Circuline

“Cinematic….refined…..polished…..smooth as silk…..not what you usually hear from a first album…..” – Marty Dorfman (AKA The Prog Doctor), House of Prog - Marty Dorfman on House of Prog

They began as a tribute act to the greats of prog – now, they’re forging their own future.

“My first introduction to real prog was in 2004, when a friend handed me the Yes Symphonic Live DVD,” says Circuline keyboard player and vocalist Andrew Colyer.

“I watched that DVD and I thought my head was going to explode – this is how it’s supposed to be. I knew in that moment that prog was going to be my life path; it has the grandeur of classical music, the power of rock, and the harmonic and rhythmic sophistication of jazz.”

Classically trained at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, Colyer is the mastermind behind Circuline, a group whose origins lie in Downing Grey, a tribute act devoted not to any single band, but to the titans of progressive rock. “We covered nine bands in one night: Emerson Lake & Palmer, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Rush, UK, and Yes,” he says.

“In Circuline, our style has definitely been informed by those bands, but we as a group also love jazz fusion, classical, modern rock, and movie soundtracks.”

The original core of Colyer, guitarist Bill Shannon (who has now left) and drummer Darin Brannon were joined by vocalist Billy Spillane from Led Zeppelin tribute No Quarter, and Natalie Brown.

“Natalie and I met in January 2013, when she was looking for a keyboard player,” says Colyer. “Billy came over to Natalie’s house one night and we found out we could sing harmonies like Crosby, Stills & Nash. I suggested to the Downing Grey guys that we have Natalie join as a back-up singer to do the Pink Floyd ‘riffing’ vocal parts on Brain Damage. When we formed Circuline, Billy agreed to join the band as long as Natalie agreed to be co-lead vocalist. After she happily agreed, we had our band.”

Their debut album, Return, was recorded in three different studios dotted around New York State, with guest contributions from Sound Of Contact’s Matt Dorsey on bass, vocalist Randy McStine from Lo-Fi Resistance, and a violin solo by Joe Deninzon of Stratospheerius.

Making the album required climbing a steep learning curve, explains Colyer. “As a new band, the members of which had disparate personalities, we had to learn how to work together to write and record an album. We probably disagreed the most during the mixing process, because everyone wants to hear his part the loudest.”

Work is well under way for the follow-up – working title Counterpoint – which is scheduled for release next March.

Asked what they learned making their debut that they are bringing to their second record, Colyer replies, “How to properly mic and record guitars and drums. Also, our process is greatly streamlined and much faster. We’re much better at capturing our ideas, keeping them organised, and hopefully putting things together.

“We are continuing to evolve as writers, but it’s hard to be objective during the process. All I can tell you is that we are really excited every day that we leave the studio. More than that, you’ll all have to be the judge.”

Current line-up: Andrew Colyer (keyboards/vocals/sound design), Darin Brannon (drums/percussion/keyboards), William “Billy” Spillane (lead vocals/guitar), Natalie Brown (lead vocals), Paul Ranieri (bass/bass pedals)

Sounds like: Take a generous handful of Yes, add a heaped tablespoon of the grandeur of Gentle Giant, sprinkle with the chops of Porcupine Tree, cook on gas mark 6 for 40 minutes until piping hot

Current release: "Return" is out now from Inner Nova

Website: http://www.CirculineMusic.com - PROG Magazine (UK) - Issue 60

Progression Magazine‘s Fall 2015 issue gives a four star review (our of five) to Circuline’s debut album, and features the Sonic Voyage Fest! Included in the write-up are Andrew Colyer, David Mercado, Joe Deninzon, Natalie Brown, William Spillane, and triple-threat bassist Paul Ranieri. Circuline, Shadow Eden, and Stratospheerius founded the Sonic Voyage Fest in May 2015. Special thanks to John Collinge for the feature! - Progression Magazine (U.S.) - Fall 2015

“Excellent vocals…..a variety of unpredictable moods, tempos, and atmospheres…..a nice balance of instrumentals and songs…..tasty keyboard solos…..nice guitar…..YES-like rhythm section…..exciting Porcupine-Tree-like…..a great debut album!” - Classic Rock Society (UK) - Issue 210

Circuline have released a video for the title track from their debut album titled Return with Prog.

It was filmed earlier this year at the Bearsville Theatre, New York, when the band opened for Glass Hammer. Additional footage was taken from their appearance at the Enigma Dance Hall in Milan, New York.

Vocalist and keyboardist Andrew Colyer says: “Return was the first song that drummer Darin Brannon, guitarist Bill Shannon and I wrote for the debut album.

“We spent a long time working out all of the different parts, whittling and editing until everyone was satisfied.” - TeamRock / PROG Magazine (UK) - Online

“Beautiful, soaring melodies, incredible musicianship, classical harmonies, peaceful orchestration, a certain jazziness and all round class, this debut album from new group CIRCULINE encompasses a wide range of styles and genres of music, mixing them with classic progressive rock in the vein of YES and PINK FLOYD to create a polished and beautiful sound. Mixing high levels of musical education, with experience from musical theatre, jazz ensembles and performing in classic prog tribute acts, these musicians have the pedigree to create great music in the vein of the classics.”

“Opening with the hopeful, joyous sounds of “Return”, within the first few seconds it is obvious exactly where this New York-based five piece are placing themselves on the musical spectrum. The song clocks in at a mere 5:05, but in that time, the band takes a musical journey through different styles of music they are influenced by. The instrumental breaks are smooth, melodic and pleasingly musical in their nature, with a vocal line harmonized by several of the band members. The album features the instrumental track “Nebulae”, which has a space-y feel, mostly utilizing various electric keyboard and synthesizer sounds. The riff for “Stereotype” is more guitar-based, and the song is one of the overall high-points if the album.”

“The band makes use of rapidly changing tonalities and time signatures, keeping listeners on their toes, as well as showing off the skill of the players. The solos and instrumental passages which litter the album are complicated, yet still melodic. There is very little in the way of completely pointless flashiness. The solos are crafted to compliment the songs and the instrumental tracks and sections all are written with structure and taste.”

“Overall this album is melodic and progressive in the more classic style, reminiscent of PINK FLOYD and some of DREAM THEATER’s mellower moments, so one for fans of tasteful and complicated music.”

Overall Rating – 8 out of 10 – Excellent! - Metal Temple

“Reminiscent of YES….snippets of Camel and Rush….excellent extended guitar solo….nice vocals….monstrous Threshold heavy section….great keyboards….intense drumming….similar to It Bites and Porcupine Tree in parts…” - Fireworks Magazine (UK) - Issue 72

7.5 stars out of 10!

Everything else is in Dutch - we're waiting for the translation to come back. :-) - Rock Muzine - Netherlands

Circuline is a new name on the progressive rock scene, and they are about to release their debut album “Return” on April 24th. Prog Sphere conducted an in-depth interview with keyboardist and composer Andrew Colyer about the band’s beginnings, the creative process that informed the album, influences, gear, and more.

How did you go about forming Circuline? Define the band’s mission.

Andrew Colyer: Circuline was formed in February 2014, and was a transmutation from the progressive rock tribute band, Downing Grey. For five years, Downing Grey would perform nine bands in one night: YES, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, UK, Jethro Tull, Rush, and Pink Floyd. Bill Shannon, Darin Brannon, and I loved playing progressive rock music, but we were getting weary of playing someone else’s music (even from those great bands). The three of us really wanted to start writing original material, having done so in other bands we had all been involved with in the past. We already knew that we could all play. We just had to start writing. AND, what we’ve realized, is that in the time it takes to learn all of that classic prog material, we could just write our own stuff!

Our mission is to be a modern ProgRock band, creating music that we love. Hopefully, others will love it too, and over time our fan base will grow worldwide.

You will release your debut album titled “Return” on April 24th. Tell me about the creative process that informed the record.

Darin, Bill, and I are the main writers. We’re committed to writing together, as a collaborative process. We’re all open to someone bringing a song, or a “bit” in to use, but they better be prepared to have it altered! We have a very interesting process ­ it’s almost like there’s a three­way “telepathy” that happens when we all get in a room together. Darin is very good with altering the rhythms, Bill is very good with licks and riffs, and my strength is chord structures and sonic textures. So once we start creating, the ideas fly around the room, we battle it out to keep our own ideas, and one rule is that we always try a new idea, to see if it might work. If it works better than what we were previously doing, we keep it.

For this first album, we recruited Matt Dorsey (Sound of Contact) to play bass on five tracks, and he did an awesome job! We had so much fun working with Matt making the record, that we flew him out from Los Angeles to play some gigs with us here on the U.S. east coast last fall.

Randy McStine (Lo­-Fi Resistance, Sound of Contact, Pink Floyd Experience) worked with us in a songwriting capacity. We are so grateful to have him as part our writing team. His beautiful melodies, harmonies, and lyrics were an absolute perfect fit for our music. Randy’s contribution to this first album was invaluable, and he’s already agreed to continue working with us as a songwriter for the second album.

Describe the approach to recording “Return.”

Our approach to recording this first album was a very interesting learning experience for us, being the first time we’ve all done this together in this band. It was literally all over the map! We wrote, arranged, and recorded all of the original demo tracks at our rehearsal space (The Cave), Enigma Dance Hall, a remote location (The Toolshed) and my home studio. We then recorded some of the final album tracks at jazz great Vinnie Martucci’s studio over in Woodstock. Even more tracks, overdubs, and vocals were recorded at studio veteran Julie Last’s Coldbrook Productions, also in Woodstock. A few of the final vocal tracks were done at my home studio, and we actually used some of the tracks from The Cave on the final album cuts. Matt Dorsey and Randy McStine recorded their parts in their home studios. Joe Deninzon recorded a killer electric violin solo at his studio on Long Island. Matt Dorsey mixed the entire album for us in L.A., and did a great job.

How did you document the music while being formulated?

As a collective, we write very quickly, so Bill and I are constantly taking notes with pen and paper, and we try to record everything all the time. We use room recorders, if we’re at Enigma or someone else’s studio. If we’re at my home studio, we record everything straight into Cakewalk Sonar or Pro Tools. Darin records everything on his laptop when we’re at The Cave. When you’re in the “flow state”, it’s so easy to play something during a jam session, and someone else will say, “Wow, what was that? That was so cool!” And you have no idea what you just played, because you weren’t thinking about it. I also tend to write things out “old school” on staff paper with a pencil. It utilizes a different part of your brain, when you’re composing.

How long “Return” was in the making? Tell me about the themes this release captures.

We started writing in February 2014, and finished recording in December 2014. We spent January and February mixing, and mastered the album in March 2015. So basically one year. We hope to complete our second album sooner, now that we have the experience of the first album under our belt.

Regarding your “themes” question, on more than one occasion I would have a dream about something, wake up and hear a melody, harmony, or rhythm going through my head. I would have to jump and write it down on staff paper before I forgot it. Bill is very good with coming up with cool riffs, which we would sometimes use exactly as they poured out of him; other times Darin and I would help craft the melody. Many people don’t know this, but Darin’s first instrument was the piano, and being a drummer, he’s a very good rhythmic keyboard player. So he comes up with good ideas as well, and Bill and I will build on that or tweak it. The vocal themes came from Randy McStine, and either Randy provided the vocal harmonies himself, or Billy, Natalie and I came up with additional harmonies.

Why “Return” as the album title?

For most of us, we are returning to what we love most ­- music. Every one of us started out as a young person dreaming of a career in music. Every one of us attained some level of success. But for one reason or another, had kind of dropped out. (Except for Billy, who was fronting a Led Zeppelin tribute band, No Quarter.) Natalie Brown had a 20-plus-­year career as a theater actor, singer, and dancer, who had suffered some burnout. Darin Brannon had been in numerous bands in California and the midwest (Cleveland), and had dropped out. Bill Shannon had moderate success in Cincinatti, before moving to New York and starting Downing Grey, but was working as a graphic artist and art director for a magazine. I was classically trained, and wanted to go to Berklee to be a modern musician, but my parents pushed me into being a doctor. So I was pursuing music as best I could, part-­time, for over 20 years.

When we founded Circuline, we all looked each other in the eye, and said, “This is it! We’re all doing it. Are you up for it?” And everyone said yes. So for all of us, we are returning to our first love.

What were the biggest challenges you faced when working on the album?

Working with other creative headstrong people! Band dynamics. Financial and time pressures were felt by everyone. Trying to write and record an album while preparing for, promoting, and performing live gigs. We will hopefully never do that again. Writing and recording versus rehearsing and performing live are two completely different animals. It’s really hard to mix the two at the same time. I can see why seasoned professionals break up their year into different seasons: writing, recording and touring.

Speaking of challenges, is there a creative challenge to deal with in that the band members occupy similar sonic spectrums?

Yes, without a doubt. I’m usually the problem! Being a keyboard player, my middle and upper frequencies occupy the same sonic range as the guitar. My lower frequencies occupy the same range as the bass. We are all careful to write and play parts that will hopefully not be too conflicting, frequency­wise. A lot of work is put into crafting our parts, and everyone wants to be heard. Some of those issues can also be addressed by using different sounds and textures, and sometimes with panning those parts more to the left or right, for more separation. Those details can be heard on a good stereo system or with headphones.

Have you managed to make any new discoveries as the time passed during the creative process? Do you think that at some point of that process your writing approach changed drastically?

I think that we are discovering how to best work with each other. We are learning each other’s idiosyncrasies, communication styles, and strengths. As a group, we’ve discovered that the best music happens when all three of us are equally involved in the writing process. I’ve discovered that coffee is really important to some people!

Our most drastic move wound up being a fortunate one, and that was going outside the band for songwriting help. Billy and Natalie are theater veterans, and their two lifetimes of experience performing all over the world enable them to interpret and perform other artist’s work. Bill, Darin, and I have collectively over 100 years of experience as musicians and composers. But none of us have a great deal of experience writing lyrics and melodies, especially for this kind of music. We all tried writing as individuals and as a group, but nothing was really gelling. When we asked Randy to co­write with us, things really fell into place.

Provide some insight into the group’s chemistry that allows this music to emerge.

Darin grew up in a musical family, and seriously has Prog and Fusion in his DNA. He’s an encyclopedia of Genesis, Jean-­Luc Ponty, Happy the Man, Peter Gabriel, Brand X, etc. He’s always telling me and Bill to “add in an extra beat, or take out a beat”. Darin actually came up with one of the important writing rules that we have ­ “If someone is singing, it’s in four. If someone is not singing, we’re going to experiment with playing odd time signatures.” We’re really lucky to have Darin’s sense of rhythm in the band, because neither Bill nor I would have ever thought of that.

Bill is a self­taught guitar playing savant, who spent countless thousands of hours locked in his room listening to every prog and rock band you can think of from the 70’s, figuring out all of the guitar parts, bass parts, and keyboard parts. How to actually play them on his guitar. In addition, Bill listens to Brian Eno, David Bowie, Can, Radiohead, and anything else that might be considered weird or abstract. So Bill is kind of like an encyclopedia in his own way. He is really good at coming up with licks and riffs, and abstract ideas that neither Darin nor I would ever think of.

I’m classically trained, and grew up listening to movie soundtracks. In my youth, I actually wanted to be a film composer. At the same time, every week I was listening to “Casey Kasem’s American Top 40”. So that was going into my brain. I have sung (All­State choir in high school), played the trumpet, organ, and piano for choirs, weddings and churches since I was nine years old. I was a D.J. and played in original and cover bands during the four years I was in chiropractic school. I had a jazz quartet for several years. So I have a very diverse background as well.

So we’re fortunate that we all have such diverse backgrounds, because hopefully we’re creating music that will be interesting for the fans.

Where do you draw the inspiration from and how do you go about channeling it into writing?

The inspiration comes from the same place that every artist in history has used. We’re not really sure! It is somewhere outside one’s self, yet deep within at the same time.

Pat Metheny writes about “having a conversation” with the music. IT is talking to us, and we’re talking to IT. All of us “hear” things, once we get going. Sometimes the whole thing just pours in. Almost every composer throughout history has written about it. It’s a subtle level of consciousness that is hard to describe in words.

Which bands or artists influenced your work on the release?

We all have such a huge taste palette, that it’s kind of crazy! I’ll list the artists who I can remember band members talking about in the past year: 10th Planet, Ambrosia, Jon Anderson, Bach, Tony Banks, Beethoven, Robert Berry, David Bowie, Brand X, Brahms, Tom Brislin, Bill Bruford, Can, Caravan, Billy Cobham, Phil Collins, Chick Corea, Roger Daltrey, December People, Elephants of Scotland, ELO, ELP, Keith Emerson, Earth Wind & Fire, Enchant, Brian Eno, Flying Colors, David Foster, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Glass Hammer, Herbie Hancock, Happy the Man, Steve Hackett, Jan Hammer, Bruce Hornsby, IO Earth, Keith Jarrett, Jethro Tull, Eddie Jobson, Journey, Kansas, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Tony Levin, Lifesigns, Lighthouse, Little River Band, Lo­Fi Resistance, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Marillion, Max Flyer, Pat Metheny, Marco Minneman, Joni Mitchell, Patrick Moraz, Neal Morse, PFM, Nektar, Porcupine Tree, Oblivion Sun, Out of the Beardspace, Carl Palmer, Pink Floyd, Jean­Luc Ponty, Prog Rock Orchestra, Steve Reich, Renaissance, Return to Forever, Jordan Rudess, Rush, Saga, Shadow Eden, Sound of Contact, Spock’s Beard, Starcastle, Starship, Stick Men, Stratospheerius, The Strawbs, Styx, James Taylor, Thank You Scientist, Toto, Transatlantic, The Tubes, UK, Rick Wakeman, The Who, Steven Wilson, YES, Frank Zappa, Zebra, Hans Zimmer, and The Zombies! (Of course there could be more……)

What non­-musical entities and ideas have an impact on your music?

As the music comes through us, all of our past and current life experiences impact our music. Each brings his own history to the table, and all that entails. Bill is the most abstract of the bunch, and with his artistic background, often has ideas that we have no idea where it’s coming from. Darin owned an art gallery in Cleveland and did events with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I tend to be drawn towards things that are of a spiritual nature, health and healing, and am generally more literal than the other two.

What kind of gear did you use for recording songs from “Return”?

I’m a sponsored artist with Yamaha and Muse Receptor. I also endorse Arturia, Korg, Moog, Novation, Roland, and Studiologic keyboards; Kryptonite cases; Mark of the Unicorn audio and MIDI products; Atlas, On Stage, and Standtastic stands; Arturia, Big Fish, Cakewalk, EastWest, GForce, IK Multimedia, Mark of the Unicorn, Native Instruments, Quantum Leap, Spectrasonics, Synthogy, and Ultimate Sound Bank software.

Bill Shannon plays Ibanez, Yamaha, and Martin electric and acoustic guitars; uses Mesa/Boogie amplifiers; Hercules and On Stage stands; Dunlop, Eventide, Rockett, T­Rex, Visual Sound, and VOX pedals; Planet Waves cables; and D’Addario NYXL strings.

Darin Brannon uses Yamaha drums; Sabian and Zildjian cymbals; Evans drumheads, Promark sticks and DW pedals.

Billy Spillane plays Danelectro and Ovation guitars. Circuline uses Blue and Rode microphones.

What is your view on technology in music?

Technology is great! We’re so lucky to be living in the 21st century. We’re able to do things now that no other musicians have been able to do in the history of mankind. Right now, we have the ability to compose and record at home, produce our own records, and get our music out to the entire world! Musicians and composers couldn’t do that in the past. With the gear that this band owns right now, if we never purchased another single thing, we have more tracks, sound effects, and recording capability than the Beatles had. It’s up to us to create something memorable.

With help from David Rosenthal (Billy Joel’s musical director), I just upgraded my entire live rig. I will be able to do things with three keyboards, a Muse Receptor, and a Macbook Pro that previously would have taken about eighteen keyboards, a­la Rick Wakeman. That kind of quantum leap has only been possible in the last two years.

Do you see the band’s music as serving a purpose beyond music?

At the end of the day, if people get some kind of joy or emotional break from their lives by hearing our music, then that’s great. But we don’t ourselves have any other purpose than trying to write and produce music that we ourselves enjoy.

What is your viewpoint on the struggle bands are facing today as they try to monetize their output?

There has never been a better time in the history of music to be a musician. But with freedom comes responsibility. The struggle we all face is like climbing Mount Everest. It can be done, because others have done it. But just like training for the Olympics, you’ve got to really want it. There are an infinite number of books, articles, and consultants out there who can help people treat their band like a business. You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going. Figure out a strategy that will work for your particular situation. And, like any business and marketing strategy, just know that it will change over time as your circumstances change.

What are your plans for the future?

Our number one goal is for every Prog fan in the world to listen to our album. Just once. If you like our music, please Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and sign up to get free stuff on our website. Our intention is to connect and be interactive with you and the other fans. We will tweet you back. We will Facebook message you back. We will do our best to personally email you back.

If you really like the album, you might want to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, and please ask all of your friends and family to check out our music. If you want to be a “Doh-­Deka-­Phonic-­Super-­Sonic-­Uber-­Ultra Fan”, we invite you to check out our Patreon page, where you can support us creating more music videos, and a soon­to­be­released hopefully funny internet video series that the band is creating.

Friday, April 24th is the CD release party, and we’re opening for Glass Hammer at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. Saturday, April 25th we’re performing with Glass Hammer and the Anton Roolaart band at the New Jersey Proghouse. Sunday, April 26th we’re opening for Glass Hammer at Orion Studios in Baltimore. The Friday night Bearsville show will have a six­camera video shoot and a 24-­track live recording. You’ll see that later this year as a live CD/DVD release.

In May, we’re launching Sonic Voyage Fest, a “traveling modern rock festival” with fellow acts Shadow Eden and Stratospheerius. Bass monster Paul Ranieri will be performing with us and Shadow Eden, and Joe Deninzon (electric violin, vocals) of Stratospheerius plays a blistering solo on “Silence Revealed” on our album. We’ll be performing on Friday, May 22nd, in Hartford, Connecticut; Saturday, May 23rd in Worcester, Massachusetts; and Sunday, May 24th, in Newmarket, New Hampshire. You can find out more details at www.SonicVoyageFest.com.

In June and beyond, we’re dedicated to writing and producing our second album, producing more music videos, mixing and producing the Bearsville CD/DVD, and we’ll be launching our own internet TV show. Circuline is an eclectic and quirky bunch of individuals, and we hope you’ll find the shows entertaining. We’ve already committed to doing more work with recent RoSfest act Elephants of Scotland. With regards to touring with other bands, we’ve been talking to Lifesigns (great prog band from England), Dave Kerzner (his new band will be touring his debut album), and a really great instrumental prog band from Italy, Accordo dei Contrari. Of course, we’re working on some other cool stuff, which I’m not at liberty to discuss at the moment. You’ll have to stay tuned.

Thank you so much for this interview! - Nikola Savic on Prog-Sphere

BY PAUL WATSON April 24th sees the debut album ‘RETURN’ by a relatively new US band CIRCULINE. To be honest I was going to write a short bio and other interesting facets about things you may not know about this band to include in this article but their keyboardist ANDREW COLYER has actually provided a lot more information than I expected in a very enjoyable and candid interview with him below. Bradley also added a bit more about the album promo on March 19 below so check that out as well.

Not sure if you know this but there’s this three-worded Latin expression that goes like this. “Ordo ab chao” … which translated into English, if you haven’t already worked it out, sagely suggests, “… out of chaos comes order…” I’d seen it used years ago with the name of a Metal band and thought to myself, “how cool is that?” So now you’re wondering what has that got to do with Circuline and their new album? Simple. On the one hand I’m listening to these eight tracks and thinking, “Okay, I’m really liking this. I get it, although I have to say it’s hard to paint them into a corner using my trusty Prog group compass, because, let’s face it – it’s open season when hearing new bands and their albums and trying to tie them down to either Yes or Genesis or whoever…. label”, but on the other, I’m also trying to focus on the many varied layers on some of these songs. And boy, there are many layers here on first listen. I’m not just talking about how many multi-tracks have come into play but rather the delicately placed strips of all manner of sounds interwoven and joined without a hint of the seam as these songs move forward. It’s that good, and only gets better upon each playing. Just as well ears can’t blink because listening to, you might find yourself missing something poignant throughout the many subtle changes within these tracks. I just love the way so many ideas have come from various angles, in a kind of a living juxtaposition of possibilities realized, which in itself doesn’t go anywhere near describing this music but hopefully tells you the kind of frame of mind it leaves you in when listening to this.

Trust me – You’ll know what I mean when you listen to ‘Return’ yourselves. Expect a lot of great guitar and keyboard riffs. Okay, so where does “ordo ab chao” come into it? Track one ‘ the title track, ‘Return’ doesn’t give you much of a clue as it’s a straightforward melody with some great hooks in it, and one I think a number of radio stations will add this one to their playlists for high rotation. It’s a good song to start off with and imagine it works well performed on stage. Track two ‘Nebulae’ is where “ordo ab chao” seriously starts earning its money with an interesting dissonant beginning by Andrew on keys which we soon find out in this relatively short instrumental, out of random chaos we get order. In fact, most of the following tracks have a similar disjointed beginning that turns inside itself into something melodic throughout the rest of each piece. As you’ll see below, I asked Andrew about their writing and how they came about balancing the consonant and dissonant elements within most of these tracks.

So in a nutshell – this is a very tight and solid debut album which you’ll soon discover has so much going on within it. Not a second wasted and yet, not rushed or too busy. I think it’s too early to pigeon-hole them just yet. Certainly there are jazz fusion elements in some of these pieces but not enough to point them in that direction for certain. Vocals are very strong as is the bass playing, and you’re in for a treat right at the end with a high-energy violin solo, shades of Kansas to these ears. I like that they’ve evenly spread the vocal tracks with the instrumental pieces showcasing what a fine bunch of musicians each of them are. If you get the chance, go see their show which includes not only original numbers but also classic progressive rock tunes from the likes of Yes, Rush, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and Sound of Contact.

The band opens for Glass Hammer for three shows in the Northeastern U.S. starting from April 24th through to April 26th, 2015. Last year, Circuline opened for recent RoSfest act, Elephants of Scotland.

Andrew kindly answered all of my questions relating to the band and their pending new album.

Reading from the band bio that you’ve put out there’s certainly a wide mix of talent and artistry there. Just how did you all meet and Circuline come about?

ANDREW: Bill Shannon was a founding member of the progressive rock tribute band Downing Grey back in 2009. Downing Grey found Darin Brannon through a series of Prog drumming YouTube videos (nirad2007) he had posted. Natalie Brown, Billy Spillane, and I met in early 2013, and realized that we could sing like Crosby, Stills and Nash. At the time, I was in two other original bands that were floundering, and feeling really frustrated. I went on the inaugural YES Cruise to the Edge, and played “Tarkus” (ELP) and the intro to “Awaken” (YES) in front of Geoff Downes at the late night Prog jam. Geoff told me, “very good, you’ve got those Prog Rock chops”. I came home from the CTTE, determined to find a group of people who were ready, willing, and able to be serious about being in a professional band. I found Downing Grey, and joined immediately. Natalie joined within weeks, singing backup. Billy Spillane had been fronting a Led Zeppelin tribute band (No Quarter) for at least five years, but was a lifetime Prog fan. Towards the end of 2013, Billy joined Downing Grey as the lead singer. In January of 2014, Downing Grey fell apart. There were personality issues that made it impossible to work together anymore. Circuline was born on February 8th, 2014.

Having seen in the past where in another band you were advertising for a new bass player due to “anger management” issues, I guess it’s about finding the right chemistry either by accident or by design. Do you recall the time you all got together and realised that this was a good fit and you had the sound you wanted to make and take this somewhere?

ANDREW: When I joined Downing Grey in the spring of 2013, I was very clear to the band that long term, I wanted to write original material. In fact, the very first day I was with Downing Grey, Darin, Bill, and I started jamming on some original material, while the bass player was in the bathroom. I still have those demo recordings from that day. Who knows, maybe they’ll turn up on the next record! The other thing that I was very clear to the band about when I joined Downing Grey, was that I was serious about making this a profitable venture. It’s so much work to learn all of those classic prog songs. I did not want to go to all the work of learning the songs, programming the sounds, rehearsing, schlepping gear, etc., to not have any people in the audience or make any money. What we learned from Downing Grey is that, being a Prog tribute band, covering nine bands in one night (YES, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, UK, Jethro Tull, Rush, and Pink Floyd) is a very tough sell to venues, even if it “sounds just like the record”. In addition, it’s very difficult to have merchandise to sell long term, because you don’t own the rights to anything. The logos and images, the songs, everything belongs to someone else. The only way we were going to be able to build something long-term that was truly ours, was to start an original band, writing original material. We already knew that we could all play. We just had to start writing. AND, what we’ve realized, is that in the time it takes to learn all of that classic prog material, we could just write our own stuff!

Is this a one off project or are all of you in it for the long haul?

ANDREW: Bill, Darin, and I started this band with a vision of being a successful modern ProgRock band. Natalie and Billy are also in it for the long haul. We’ve already starting writing material for the second album, and Randy McStine (Lo-Fi Resistance, Sound of Contact, Pink Floyd Experience) has already agreed to continue in a songwriting capacity. Speaking of Randy, we are so grateful to have him as part our writing team. His beautiful melodies, harmonies, and lyrics were an absolute perfect fit for our music. Randy’s contribution to this album was invaluable, and we are happy to be working with him again in the future. album cover

The title you’ve given to your debut album is ‘Return.’ What does that refer to? Is it a play on your band name, ‘Circuline’ – making a full circle, or to be found in the lyrics of the first track on the album?

ANDREW: I’m glad you asked! Actually, for all of us, we are returning to what we love most – music. Every one of us started out as a young person dreaming of a career in music. Every one of us attained some level of success. But for one reason or another, had kind of dropped out. (Except for Billy, who was fronting the Zeppelin tribute band.) Natalie Brown had a 20-plus-year career as a theater actor, singer, and dancer, who had stopped. Darin Brannon had been in numerous bands in California and the midwest (Cleveland), and had dropped out. Bill Shannon had moderate success in Cincinatti, before moving to New York and starting Downing Grey, but was working as a graphic artist and art director for a magazine. I was classically trained, and wanted to go to Berklee to be a modern musician, but my parents pushed me into being a doctor. So I was pursuing music as best I could, part-time, for over 20 years. When we founded Circuline, we all looked each other in the eye, and said, “This is it! We’re all doing it. Are you up for it?” And everyone said yes. So for all of us, we are returning to our first love.

I’ve had a hard time trying to pinpoint what influences play a large or minor part in your music, but other than having initial thoughts of thinking of Thieves’ Kitchen on some tracks on the album, I come up with nada. You yourself and Bill Shannon and Darin Brannon come from the tribute band (Downing Grey) as well as one of your lead vocalists, Billy Spillane who sang in the Led Zeppelin tribute band, No Quarter that encapsulates all the best and finest songs from Prog Rock bands and not in most cases devoted to just one band say like Yes or Genesis and other notable Prog and Classic formations. Did that play a large part in deciding where you were going to take the band in coming up with an interesting blending of styles and sounds?

ANDREW: Darin Brannon grew up in a musical family, and seriously has Prog and Fusion in his DNA. He’s an encyclopedia of Genesis, Jean-Luc Ponty, Happy the Man, Peter Gabriel, Brand X, etc. He’s always telling me and Bill to “add in an extra beat, or take out a beat”. Darin actually came up with one of the important writing rules that we have – “If someone is singing, it’s in four. If someone is not singing, we’re going to experiment with playing odd time signatures.” We’re really lucky to have Darin’s sense of rhythm in the band, because neither Bill nor I would have ever thought of that. Bill Shannon is a self-taught guitar playing savant, who spent countless thousands of hours locked in his room listening to every prog and rock band you can think of from the 70’s, figuring out all of the guitar parts, bass parts, and keyboard parts. How to actually play them on his guitar. In addition, Bill listens to Brian Eno, David Bowie, modern dance music, and anything else that might be considered weird or abstract. So Bill is kind of like an encyclopedia in his own way. He is really good at coming up with licks and riffs, and abstract ideas that neither Darin nor I would think of. I’m classically trained, and grew up listening to movie soundtracks. I actually wanted to be a film composer. At the same time, every week I was listening to “Casey Kasem’s American Top 40”. So that was going into my brain. I have sung (All-State choir in high school), played the trumpet, organ, and piano for choirs, weddings and churches since I was nine years old. I was a D.J. and played in original and cover bands during the four years I was in chiropractic school. I had a jazz quartet for several years. So I have a very diverse background as well. Darin, Bill, and I are very conscious of wanting our music to have diversity. We’ve all heard bands, both new and old, come out with albums that sound very similar from track to track, and we don’t want to be one of those bands. Sonically we intend to have a broad palette. We think it will be more interesting for the end listener, and hopefully that’s come across in our first effort.

Almost as a recurring theme on first impressions here, what I really like as well as respect, especially in wondering how you conceived and composed a good number of these tracks is the amount of consonant and dissonant notes that truly work seamlessly here. It’s not pretentious or gratuitous, and I think you’ve got the balance just right. Given the angular approach to a number of intros to these songs as far as opening themes go, especially ‘One Wish’ would you consciously define this as your own band signature sound to where you want to take your music for new listeners?

ANDREW: First of all, we don’t like to be bored. We’ve all heard music that was great, but went on for just a little bit too long. We don’t want to be that band. We also know that we’re not in the “Information Age” anymore, we’re in the “Attention Age”. The hardest thing we have to do is capture someone’s attention, and retain it. Right now, it is possible for almost anyone to have the entire history of recorded music on their mobile phone, tablet, or computer. And if they don’t own it, they can stream it. We have to write music that will be interesting to the listener, and will make them want to listen to it again. Too many consonant notes? Too boring, like too much white wedding cake with vanilla icing. Too many dissonant notes? Then it’s too abstract, will grate on your nerves, and you won’t want to listen again. Our intention is to write music that has a balance of consonance and dissonance. Then hopefully it’s interesting.

That’s the thing I really like about this album. Once you hear it for the first and then go back and listen a bit more closely you start picking up various sounds within the mix which blend in very well. I’m just so impressed with the natural chiaroscuro you’ve managed to add to how these sounds blend in.

ANDREW: “Chiaroscuro” – the use the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. Thank you for the compliment. Actually, this would be a good time to mention Matt Dorsey (Sound of Contact), who played bass on five tracks, and mixed the entire record. Bill and I both write a lot of intricate, layered parts, and of course we each want to hear our own parts the loudest! Matt actually flew out to do a couple of gigs with us in November 2014. I think after writing and recording his bass lines, and rehearsing and performing live with us for a week, Matt really knew exactly what we were going for when mixing the record. He did a great job of making sure everyone’s parts were heard.

‘Soleil Noir’ is the shortest track on this album at 2:51. Have to say it’s one of those instrumental pieces where you all get to shine one way or another. It’s also one of those tracks you wished it would go on a lot longer. You feel it’s just getting going and then it peters off. Is there in fact an extended version to this track that you play?

ANDREW: On a recording, it’s always better to leave people wanting more. But live, yes, for our upcoming shows, we’re looking at doing an extended version of “Soleil Noir”. It’s a nice moment for the audience to clap along – something that’s kind of rare in Prog! We’re constantly looking for ways to make our live “show” better. Having Natalie and Billy in the band is a blessing, since they are seasoned theater performers. We hope that you and the rest of the audience have a really good experience when you see us live.

I see on one of your pages your influences include; “Classical, jazz, pop, rock, funk, R&B, Progressive Rock, movie soundtracks….” That covers quite an extensive range although all these genres have been found in Prog Rock in one way or another over the years. How did you get involved in Progressive Rock and who were your influences?

ANDREW: I’m a relative newcomer to the Prog world. In 2004, a new musician friend said to me, “you’re classically trained? You should be playing Prog.” And I said, “What’s Prog?” “Progressive Rock. You know, like YES.” “Oh, I know, ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’.” “NOOOO, you know, like Genesis.” “Oh, I know, ‘Invisible Touch’.” “NOOOO, you know, like Peter Gabriel.” “Peter Gabriel was never in Genesis….” Seriously, that was the conversation. So he came back, handed me the YES Symphonic Live DVD, which I went home and watched, and I totally freaked out. So after a lifetime of listening to ELO, Journey, Styx, Kansas, Pat Metheny, Rachmaninoff, Miles Davis, Beethoven, Sting, Bruce Hornsby, Brahms, Keith Jarrett, Seal, Little River Band, Eagles, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Herbie Hancock, The Tubes, movie soundtracks, Chick Corea, Earth Wind & Fire, and anything by David Foster and Quincy Jones, I’ve spent the last 10 years playing catchup in the Prog world! From a band perspective, you know all the classics I’ve been cramming in trying to learn. Here’s my favorite newer prog bands, who I listen to repeatedly: Oblivion Sun (former members of Happy the Man), Sound of Contact, and Steven Wilson. As a keyboard player, my top Prog influences would include the usual suspects: Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks, and Keith Emerson. Jan Hammer for expressiveness and style. Jordan Rudess is one of the top keyboard players in the world – he can do it all. But if I had to pick one, and only one? Eddie Jobson.

Having been in a popular Prog tribute band and given your very impressive list of hardware and keyboard instruments you use, you must have had somewhere in their various Mellotron sounds but I haven’t picked up any of that on this new album. Would that have been too cliché to throw in familiar washes like that into your repertoire? In other words how did you as a keyboard approach this album with the full weight of Prog standards as a historical backdrop as well as an impressive arsenal of keyboards and software?

ANDREW: Forget about cowbell, we need more Mellotron! There actually IS Mellotron on the record, on four tracks. But it’s mixed and layered in with all the other sounds, to provide a “soundscape”. When I studied orchestral conducting at Juilliard, we had to study the scores of Beethoven, Brahms, Stravinsky, Holst, etc. Seeing how they layered instruments together to come up with different types of timbres was fascinating to me. In the same way as those classical composers did, I like to layer things, to come up with a new hybrid sound that nobody else would. I think that writing music is like cooking. You can’t use all of the spices all the time. It’s often an experiment as to which sounds to use. I have so many sounds and instruments that it’s virtually unlimited. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I have over 100,000 sounds in all of my libraries. How many are usable or appropriate? That’s another question. Often I will come up with two or three different examples of what I could use for a certain section, and then let the band vote on which one they like the best, for that part of the song.

Once the album is released in April what are Circuline’s plans for the year?

ANDREW: Our number one goal is for every Prog fan in the world to listen to our album. Just once. If you like our music, please Follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/CirculineMusic), Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/circulinemusic), and sign up to get free stuff on our website (http://circulinemusic.com/). Our intention is to connect and be interactive with you and the other fans. We will tweet you back. We will Facebook message you back. We will do our best to personally email you back. If you really like the album, you might want to subscribe to our YouTube Channel (CirculineProgRock), and please ask all of your friends and family to check out our music. If you want to be a “Doh-Deka-Phonic-Super-Sonic-Uber-Ultra Fan”, we invite you to check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/circulinemusic), where you can support us creating more music videos, and a soon-to-be-released hopefully funny internet video series that the band is creating. circuline-GH Friday, April 24th is the CD release party, and we’re opening for Glass Hammer at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. Saturday, April 25th we’re performing with Glass Hammer and the Anton Roolaart band at the New Jersey Proghouse. Sunday, April 26th we’re opening for Glass Hammer at Orion Studios in Baltimore. The Friday night Bearsville show will have a six-camera video shoot and a 24-track live recording. You’ll see that later this year as a live CD/DVD release. In May, we’re launching Sonic Voyage Fest, a “traveling modern rock festival” with fellow acts Shadow Eden and Stratospheerius. Bass monster Paul Ranieri will be performing with us and Shadow Eden, and Joe Deninzon (electric violin, vocals) of Stratospheerius plays a blistering solo on “Silence Revealed” on our album. We’ll be performing on Friday, May 22nd, in Hartford, Connecticut, and Sunday, May 24th, in Newmarket New Hampshire. You can find out more details at www.SonicVoyageFest.com. (which is now live). In June and beyond, we’re dedicated to writing and producing our second album, producing more music videos, mixing and producing the Bearsville CD/DVD, and we’ll be launching our own internet TV show. Circuline is an eclectic and quirky bunch of individuals, and we hope you’ll find the shows entertaining. We’ve already committed to doing more work with recent RoSfest act Elephants of Scotland. With regards to touring with other bands, we’ve been talking to Lifesigns (great prog band from England), Dave Kerzner (his new band will be touring his debut album), and a really great instrumental prog band from Italy, Accordo dei Contrari. Of course, we’re working on some other cool stuff, which I’m not at liberty to discuss at the moment. You’ll have to stay tuned…….. Thank you so much for this interview! - Paul Watson on Progarchy

CIRCULINE is an American crossover prog band formed in early 2014 when the prog tribute band DOWNING GREY broke up leaving keyboard player Andrew COLYER, guitar player Bill SHANNON and drummer Darin BRANNON looking for a vehicle to write original material for. They quickly recruited fellow DOWNING GREY alumni Billy SPILANE and Natalie BROWN to fill out the vocal duties.

COLYER, SHANNON and BRANNON started writing the band's first album, "Return" in February of 2014 enlisting the aid of Randy MCSTINE (LO-FI RESISTANCE, SOUND OF CONTACT, THE PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE) to assist in the writing process and Matt DORSEY (SOUND OF CONTACT) to lay down the majority of the bass tracks as well as the mixing for the debut. In December, the band brought on bassist Paul RANIERI as a permanent member of the band, completing the lineup.

CIRCULINE released their debut, "Return" on April 24, 2015 and celebrated with a short tour on the northeastern United States in support of GLASS HAMMER. The band has begun work on their second album and has a busy live schedule for the remainder of 2015.

Like many modern crossover artists, CIRCULINE does not focus on the twenty minute epic pieces but prefer to make a strong statement in shorter songs. The music features lush soundscapes and big vocal harmonies. Fans of 3RDEGREE, DREAM THE ELECTRIC SHEEP, ELEPHANTS OF SCOTLAND and other modern prog bands may enjoy CIRCULINE. - Prog Archives - The Ultimate Progressive Rock Music website

http://www.prog-sphere.com/news/circuline-release-debut-album-return-april-24th/ - Nikola Savic on Prog-Sphere