The recently released n1ghtmar3cat cover of Circa Survive’s "Flesh and Bone" was my way of paying tribute to a band that has significantly influenced my musical journey. Circa has been one of my favourite bands for nearly 20 years, leaving an imprint on several chapters of my musical career. In this article, I’ll share a few examples of ways they’ve influenced my work, which will help explain why creating my own version of one of their songs was such a special experience.
Discovering the Controlled Chaos of On Letting Go (2007)
I've been following Circa since discovering their second album, On Letting Go. It was unlike anything I’d heard before. Anthony Green's singing was raw, poetic, and full of angst-filled emotion. The drums and bass were technical yet effortless, anchoring the songs. The foundation provided by the rhythm section was vital to the overall balance, considering the two hard-panned guitarists seemed to be off in their own worlds, playing individual guitar solos throughout every track - it was complete chaos that somehow just worked. The opening song from that album, “Living Together”, became my mobile phone ringtone for about ten years, back when custom mp3 ringtones were fancy.
Tracing the Influence in My Previous Work
Looking (and listening) back, I can point to several ways that my previous band, The Zoup, was influenced by Circa Survive. The Zoup was a collaborative project; the music we made was a true blend of the four personalities we brought into the practice room. While we ended up going our separate ways in 2016, we capped off the journey that year with our self-produced album Symbiotic, a record I’m hugely grateful for. Almost a decade on, I still think it captures the band's creative essence incredibly well.
The singer and rhythm guitarist of The Zoup (my cousin JD) was into Circa Survive before me, which is how I was introduced to them. With half of The Zoup being fans, there’s a strong link to Circa as an influence. We both followed several of Anthony Green’s musical projects, from Circa to Saosin and his solo works, so I'm sure his lyrical style influenced JD’s songwriting to some extent.
Circa’s dual-guitar approach also influenced our tracks. Although JD was mainly the rhythm guitarist, he would occasionally layer in lead lines that interwove with Dom’s parts (which were more inspired by the likes of John Frusciante and Omar Rodríguez-López). As a result, some of our tracks feature two distinct, almost conversational guitar voices. I also have to acknowledge that my drumming style, especially the way I compose my drum parts, has been partly influenced by the work of Circa’s drummer, Steve Clifford.
Beyond the arrangements, the sonic richness of Circa’s mid-career albums Violent Waves (2012) and Descensus (2014) became a significant influence on my approach to the mixing and production work for Symbiotic. These albums captured the band in a way that sounded full and rich, as if they were playing together in a large studio space you could almost picture in your mind.
While many contemporary band recordings sound direct and impactful, making the most of modern stereo systems, there’s something a bit more nostalgic and emotionally resonant about the spacious approach Circa took with these records. Though well-polished, it sounds a bit closer to the vibe of a live recording.
While still sounding quintessentially like The Zoup, “Monuments” from Symbiotic is perhaps a good example of a track that shows several touches of Circa Survive's influence. The lyrics and melodies are exploratory in a similar style to Anthony Green’s. Guitar lead lines weave throughout the song, mostly from Dom but with occasional responses from JD’s guitar. Though I didn’t consciously think about it at the time, the drums in this song clearly nod to Clifford’s approach, with a range of rhythmic feels throughout.
Flesh and Bone
Fast-forward a bit, and “Flesh and Bone” appeared toward the back of Circa’s sixth album, The Amulet (2017). I find this song both haunting and beautiful. Anthony Green’s writing can be quite abstract, but in some songs it’s clear he’s dredging up some dark experiences, and this is certainly one of those songs. It’s heavy with introspective themes of isolation, paranoia, personal struggle, and regret.
When I decided to put together a short EP of cover songs under my n1ghtmar3cat artist project, picking a Circa Survive track was almost inevitable for all the reasons mentioned above, and this particular track jumped out as one that I thought I could rework in my own way. Like with my covers of Elton John’s “Your Song” and “Anchors” by Secret and Whisper, which make up the rest of the Copycat EP 01 (2025), the challenge was to find the right spot between respecting what I love about the original and infusing it with a sound and style that is distinctly n1ghtmar3cat.
While Anthony Green's vocal performance on the original is undeniably the heart of the song, the band’s instrumental work does a lot of heavy lifting to paint the picture and help convey the emotional depth in the words. Circa Survive have always been great at creating a sense of space and texture in their performances. From the outset, I knew that one of the challenges for my version would be to develop instrumentation that similarly supports the vocal performance, but with an in-the-box production approach instead of capturing that spacious vibe with a live band in a large studio.
I kept the instrumentation quite minimal, leaning on a hypnotic percussion loop and a bass guitar that drives the song, with some distinct synth parts that decorate different sections of the song. The n1ghtmar3cat version has a spacious electronic flavour compared to the original, but echoes certain key moments I particularly like from the band's instrumentation. I really enjoy the percussion loop and synths in this arrangement - I plan to break down the production elements in a future article.
The Continuous Cycle of Creative Influence
Ultimately, covering "Flesh and Bone" wasn't just a nostalgic nod; it was a chance to reflect on the core of my musical identity. By listening to music analytically and focusing on the elements that grab our attention, we can generate new ideas and shape our approach, gradually crafting our own style.
💬 What band or artist has had the most significant influence on your creative work, and how has it changed your approach?
