke ...

and

Pistolita Pistolita was an indie rock band from San Diego, California. They previously toured as an opening act for bands such as Brand New and Saves the Day, and were featured on the Volcom Stage at Warped Tour 2006. Pistolita was a nominee for Best Al ...

. In summer 2006, they embarked on their first headlining tour, ''The Twilight Army Tour'', with

The Receiving End of Sirens The Receiving End of Sirens was an American rock band from Belchertown, Massachusetts, United States. Formed in 2003, the band broke up in 2008 then briefly reunited in 2010. On February 18, 2020, the band announced a brief reunion tour. Overv ...

, Portugal. The Man, YouInSeries and Keating. Then in fall 2006, they went on tour with

Thursday Thursday is the Names of the days of the week, day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fi ...

Rise Against Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...

and

Billy Talent Billy Talent is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup change ...

. The band also played on the

Rockstar Rock Star or Rockstar may refer to: Films * ''Rock Star'' (2001 film), an American film starring Mark Wahlberg * ''Rockstar'' (2011 film), an Indian Hindi-language film by Imtiaz Ali * ''Rockstar'' (2015 film), an Indian Malayalam-language fi ...

Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...

Tour headlining with

Cute Is What We Aim For Cute Is What We Aim For is an American rock band from Buffalo, New York. The band formed in 2005 and has since released two albums: '' The Same Old Blood Rush with a New Touch'' and ''Rotation''. The band was previously signed with record label ...

, and with supporting act

As Tall As Lions As Tall As Lions were an indie rock band from Long Island, New York. History High school friends Dan Nigro (lead vocals & guitars), Saen Fitzgerald (guitar, keyboards, & percussion), Brian Fortune (guitars & keyboards) and Cliff Sarcona (drums ...

. In April 2007, Circa Survive played at the Coachella arts and music festival in

Indio, California Indio (Spanish language, Spanish for "Indian") is a city in Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, Califo ...

. In summer 2007, the band played the entire

alongside bands such as

The Used The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, that formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden Stei ...

Anberlin Anberlin is an American alternative rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band consists of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, an ...

and

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...

. Circa Survive opened for My Chemical Romance's 2007 shows in

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

and Australian and New Zealand shows as well. Circa Survive opened as the main support for

Thirty Seconds to Mars Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Leto (drums, pe ...

September 14, 2007, at the Brixton Academy. Circa Survive completed touring with

Ours One Union of Regional Staff (OURS) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. The union was formed in early 2010 by the merger of the Derbyshire Group Staff Union and the Cheshire Group Staff Union. It organises former Derbyshire Building Soc ...

, Fear Before, with Dear and the Headlights and

The Dear Hunter The Dear Hunter is an American progressive rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a member of the Receiving End of Sirens, before becoming his main band in 2006. The band's s ...

in November, 2007. On New Year's Eve 2007 they had a coming home show with Thursday and

The Gaslight Anthem The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), ...

played at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band is in the

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

2008 Tour with

Madina Lake Madina Lake is an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 2005. The band released their debut album, ''From Them, Through Us, to You'', through Roadrunner Records on March 27, 2007. Madina Lake won Best Intern ...

and

Fightstar Fightstar are a British rock band from London that formed in 2003. The band is composed of lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and co-vocalist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi. Generally c ...

. It was announced on January 24, 2008, that Circa Survive would be going on a spring 2008 tour with

and

. Circa Survive is known to add humor and props to their live concerts. Anthony Green frequently wears dresses to outdoor music festivals, most notably

in 2006 and The

in 2007. The band's on Letting Go tour included a silent film projected above the band. 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 Good Old War is an American indie folk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, featuring former members of Days Away. History Good Old War is made up of Keith Goodwin, Tim Arnold, and Dan Schwartz. The band's name comes from the last ...

and The Christmas Lights. The band performed at the annual

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

festival in Austin, Texas, from March 18 to 24. They also performed in Anaheim at the Hoodwink Festival on March 26 and at

on March 27. One month later, following the release of ''Blue Sky Noise'' on April 20, Circa Survive embarked on an extended tour with

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 Middle Class Rut, also known as MC Rut, is an American alternative rock band duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Zack Lopez and vocalist/drummer Sean Stockham. They were formed in Sacramento, California in December 2006. After several EP's, in ...

, 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. They then went on their U.S. ''Blue Sky Noise'' tour with

Animals as Leaders Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent band ...

and

Codeseven Codeseven was formed in 1995 as a melodic hardcore band in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Their first "official" release (their actual first release was called ''Paper or Plastic'' 996 released through a small Winston-Salem-based label called H ...

. The tour began on October 15, 2010 in Hartford, Connecticut, and concluded on December 13 in Bakersfield, California. They begin touring with

and

Foxy Shazam Foxy Shazam is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio formed in 2004. , the band's lineup consists of lead vocalist Eric Nally, pianist Sky White, trumpeter and backing vocalist Alex Nauth, bassist Trigger Warning, guitarist Devin Williams a ...

in January 2011. On February 17, 2011, Circa Survive performed with Timeout Jimmy at the Rutgers Student Center at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They also opened for

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...

during the A Thousand Suns Tour for their shows in Dallas and Houston, Texas. Circa Survive toured with

as their opening act along with

Architects An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. Both bands opened for

for the North American leg of The World Contamination Tour. Circa Survive went on their ''Violent Waves'' tour, which began on September 13, 2012 in New Haven, Connecticut, and ended on October 27, 2012 in Sayreville, New Jersey.

O'Brother O'Brother is an American rock band from Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulto ...

, and

Touché Amoré Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band consists of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. Among other ...

went along as their opening acts. They had 33 shows for this tour. After 6, they played in Atlanta, Georgia for the Nervous Energies Session. They then continued the Violent Waves tour. They had 2 Record Release shows for the new album, both in August. In April 2013, Circa Survive toured Malaysia, Singapore and the Pulp Summer Slam XIII "Til Death Do Us Part" rock festival in Manila, Philippines, on April 27, 2013. The Manila concert featured Circa Survive along with Dragonforce, Amoral, Cannibal Corpse, Coheed and Cambria, As I Lay Dying, A Skylit Drive and 4 local Filipino bands. On April 26, 2013 Circa Survive attended a press conference with Dragonforce and Amoral to promote the Manila rock festival. Circa Survive announced that they would be co-headlining with

Minus the Bear Minus the Bear was an American indie rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2001, and comprising members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound was described as " Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophisticated ...

, along with opening act

Now, Now Now, Now, formerly known as Now, Now Every Children, is an American indie rock duo formed in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, and based in Minneapolis. The band is composed of Cacie Dalager (vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Bradley Hale (drums, ba ...

, in the "Waves Overhead" tour. This tour began March 6, 2013, and ended March 30, 2013. On October 16, 2013, Circa Survive announced a special end-of-the-year show on Saturday, December 28, 2013 at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles. The band will be "playing an extended set of favorites from all of our albums, along with a few rarities and special guests" and will be filming the show for release in 2014. The show was released on DVD included with the

reissue released by

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.Balance and Composure Balance and Composure was an American alternative rock band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They formed in the winter of 2007, after the breakup of two local Doylestown bands. The band's music was often suggested having similarities to Title Fig ...

again and Chon. On October 11, 2016, the band announced their On Letting Go Ten Year Anniversary Tour with

and Turnover. On this tour, the band's setlist was composed of the songs from On Letting Go, in the same order as they are presented on the album, interspersed with B-sides and unreleased songs from the writing process.

Discography

* ''

'' (2005) * ''

'' (2007) * '' Blue Sky Noise'' (2010) * ''

'' (2012) * '' Descensus'' (2014) * '' The Amulet'' (2017) * ''Two Dreams'' (2022)

Music videos

*"Act Appalled" (live montage) (2005) from ''

'' *"Act Appalled" (2006) from ''Juturna'' *"In Fear And Faith" (live montage) (2006) from ''Juturna'' *"The Difference Between Medicine and Poison Is in the Dose" (2007) from ''

'' *"Get Out" (Live Montage) (2010) from '' Blue Sky Noise'' *"Imaginary Enemy" (2010) from ''Blue Sky Noise'' *"Suitcase" (2012) from ''Violent Waves'' *"Sharp Practice" (2012) from ''Violent Waves'' *"Schema" (2014) from ''Descensus'' *"Only the Sun" (2014) from "Descensus" *"Child Of The Desert" (2015) from ''Descensus'' *"Lustration" (2017) from ''The Amulet'' *"Rites of Investiture" (2017) from ''The Amulet'' *"The Amulet" (2017) from ''The Amulet'' *"Premonition of the Hex" (2017) from ''The Amulet'' *"Flesh and Bone" (2018) from ''The Amulet'' *"Imposter Syndrome" (2021) from ''A Dream About Love'' EP *"Electric Moose" (2022) from ''A Dream About Death'' EP

Equipment

Guitar Rig & Signal Flow

* Brendan Ekstrom plays Melancon hand made guitars which are located near New Orleans U.S.A. * A detailed gear diagram of Brendan Ekstrom's 2011 Circa Survive guitar rig is well-documented.Cooper, Adam (March 12, 2011)
"Brendan Ekstrom's 2011 Circa Survive Guitar Rig"
GuitarGeek.Com.

References

External links

*
The Circa Board (Message Board)
{{Authority control Musical groups from Philadelphia Indie rock musical groups from Pennsylvania Musical quintets Equal Vision Records artists Musical groups established in 2004 2004 establishments in Pennsylvania Sumerian Records artists Hopeless Records artists Rise Records artists