The Band





Current Lineup


Billy Howerdel: Composer, Guitar, Vocals


Maynard James Keenan: Lyrics, Lead Vocals


Josh Freese: Drums


Jeordie White: Bass Guitar, Vocals


James Iha: Guitar, Keyboards





Former Members


Troy Van Leeuwen: Guitar, Vocals


Paz Lenchantin: Bass Guitar, Vocals


Tim Alexander: Drums


Danny Lohner: Guitar





History


First there was Billy, Paz Lenchantin, and a girl named Jackie playing in Jackie's band. According to Billy, Paz was a force that really pushed him to take songs that he was working on to the next level. Billy was writing songs that he imagined as soundtracks for movies like "City Of Lost Children". As the songs evolved, they got shorter, as Billy began envisioning them as tighter pop songs, sung by a woman.


Billy met Maynard in '93, when Maynard's band Tool played with Fishbone, a band Billy helped out as a guitar tech. By '96, Billy was teching for Tool, still working on his songs in the portable studio he demanded he travel with. At some point, Maynard heard Billy's material, and asked for the opportunity to sing on them. Billy quickly got used to the idea of a male singer, and put together a band, originally rounded out by Danny Lohner of Nine Inch Nails on guitar and Tim "Herb" Alexander of Primus and Laundry on drums.


Maynard met Josh Freese at Lollapalooza '96 when Tool shared the bill with Devo, who Josh was playing drums for. Subsequently, Josh found himself working with Billy on the eternally delayed Guns N' Roses CD, Chinese Democracy. Maynard and Billy were both significantly impressed with Josh's talent, and were honored to bring him into the fold, alternating with Tim Alexander as drummer around other obligations until becoming a full-time member in 1999.


Troy Van Leeuwen of Failure and Enemy became the full-time guitarist in 1999 as well. Troy had worked as a Tool guitar tech with Billy (according to IMDB), and Failure (with Troy on guitar) had toured with Tool. Maynard and Billy were both fans of Troy's, considering him an excellent rare combination of studio musician precision, live flair, and creativity. Enemy and Tim Alexander's band Laundry supported A Perfect Circle for several shows in 1999 while Tim was still playing drums.


The lineup of Billy, Maynard, Paz, Troy, and Josh recorded Mer De Noms (though Tim Alexander contributed drums for The Hollow), and toured as a live band throughought the summer of 2000 with Nine Inch Nails, and through the fall and following winter as a headlining act. At that point, Maynard went back to the Tool camp for a new album (Lateralus) and more than a few tours, and Billy went back to the studio to begin work on the second album, and endeavor which would consume Billy for roughly two years.


In the meantime, Paz Lenchantin began playing with Billy Corgan's band Zwan, and Troy begain playing with The Queens Of The Stone Age as a live guitarist. In early 2003, Billy and Maynard announced that Paz would not be returning to A Perfect Circle, and would be replaced by Jeordie White, also known as Twiggy Ramirez, formerly of Marilyn Manson. Jeordie had known Billy for 10 years or so, when he ran into Josh Freese at a new year's eve party. The two got to talking about A Perfect Circle, and Josh told Jeordie that the band was auditioning bassists. Jeordie had auditioned for Metallica at the time, but never heard back. So he contacted Billy, auditioned, and ended up joining the band. At the same time, the band announced that Troy wouldn't be returning either, and Danny Lohner would step back into the picture, to replace Troy as a full-time guitarist. However, In early July 2003, word got out in no official manner that James Iha, of Smashing Pumpkins fame, had joined the band. As it would turn out, Danny Lohner's work on movie soundtracks and various projects had taken him away from the fold, and James had come in rather last minute to replace him.


Ironically, Josh Freese, the busiest drummer alive, is still with the band.





The Band Name


The band name comes from a line in Orestes. Billy says: "...We were toying around with a lot of names. We had a show coming up. Couldn't really get excited about any [names]. I mean, it's a pretty tricky thing, to try and name a band and [convey] a whole idea in a word or two. And, it was a line in one of the songs that kind of just popped out. Like it just was obvious to me all of a sudden. And, then, again, it just made me think of the circle- it's just like a circle of people, I really enjoy working with..." And really, not much more can be said.