Caspian

Caspian formed in 2004 in Beverley, Massachusetts, as an atmospheric, primarily instrumental post-rock outfit rooted on the East Coast of the United States. Their approach delivers cinematic scale through layers of lush, melodic, and powerful guitars set against mellotrons and keyboards, all driven by a forceful, imaginative rhythm section while incorporating noisy electronics and textured ambience. Early releases such as 2007's The Four Trees and 2009's Tertia occupied territory between the blissed-out lyricism of early Explosions in the Sky and the jarring Wall of Sound rock of Mogwai. The group tours relentlessly for months and years on end, allowing their intricate arrangements to develop as much through live performance as through studio work. Waking Season, issued in 2012, reflected a more mature direction that incorporated elements of classical minimalism, avant improv, drone, and Eastern modalism. Following the death of bassist Chris Friedrich, the band spent a year in mourning before resuming both road work and studio activity to create the elegiac breakthrough Dust and Disquiet, their first recording to include vocals. The set earned universally positive reviews, reached the charts, and led to touring partnerships with Japan's Mono; two full years on the road followed, during which Caspian ascended to headliner status on festival bills throughout the U.S. and Europe.

By the start of 2005 the quintet—Philip Jamieson on guitars, keyboards, and samples, Calvin Joss on guitar and glockenspiel, Chris Friedrich on bass, Joe Vickers on drums, and Erin Burke-Moran, who joined in 2007—had already secured opening slots for scene legends Mono. Their debut EP, You Are the Conductor, appeared in late 2005 and was succeeded by regional and national tours that secured a deal with Dopamine Records and yielded the full-length The Four Trees in 2007. Critically acclaimed sophomore album Tertia arrived in the latter half of 2009, prompting European and North American tours plus a pair of shows in China. In 2011 the band returned to the studio to record their third album; produced by Matt Bayles, Waking Season drew glowing praise, with Spin magazine naming it “the Best Post-Rock Album of the Year.” The next three years brought turbulence after founding bassist Chris Friedrich’s death in 2013, yet Caspian regrouped and released their fourth studio album, Dust & Disquiet, in 2015 to near-unanimous acclaim.

Extensive touring ensued, including runs across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe alongside Mono and a 28-city trek with Swedish post-metal-cum-prog rock act Katatonia; chart placement and rapidly expanding attendance figures followed. In March 2018 the band shared a studio photograph via social media, then performed across Europe and the U.S. that summer. Drummer Joe Vickers departed amicably at year’s end and was replaced by longtime friend and collaborator Justin Forrest in early spring 2019. That May, Caspian announced they were recording a new album with producer Will Yip. The video and streaming single “Flowers of Light” appeared in November, followed by “Circles on Circles” in early 2020, with the album On Circles issued at the end of January.