Circa Survive

Circa Survive

Circa Survive is an experimental rock band consisting of vocalist Anthony Green and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward. They have released two albums since 2005 and are currently writing material for a third that is due to be released in 2009.

History

Formation

After going back to his hometown of Philadelphia for a dentist appointment and to visit his girlfriend Melissa, Anthony Green went to the airport to return to California to work with the band Saosin, where he was their lead singer. However, while on a layover in Phoenix, he suddenly had an epiphany - despite the fact that Saosin was close to breaking out, he knew he would be miserable if he returned. When asked about his decision to leave Saosin he stated, "I left primarily because I didn't want to sign to a major label in that band." Anthony Green also stated that another reason for leaving Saosin was because he was very homesick and missing his family. 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. Colin Frangicetto and Anthony 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, previous bassist of Taken, as Circa Survive's next member. The band met Steve 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," says Frangicetto.

The Inuit Sessions

Circa Survive released their first 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

Juturna, Circa Survive's debut album, was released on April 29, 2005 in the United States and January 31, 2006 in Japan on Equal Vision Records. It was 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 reached #138 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.

On Letting Go

On Letting Go is Circa Survive's sophomore album. Released on May 29, 2007, by Equal Vision Records, the album debuted at #24 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 24,000 copies in its first week. As of July 11, 2007, it has sold 51,357 copies in the U.S. alone.

The album was named "On Letting Go" because the band felt that they could somehow let go of all the emotion that they face every day , not to mention that lyrically the album deals heavily with the emotional barriers we all face daily, and the damage done if we refuse to "let go" of our inhibitions and insecurities. As with previous albums, Esao Andrews designed the artwork and Brian McTernan produced the album. The band's sound didn't radically change with this release - still it was polished and refined, with guitars and drums much tighter (but still meandering when needed to,) bass more prominent, and lyrically the band "...evokes an era when hazy lyricism and reckless introspection were prerequisites for legitimacy and timelessness."

In the Spring of 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 home to Philadelphia to write for the currently untitled follow up record to On Letting Go, tentatively due out in Spring 2009 (according to a recent Alternative Press article.) A short leg of shows in the Eastern U.S. occurred in late 2008 and four shows are planned in So Cal this February; after that the band will not hit the road again until the tentatively planned headlining tour for their forthcoming third album. They have been recently posting videos on their websites, showing snips of the process of working on the next album. Anthony Green's growth as a guitarist will be playing a major role on the new album, which the band has framed as an entirely "new chapter."

Touring and performing

Circa Survive has toured on several occasions, including national tours within the United States of America. They toured in the winter of 2005 with My Chemical Romance and Thrice. That summer they co-headlined a tour. Circa Survive has also opened for Mae and Dredg on each of their headlining runs. Circa Survive played The Bamboozle festival in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 in New Jersey. They also played a few dates on The Vans Warped Tour in 2005. In early 2006, they took 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 the summer of 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 of 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 of 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, MA and Australian and New Zealand shows also. 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. News Year's Eve 2007 brought a coming home show with Thursday and The Gaslight Anthem played at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ.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 according to Thrice's website - Live Photos from Tour. During Circa Survive's tour with Thrice and Pelican , Anthony Green mentioned that they would be working on songs for a new album this summer; the band also played several alternate/extended versions of their songs.

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 in 2007. On their Summer 2006 Twilight Army Tour, the band threw glowing fluorescent beach balls into the crowd. The band's On Letting Go tour included a silent film projected above the band.

Gear

Brendan Ekstrom
Guitars: Melancon Pro Artist T
Pedals: Barber Tone Press, Boss Tuner, TR-2 Tremolo, RV-5 Digital Reverb, PS-3 Pitch Shifter/Delay, PS-5 Super Shifter and DD-20 Giga Delay, Durham Electronics Mucho Busto and Sex Drive; Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus; Ernie Ball Wah; Ibanez Tube Screamer; Line 6 Verbzilla, DL4 and Echo Park; MXR Phas 90
Amps: Bad Cat Custom 100 and Sommatone The Outlaw, custom rack mounted with Sommatone 2x12 cab

Colin Frangicetto
Guitars: Fender American Deluxe Telecaster
Pedals: Boss Tuner, NS-2 Noise Suppressor, OC-3 Super Octave, PS-3 Pitch/Shifter Delay, RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay and PS-5 Super Shifter; Ibanez TS7 Tube Screamer and DE7 Delay/Echo; Line 6 Echo Park and POD XT
Amps: Marshall DSL100 JCM2000 and Sommatone Roaring 40, custom rack mounted with Sommatone 2x12 cab Strings: SIT .011-.052

Discography

Albums

Year	Title	Label	U.S. Billboard peak
2005	Juturna	Equal Vision Records	#183
2007	On Letting Go	Equal Vision Records	#24
2009	TBA	TBA

EPs

Year	Title	Label
2005	The Inuit Sessions EP	Equal Vision Records

Singles

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
2008	"Living Together"

Compilation tracks

• Equal Vision Records Summer Sampler – 2004 (2004) – "Handshakes At Sunrise"
• Equal Vision Records Winter Sampler – 2004 (2004) – "Handshakes At Sunrise" (Alt. Version)
• Equal Vision Records Presents New Sounds Vol. 2 – 2005 (2005) – "Act Appalled", "The Great Golden Baby"
• Equal Vision Records Summer Sampler (Digital Sampler) – 2005 (2005) – "The Great Golden Baby"
• Equal Vision Records Spring Sampler (Digital Sampler) – 2006 (2006) – "Act Appalled"
• Equal Vision Records Summer Sampler (Digital Sampler) – 2007 (2007) – "The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is in the Dose"

Unreleased tracks

• "Julian (Acoustic)"
• "Miracle Sun (released)"
• "1,000 Witnesses (On Letting Go B-Side)"
• "The Most Dangerous Commercials (On Letting Go B-Side)"

• Note: "Julian" was played at EVR headquarters in New York.
• Note: "Miracle Sun" studio recording was streamed via Equal Vision Records Summer Sampler (Digital Sampler) – 2007 . Anthony Green has recorded and released a version of this song on his solo album Avalon.
• Note: "1,000 Witnesses" was made available exclusively for the Invisible Children benefit.
• Note: "The Most Dangerous Commercials" was made available exclusively by donating to help move Siren Records located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Music videos

• "Act Appalled" (Live Montage) (2005) from Juturna
• "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 On Letting Go

External links

• Official website
• Template:MySpace
• Template:PureVolume
• Synthesis.net July, 2007 Podcast Interview with Anthony Green of Circa Survive
• Circa Survive interview on Rockmidgets.com
• Circa Survive Live Show Photos at TheGrixer.com
• Circa Survive Video from 2007 Warped Tour
• Interview with mplsscene.com
• Anthony Green interview with mplsscene.com
• "In Fear and Faith" artist commentary
• Live Photos from Tour with Thrice 2008