Circa Survive was 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 Wale ...

band from

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, that formed in 2004. Founded by singer Anthony Green and guitarist Colin Frangicetto, the band consisted of former members from This Day Forward 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 a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties afforded by in ...

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 ...

'', and second album, '' On Letting Go'', 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, the singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand. Initially, the label existed sol ...

. Their third album, ''

Blue Sky Noise ''Blue Sky Noise'' is the third studio album by American rock band Circa Survive, released on April 20, 2010 through Atlantic Records. It serves as the band's first release after departing from Equal Vision Records, and is a follow-up to their s ...

'', 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 the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

in 2010. After parting ways with Atlantic Records, the band's fourth album, '' Violent Waves'', was released independently in 2012. Their fifth album, '' Descensus'', was released by

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American 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 Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...

: ''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. Anthony Green would later confirm a permanent disbandment in May 2025, by responding "yes" to a now-deleted Threads post asking if Circa was over.

History

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

Vocalist Anthony Green left the band

Saosin Saosin ( or ) is an American rock band formed in 2003 in Orange County, California. The group originally consisted of Beau Burchell, Justin Shekoski, Zach Kennedy and Anthony Green. They released their debut EP, '' Translating the Name'', i ...

, 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 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'' (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 Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...

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 ...

at Salad Days Studios in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. 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 ...

'' and ''

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' is a 2004 American surrealist science fiction romantic drama film directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman from a story by Gondry, Kaufman, and Pierre Bismuth. Starring Jim Carrey a ...

''. 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

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

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. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...

community. Members of the band have recently recognized

King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...

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 voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

, Thee 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 collective that originated in Montreal, Quebec in 1994. The group releases recordings through Constellation Records (Canada), Constellation, an in ...

as influences on the album's sound.

''On Letting Go'' (2007–2008)

'' On Letting Go'' 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 record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

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

Invisible Children ''Invisible Children'' is a 2006 American documentary film which 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 docum ...

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 Doylestown is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the borough population was 8,300. Doylestown is located northwest of Trent ...

''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 ...

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 List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

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 (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...

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, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

, 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 Richard Costey is an American music producer, mixer, and engineer. He has worked with musicians across genres including rock, indie, pop, hip-hop, and electronica. Notable collaborators include Fiona Apple, Vampire Weekend, Foo Fighters, Sig ...

. On February 16, 2010, they announced their new album would be titled ''

'', 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 Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

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 such as an arm or a leg. Protrusions from single-celled bacteria and archaea are known as cell-surface appendages or surface app ...

'', 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, " Violent Waves". On June 25, 2012, Circa launched the Violent Waves 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 band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992. The band currently consists of founding members Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar) and William Goldsmith (drums), alongside Greg Suran ...

for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...

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 record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.Violent Waves''. 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 Title Fight is an American rock band from Kingston, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. They released three studio albums —''Shed'' (2011), '' Floral Green'' (2012), and '' Hyperview'' (2015) — gradually shifting from a hardcore punk–oriented s ...

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 founding member ...

and

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

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

MewithoutYou MewithoutYou, usually stylized 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 Mazzott ...

and

Turnover Turnover or turn over may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Turn Over'', a 1988 live album by Japanese band Show-Ya * Turnover (band), an American rock band * "Turnover", a song on Fugazi's 1990 album ''Repeater'' * ''Turnover'', a Japa ...

''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 is an American emo band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They formed in the winter of 2007, after the breakup of two local Doylestown bands. The band's musical style has been compared those of Nirvana and fellow Pennsylvania ...

and

Chon CHNOPS and CHON are mnemonic acronyms for the most common elements in living organisms. "CHON" stands for carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, which together make up more than 95 percent of the mass of biological systems. "CHNOPS" adds ...

, 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 8, the band would release the single as ''Imposter Syndrome'' and announced an EP coming later that month. On October 22, 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 frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

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 Days Away was an American indie rock band based in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, formed in 1998. Biography Days Away formed in 1998 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. ...

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 (gui ...

. 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 ''

'' is based on Green's struggles with

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

, 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 the ...

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 ...

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

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 us ...

*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 Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

*Steve Clifford -

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

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 is an American Rock music, rock band from New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. They are considered one of ...

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, ...

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

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

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. They also played a few dates on The

Vans Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a touring rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music festival in the United S ...

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

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

and

, after having previously completed a tour in September 2005 with

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

. They also toured with Saves The Day,

Moneen Moneen (sometimes stylised as .moneen.) is a 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 Kenny Bridges ...

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 (band), Brand New and Saves the Day, and were featured on the Volcom Stage at Warped Tour 2006. Pistolita was a n ...

. 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 (abbreviated TREOS) is an American rock band from Belchertown, Massachusetts, United States. Formed in 2003, the band broke up in 2008 then briefly reunited in 2010; a 2020 reunion tour was canceled. In December 2024, ...

Portugal. The Man Portugal. The Man is an Alaskan rock band from Wasilla, Alaska and based in Portland, Oregon. The group consists of John Baldwin Gourley, Zach Carothers, Kyle O'Quin, Eric Howk and Zoe Manville. Gourley and Carothers met and began playing music t ...

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

Thursday Thursday is the 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 fifth day of the week. Name Th ...

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. Rise Against's mu ...

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

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 r ...

Tour headlining with

Cute Is What We Aim For Cute Is What We Aim For was an American pop-punk band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 2005, they have released two albums: ''The Same Old Blood Rush with a New Touch'' (2006) and ''Rotation (Cute Is What We Aim For album), Rotation'' (2008). ...

, and with supporting act

As Tall As Lions As Tall as Lions were an indie rock band formed in 2001 from the Massapequa, New York, Massapequa neighborhood of Long Island, New York (state), New York. History High school friends Dan Nigro (lead vocals & guitars), Saen Fitzgerald (guitar, ...

. 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, United States, in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. Indio is approximately east of Los Angeles, east of Palm Springs, ...

. In summer 2007, the band played the entire

alongside bands such as

The Used The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, formed in 2000. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden Steinec ...

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, ...

and

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band, 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 sensibilities and ...

. 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, Engl ...

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 music, rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Let ...

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

Ours Ours may refer to: People * Ours (singer), a French singer and songwriter. * Wes Ours (born 1977), an American football player Music * Ours (band), an American rock group Songs * "Ours" (song), by Taylor Swift, 2011 * "Ours", a song by Ed Sh ...

Fear Before Fear Before (originally known as Fear Before the March of Flames) was an American post-hardcore band formed in Aurora, Colorado. As stated in their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline about the ...

, with

Dear and the Headlights Dear(s) or The Dears may refer to: Manga * ''Dear'' (manga), a 2002–2007 Japanese manga series by Cocoa Fujiwara * '' DearS'', a 2002–2005 Japanese manga series by Peach-Pit, and a 2004 anime series and visual novel *'' Dear+'', a Japanese m ...

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, piano), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing ...

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

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...

2008 Tour with

Madina Lake Madina Lake is an American 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 International Ne ...

and

Fightstar Fightstar were 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. Genera ...

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

and

. Circa Survive has been known to incorporate other visual elements to performances. Anthony Green frequently wore 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 ''

'' 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 l ...

and The Christmas Lights. The band performed at the annual

SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

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. Since 2012, the band has consisted of Tosin Abasi (lead guitar), Javier Reyes (rhythm guitar), and Matt Garstka (drums), having originated in 2007 as a ...

and

Codeseven Codeseven is a melodic post-hardcore band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Formed in 1995, their first "official" release (their actual first release was called ''Paper or Plastic'' 996 released through a small Winston-Salem-based label call ...

. 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 Existential Youth, guitarist Devin William ...

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

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

in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They also opened for

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...

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, Georgia. History After releasing their debut EP, ''In Comparison to Me'', in 2006, Aaron Wamack and Tanner Merritt joined the band in 2008. A second EP, ''The Death of Day'' was released on Ma ...

, and

Touché Amoré Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. Since 2010, the band has consisted of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Ba ...

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 are an American indie rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2001, and comprising members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound has been described as " Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophi ...

, 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 and based in Minneapolis. The band consists of Cacie Dalager (vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Bradley Hale (drums, backing vocals). Hi ...

, 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 The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, an ...

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 Violent Waves reissue released by

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American 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 is an American emo band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They formed in the winter of 2007, after the breakup of two local Doylestown bands. The band's musical style has been compared those of Nirvana and fellow Pennsylvania ...

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

and

. 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) * '' On Letting Go'' (2007) * ''

'' (2010) * '' Violent Waves'' (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 '' On Letting Go'' *"Get Out" (Live Montage) (2010) from ''

'' *"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 American musical quintets Equal Vision Records artists Musical groups established in 2004 2004 establishments in Pennsylvania Sumerian Records artists Hopeless Records artists Rise Records artists Emo musical groups from Pennsylvania American emo musical groups