Features Steve Clifford The drummer with the modern prog-metal act Circa Survive has never shown much interest in repeating ideas—his own, or anybody else’s. Story by Ilya Stemkovsky Photos by Alex Solca Modern rock bands sometimes fall victim to the “bigger, faster, more” syndrome, as if they’re involved in a competition decided by the number of notes they can squeeze into a song and how loudly they can play them. For the past decade, Philadelphia’s Circa Survive has been plying a brand of melodic hard rock that, though featuring unexpected shifts and odd time signatures, always puts technique in service of the song. Don’t be fooled, however; each member of Circa Survive is highly accomplished, including drummer Steve Clifford, who brings a big beat and the kind of flavorful parts that prick up ears all around. On the band’s latest record, Descensus, Clifford attacks songs with a measured conviction, often […]

September 2015 Issue