Pennsylvania based indie/alternative rock act Circa Survive had a very different way of going about it, as vocalist and main man Anthony Green explains from his home just outside Philadelphia. “Well the band name came out of a deep, meditative, conscious brainstorming session that Colin [Frangicetto, guitarist] and I had,” he says. “It’s very difficult to describe, but he and I saw the future, and we knew that that was the name of the band. We just knew it was right, we saw it.”
So is the word ‘survive’ a philosophical part of the idea of the name, as in, the band is going to survive and prosper in the face of tough times for musicians, and harsh times in general?
“I definitely think that that’s part of it,” he agrees. “That’s usually how we remember things in our lives, the times that we got through things, and how we got through them. Maybe a sense of accomplishment at the end. So I definitely can relate to that type of metaphor.”
The five-piece arrive in Australia very shortly for the massive Soundwave tour, a tour which Anthony and the band have been savouring since their last trip Down Under, which was all the way back in 2007 in support of My Chemical Romance.
“I’m so excited to come over for Soundwave,” he enthuses. “It’s been too long, it’s been five years or something like that since we’ve been over there. It’s absolutely freezing here! I can’t wait to get into that climate!
“We have to be invited,” he explains, regarding the lengthy time in between Aussie tours for the band. “When you try to come over on your own, financially it’s a difficult thing to do. I think we kind of need to sit down next time we tour and figure how we can best utilise our resources so that we can get to more places like Australia, Europe and Japan. It’s a long way, it’s expensive, and times are really tough for musicians, so you kind of have to do what you can do. But we are so honoured to be invited to play Soundwave, it’s a great opportunity.”
With such a long time in between drinks for the band, it’s a fair bet that most of the punters heading to Soundwave will not have seen the band in action, so Green was keen to let us know what we’re in for with a Circa Survive live set.
“I mean, we’re a band who’s super proud of who we are,” he states. “I think it shows when we play. There’s a lot of energy in our music and I feel that it explodes when we play live, so I’m really excited to feel that energy, and the crowd again in Australia.”
Beyond the Soundwave tour, the band have a new album in the works, their fourth long player, although not before another highly important event occurs in Green’s life.
“We’ve kind of extended the time, because I found out I was having a baby in May,” he informs us. “We were excited about going back into the studio, but I feel that I want that extra time, and spend those couple of months with my family, and we should put the record out shortly after that.
“It’s too early to say,” he says, regarding the direction that the new music is taking, “just ’cause we haven’t really started putting the pieces together in a way where we’ll get a sense of it. Some of the songs are a little bit more heavy. Some of them have a new wave feel to them. There’s a very eclectic vibe happening to the songs, and I feel like they’re going to come together in the next couple of months, and really relate to each other.”
As far as the longer term future is concerned, Green has intense trepidation when it comes to looking too far ahead. “I don’t know! I mean, I have hopes and I have goals but…I’m turning 30 this year. I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen, it’s fuckin’ scary as shit. I hope the band can put out more records. I don’t want to stop putting out records or touring, and hopefully I can find a balance [between band and family]. But having people ask me that question over and over again, it’s fuckin scary!”
BY ROD WHITFIELD
