While I may not exactly believe in fate, talking to the members of Circa Survive made me come away with the feeling that their formation was indeed conspired by such a force, and its existence becomes hard to deny.

A year and a half ago, the band was non-existent. Its members were spread out across the country, in a number of different groups, pursuing different goals. Vocalist Anthony Green was in California as the lead singer of Saosin at the time. He returned to his hometown of Philadelphia for a short break, where he spent some time with his longtime friend Colin Frangicetto. Colin had been playing guitar in This Day Forward, but, after 7 years, the band had broken up. Colin was trying to figure out where to go next. The two hung out and played together a bit, and while Anthony was due back on the West Coast to pick things up with Saosin, he never made it back. Halfway home, on a layover in Phoenix, he had something of an epiphany and decided to return to Philadelphia to make something happen with Frangicetto.

The two quickly began writing and recruiting members to make up the band as it stands today. Brendan Ekstrom had also been an integral member of This Day Forward, playing guitar alongside Colin since 2001. He too was at something of a crossroads when he got the call. "I had been sitting there at my mom’s house, just having one of those moments where you question what is going to happen with the rest of your life and what direction you are going in," he explains. "The timing was perfect, because if I wasn’t playing with these guys right now, I’m not sure what I would be doing."

A short time later, bassist Nick Beard left California and Marigold to join the cause, and they found a drummer in Steve Clifford, who just happened to be friends with Vadim, the drummer who had been in This Day Forward. By the end of summer 2004, the band was complete and they began playing together seriously. A mere 8 months later, their debut full-length album dropped, which is remarkable not only because of the new direction the members are pursuing, but also because they had put together an amazingly cohesive and unique piece of work in such a short period of time.

Juturna came out in April, and Steve explained that the name is taken from the Roman Goddess of wells and springs. The tradition of throwing money into fountains originated with her, although in Roman times, the offerings were much more significant than the pennies people throw today. The money was not for wishes, but for favors and prayers. "And," both Steve and Brendan note, "she was hot. Everyone keeps telling us that she was supposedly hot." Granted, she died a few thousand years ago, but it must be true if the sentiment persists this far down the road, right?

Fountains are a central theme in the album artwork as well. The band and the artist who created the striking paintings for both the insert and the website were brought together by – again – what can only be described as fate. Brendan elaborated, "I had seen his work before and I really liked it, but didn’t really think anything of it. Then one day we were actually looking for someone to do the artwork for the album, and I went to a friend’s house, and he showed me this guy’s work. It turned out to be the same artist. After that, it was just sort an obvious thing to have him do the art for the album."

Apparently, they did something right. The album’s unique blend of music, art, and storytelling has garnered them a host of fans who have been filling venues all over the nation since their tour started a few months back. From the outset, there were many naysayers and doubters who were upset by Anthony’s decision to leave Saosin. But, after hearing the actual album, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, and nearly everyone seems to be very impressed with the music, despite some initial skepticism. Brendan and Steve both agreed that there is definitely a certain amount of pressure for the band to prove itself, and to show the right decision was made in pursuing this project instead of others. "That judgment is inherent in anything you do as an artist," Brendan says, "whether you paint or write or play music, you always want whatever work you’re doing right now to be the best you’ve done so far."

Realistically, it’s something of a ridiculous standard to expect this band to sound like Saosin, since only one member was actually in that band, and the sound is shaped not just by the vocalist, but by the rest of the band as well.

On the message boards on Circa Survive’s webpage, fan rumors and speculation about the message behind the album abound. Some claim that the entire album is about a battle with drug addiction, while others say that it is a soundtrack inspired by a popular Jim Carrey movie (mostly based on the last song). Still others argue that it is about that mainstay of popular music – the ex-girlfriend or failed relationships. The truth, according to Ekstrom and Clifford, is at once all of these things and none of them. "There really is no set meaning behind the lyrics," explains Ekstrom. "Anthony may have had an idea in mind when he wrote them, but to all of us, the songs mean different things, and that meaning is constantly being adapted and changed. Sometimes I will hear Anthony say they’re about one thing, and then he’ll say they mean something else, and it seems like he just came up with that definition – like he just realized there was another way to interpret the lyrics and another situation in which they fit."

In a way, the ambiguous nature of the lyrics gives the band more appeal. While a specific message by nature alienates some listeners, leaving things open to interpretation makes their appeal and applicability all the more universal. It also lends a sort of timeless quality to the music. "Right now, a lot of music is getting lost in genres that are dying out, and we don’t want that to happen. We want our music to be appealing in the future, and still be relevant in 5 or 10 years or more. For me," Brendan continues, "that’s what Circa Survive means. Everyone wants to live beyond their time in some way or another, and it is about what sort of legacy we leave behind."

While all the band members have their own ideas as to what the lyrics and name means, that idea of timelessness is important to everyone. One thing they all seem to agree on is the strong desire to create music that transcends not only musical genres, but time… and hot dogs as well. There was also an unanimous endorsement of the hot dogs outside of where they played in Seattle, El Corazon. "Especially," Steve noted, "with onions and cream cheese."

Circa Survive will be touring the nation until mid-August. It is definitely worth your time to go see one of their engrossing and energetic live shows. Who knows? You may even get to have a hot dog with the band afterwards.