CUB hosted its Welcome Back Concert, featuring Circa Survive and Maps and Atlases in Kendal Hallon Friday, January 25th. Though both bands have a drastically different musical style, they ignited the crowd with their unique spark and resonant energy. I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to the two bands prior to their show to discuss their music and find out more about who they really were. Maps and Atlases’ lead vocals, Dave Davison, shed some light for HerCampus.
HC: “How would youdescribe your music?”
DD:“Zesty and tangy [laughs]. When people generally ask we’ll say that we’reexperimental pop, or progressive rock/pop. We definitely take influence from progressive rock and we listen to pop and rock from the radio so I think it is definitely indicative to our approach to music. We start from a basic song, working in a pop context and then we try to explore different avenues for the song to go down.”
HC: “You have an interesting style that some have not heard before that is very unique. Was this a sort of middle-ground for the band to come together and play?”
DD: “We all came from many different styles, but collectively, we wanted to make rhythmic music. So through the plucking of the strings as opposed to playing chords all the time, we have a lot of opportunity for variation and experimentation.”
HC: “The band formed back in college. Do you have any advice for those who are rocking with their friends in college, hoping to one day make it in the music industry?”
DD:“Well, we didn’t play too many events at our college, but when we play at shows and festivals with all these great bands, there will be these college bands playing also and I think if college bands can take advantage of those kinds of fun and cool gigs, and the community of people around school, I think that would be a great opportunity.”
Afterwards, I chatted with Anthony Green (singer/songwriter) and Brendan Ekstrom(guitarist) from Circa Survive to discuss their new album and what’s been going on over the last year. As many have heard, the band felt it was time to drop their label and produce Violent Waves independently, which Anthony discussed.
AG: “It really wasn’t much different. As an independent endeavor we all felt a little closer to it. But I think as you keep going you get closer to each album as well. With the direction the band is going, I think we’re starting to get to know what we’re capable of without anyone who’s financially funding us hanging out back there just waiting there making sure there’s something to sell.”
HC:”As a band you’ve undergone a lot of changes. Do you see these changes reflected in your writing and music whether intentionally or unintentionally?”
AG:“I feel like you can’t avoid what’s going around you and it ends up making its way into the music. As much as I don’t like talking about what the songs are about, some are directly related to the people in our lives, and it’s been the same with every album.”
HC: ”So, when you write songs do you prefer that they a mysterious air where still resonates what you’re going through and still reach out to the rest of your audience?”
AG:“I think the goal is to make sense out of something, but also make it mean something more than putting a stamp on the lyric. It’s aboutwriting something that can be interpreted any way you want to and mean something for everyone. I’m sure that throughout history there have been people who have thought that certain songs have meant something else but it’s almost not important. It’s important to be able to take two things from an idea or lyric.”
Both Circa and Maps and Atlases enthralled the students here at TCNJ with a wonderful performance, and it was a pleasure meeting the bands that are so dedicated to their music and playing for their fans.