What was the inspiration behind the name ‘Circle The Earth’, and how does it reflect your mission as a band?
The band members are from different areas of the world:
– Kazuki Tokaji (guitar) is from Japan
– Sandy Wang (keyboard) is from Taiwan
– Sandro Feliciano (drums) is from Brazil
– Aviva Scott (vocals) and Mike McBay (bass) are from the USA
Circle The Earth is a cultural melting pot, bringing together musicians from Japan, Brazil, Taiwan, and the U.S.
Can you tell us how the band formed and how each member’s unique background influences the band’s dynamic that fans might not expect)?
Mike McBay (bassist/founder) started the band 14 years ago when he met drummer Sandro Feliciano as a referral for an upcoming live performance. Sandro’s playing and performance were so strong that Mike asked him if they could work together long-term. Next came Sandy Wang eight years ago from a Craigslist ad. The first time Mike heard Sandy audition, he picked her up in his arms and asked her to stay.
Then came guitarist Kazuki Tokaji four years ago as a referral from another guitarist. Kazuki learned four songs the night before the audition and blew the audition away. Lastly is vocalist Aviva Scott, our newest member, who joined four months ago as a referral from an industry contact. She is a fantastic front person and performer and is literally the “icing on the cake.”
For those who may not be familiar with your music, how would you describe the sound and style of Circle The Earth? What sets you apart from other bands in the rock scene?
The music of Circle The Earth is energetic pop rock with melody and substance. The diversity and underlying positivity of the band definitely set us apart from most other bands on the rock scene.
Your debut in 2020 was met with a lot of positive feedback. How did you manage the pressure of following that success, and has your perception of the industry and your approach changed since then?
We approach every single step and forward progress with an attitude of gratitude and use it as fuel and inspiration to keep driving forward. Our energy is one of sincerity, integrity, and positivity which honestly is at times at odds with some of the “cutthroat” aspects of the industry. With this focus, we have finally assembled around us a company of similarly positive people.
Circle The Earth blends so many genres, from rock and pop to funk and jazz. How do you decide which elements to bring into a new song, and do you ever find it challenging to maintain cohesion while being so diverse in sound?
Generally, a song comes to us as a result of a collaboration between our guitarist Kazuki and an outside songwriter (often a young genius named Adrian Jones) and the rough demo is then worked on by the band. We twist the arrangement to our style, which includes the various stylistic preferences of the members.
That being said, the band members tastes overlap to such an extent that there are very few disagreements over arrangements, stylistic approaches or direction so the “interpretive process” is actually very easy for us.
With producers like Erik Ron and Ethan Kaufman helping shape your sound, what was it like collaborating with them on your recent tracks? How did their input influence your musical direction?
Both of these producers are amazing and working with them has brought our music and our outlook forward tremendously. They have each brought a level of professionalism, quality, and contemporary sound to the band that has proven essential.
Your latest single “Stuck In The Middle” has a profound message about navigating life’s choices. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the track and how it reflects your evolving sound as a band so far?
How do you balance creating music that reflects personal journeys while keeping it universally relatable?
“Stuck In the Middle” is about a girl who has choices in her life between a relationship that is toxic but comfortable and familiar and one that is new and positive but is associated with taking the risk of change. The lifelong dilemma of bridging the gap between choices that are expedient and practical with tangible results versus those that are truly spiritual and are therefore often without tangible results.
Kazuki, you’ve co-written some of the band’s key singles like “Stuck in the Middle”, your latest release. Could you walk us through your songwriting process and how you collaborate with the other members to shape a song from start to finish, while ensuring that everyone’s unique voice is heard in each track?
Kazuki typically creates a chord structure of a riff that the other songwriters add melodies to (sometimes he has the melody as well as the chord structure) and then they typically all decide together on a general theme for the subject matter. Then, the English speaking collaborators complete the actual lyrics.
Aviva, you joined the band on the recommendation of Diane Warren, a legendary songwriter, and your vocals have become a cornerstone of the band’s sound. How has joining Circle The Earth helped you grow as an artist, and what has it been like working with the band on recent releases like “Numb”?
Aviva is a very spiritual person, who was previously pursuing a solo career along a more R&B arc on her own for quite a while. The responsibilities and requirements of doing that are enormous. Aviva actually loves rock music (one of her favorite bands is Florence & The Machine) and she also always wanted to work with a team of like-minded dedicated people, so the Circle The Earth project, with its rock edge, dedicated team of people in and around it, and the underlying positive message, has been a perfect fit.
She puts a fantastic stamp on the project vocally, image-wise, performance-wise, and literally in every aspect of the project overall. Aviva points out the differences between singing R&B onstage to a typically conservative audience versus “going wild, being herself, and rocking out” to the super enthusiastic rock crowds that Circle The Earth usually performs for.
Michael, your personal journey in recovery has played a significant role in shaping the band’s openness and vulnerability. How do you use these experiences to influence Circle The Earth’s message in your music?
True, long-term recovery from substance abuse, for me, requires a spiritual connection upon which to base my life, my outlook, my thoughts, my intentions, literally my very breath has to have a spiritual component to it.
Approaching my life in sobriety in this way has allowed me to attract and maintain a group of similarly spiritually minded people around me, both in and around the band, and this energy of hope, optimism, and underlying spirituality is delivered quite beautifully through the music and the message of Circle The Earth.
Sandro, your drumming has been noted for its energy on stage. How do you maintain that level of intensity during live performances, and what role do you feel your drumming plays in the band’s overall sound?
Sandro has toured the world with major artists like Tina Marie, Lauryn Hill, P-Funk, and Airto & Flora Purim. This level of experience has taught him everything about what is takes to become a world-class drummer and to maintain that absolutely professional level of energy and execution night after night on the road.
Currently, he teaches drums during the day at LA College of Music and this also keeps him in top form. Sandro’s drumming is just as riveting, dynamic, exciting, tasty, and emotional as Kazuki’s guitar playing and it is specifically his playing that allows the band to deliver its beautiful music so convincingly. The axiom “a band is only as good as its drummer” is absolutely personified in Sandro’s wonderful drumming.
Your music videos are visually stunning, with “Stuck in the Middle” directed by Henry Lipatov. How important are the visual elements to Circle the Earth’s identity, and what’s your involvement in shaping the look and feel of your music videos?
Henry Lipatov has worked with major artists like Jennifer Lopez and Justin Bieber and he brought a fantastic cinematic approach to our music videos that we have never had before. The story lines and cinematic approaches were quite literally almost complete due to his creative genius.
Your dynamic live shows have garnered a lot of attention, with the band also sharing the stage with a wide range of artists, from Oingo Boingo to Smokey Robinson.
What have you learned from those diverse live experiences, and how has it shaped your approach to performing, and what’s been one of the most memorable moments from performing live so far?
One of the most interesting lessons of the live shows is the level of enthusiastic acceptance and totally positive reactions that the band receives opening for a wide range of audiences including rock, heavy metal, R&B, pop, Hispanic [music], and even country audiences with equal levels of positivity. These have been extremely rewarding experiences for all of us.
Looking ahead, how do you see Circle the Earth evolving both musically and in terms of your message? Are there any specific themes or sounds you’re eager to explore in the future?
We intend to continue on our path of self-discovery, never losing our integrity and always growing and expanding our music and its underlying message of diversity, inclusion, compassion, and positivity to a wider and wider audience.
You’re about to kick off several tour dates across Southern California: what can fans expect from these upcoming shows? Is there anything you’re particularly looking forward to and will there be any more tour stops in the future?
The fans can expect dazzling performances from each band member, wonderful audio mixes from our new live sound team, an engaging light show to go along with the music, and the feelings of joy, excitement, optimism, and fulfilment that comes from an evening with Circle The Earth.
Circle The Earth can be found on Instagram here and on all major music platforms.