07
Jan
2003
Local hard-rock quartet Circle 7 has been testing itself over the past year. The band has been playing to small-town crowds unfamiliar with its sound and its work, played an acoustic set for the first time (at the Blackthorn Pub on New Year's Eve), and has spent time in the well-regarded Catamount studio in Cedar Falls, Iowa, recording a new record.
The studio experience has been perhaps most telling for the ambitious foursome. The studio has been used by a variety of major-label acts and was a good testing ground. "Stone Sour walked out, and we walked in," said Tut, Circle 7's drummer.
"It doesn't lie at all," said vocalist Justin Farley of the studio. "It's not a studio that was put inside a building. It was built around the studio."
"It shows you your imperfections," Tut said.
Circle 7's local fan base will have another opportunity to hear the band this weekend, with a Friday show at Davenport's Stars & Stripes with Haup, Officer 27, and Fuseable Link.
Circle 7 has a March target for releasing the new album, which doesn't yet have a title. A preview listen to eight nearly finished tracks shows the band in polished and tight form, with plenty of crunch. The instrumental attack is aggressive, and Farley shows his impressive range, from a smooth, soaring singing voice to anguished screams. "About You," which is featured on a two-song single available in local record stores, is the standout, but none of the tracks lacks fire or emotion. Farley's vocals are Circle 7's biggest asset - in the same song, he frequently sounds like two different people - and he's in fine form.
Circle 7 plans to return to the studio in February to put the finishing touches on the album. The eight songs provided to the River Cities' Reader clock in at less than a half hour, and manager Will Gabbard said the group is shooting for 45 minutes of music.
The band's current lineup - which also features Robin Charlet on guitar and Chris Pilger on bass - started to gel this past spring, Gabbard said. The group played a variety of shows in small towns over the summer, honing its craft.
In July, the band won over a crowd in a Bloomington, Illinois, sports bar, opening for a local cover band. "People had never heard of us," Farley said. The initial reception was positive, even if it wasn't a roar of approval. "At first, they weren't booing," Gabbard joked. Within a few songs, though, the audience was into the music.
The group's performances over the summer convinced it that it was ready to make the leap from demos to the studio. "We were pretty much doing demos for the last two, three years," Tut said. "It's kind of a measuring stick for me," allowing the band to find its groove.
"They were ready," Gabbard said. The summer shows "gave us a lot of confidence," Tut said.
Circle 7 has big plans, and Gabbard claims the band is making inroads in the music industry. "We've already established outside interest - potentially large-label interest," he said.
The foursome hadn't performed much around these parts until recently, with a December 27 gig opening for Vanilla Ice at Stars & Stripes, the Blackthorn gig, and this weekend's Stars & Stripes show. Gabbard said that was largely because of a dearth of venues willing to host hard-rock shows.
The Stars & Stripes show is the first of what Gabbard hopes will become a monthly rock show at the club produced by his Cream Corn Productions. Circle 7 will probably be involved in several of those concerts, continuing to sharpen its skills. "You've got to be your own worst critic," Tut said.
Circle 7 will perform with Haup, Officer 27, and Fuseable Link (featuring two former members of Crop Circle) at Stars & Stripes on Friday, January 10. Doors open at 8 p.m., and cover for ages 21 and older is $4. Cover for ages 19 and 20 had not been determined at press time.
The studio experience has been perhaps most telling for the ambitious foursome. The studio has been used by a variety of major-label acts and was a good testing ground. "Stone Sour walked out, and we walked in," said Tut, Circle 7's drummer.
"It doesn't lie at all," said vocalist Justin Farley of the studio. "It's not a studio that was put inside a building. It was built around the studio."
"It shows you your imperfections," Tut said.
Circle 7's local fan base will have another opportunity to hear the band this weekend, with a Friday show at Davenport's Stars & Stripes with Haup, Officer 27, and Fuseable Link.
Circle 7 has a March target for releasing the new album, which doesn't yet have a title. A preview listen to eight nearly finished tracks shows the band in polished and tight form, with plenty of crunch. The instrumental attack is aggressive, and Farley shows his impressive range, from a smooth, soaring singing voice to anguished screams. "About You," which is featured on a two-song single available in local record stores, is the standout, but none of the tracks lacks fire or emotion. Farley's vocals are Circle 7's biggest asset - in the same song, he frequently sounds like two different people - and he's in fine form.
Circle 7 plans to return to the studio in February to put the finishing touches on the album. The eight songs provided to the River Cities' Reader clock in at less than a half hour, and manager Will Gabbard said the group is shooting for 45 minutes of music.
The band's current lineup - which also features Robin Charlet on guitar and Chris Pilger on bass - started to gel this past spring, Gabbard said. The group played a variety of shows in small towns over the summer, honing its craft.
In July, the band won over a crowd in a Bloomington, Illinois, sports bar, opening for a local cover band. "People had never heard of us," Farley said. The initial reception was positive, even if it wasn't a roar of approval. "At first, they weren't booing," Gabbard joked. Within a few songs, though, the audience was into the music.
The group's performances over the summer convinced it that it was ready to make the leap from demos to the studio. "We were pretty much doing demos for the last two, three years," Tut said. "It's kind of a measuring stick for me," allowing the band to find its groove.
"They were ready," Gabbard said. The summer shows "gave us a lot of confidence," Tut said.
Circle 7 has big plans, and Gabbard claims the band is making inroads in the music industry. "We've already established outside interest - potentially large-label interest," he said.
The foursome hadn't performed much around these parts until recently, with a December 27 gig opening for Vanilla Ice at Stars & Stripes, the Blackthorn gig, and this weekend's Stars & Stripes show. Gabbard said that was largely because of a dearth of venues willing to host hard-rock shows.
The Stars & Stripes show is the first of what Gabbard hopes will become a monthly rock show at the club produced by his Cream Corn Productions. Circle 7 will probably be involved in several of those concerts, continuing to sharpen its skills. "You've got to be your own worst critic," Tut said.
Circle 7 will perform with Haup, Officer 27, and Fuseable Link (featuring two former members of Crop Circle) at Stars & Stripes on Friday, January 10. Doors open at 8 p.m., and cover for ages 21 and older is $4. Cover for ages 19 and 20 had not been determined at press time.
