Features

Hardcore act Expire recently released an explosive new album called "Pretty Low" (out now on Bridge Nine). If you haven't heard it yet, your loss! Here's a short email interview we did with the band. It takes about as long to read as it does to listen to one of their songs.

PRT: Can you give me the history of your band written in the form of a tweet?
Expire: We started in 2009 and have been searching for a way to end it all ever since :)
 
PRT: Was there one specific moment where you decided you wanted to be in a band?
Expire: When heard Smells Like Teen Spirit for the first time. Then again when I heard ...And Out Come The Wolves. Then again when I heard The Shape of Punk to Come. And again when I heard Demonstrating My Style. It's been a progression for sure.
 
PRT: For the people out there who haven’t heard of you guys yet… if Expire was the lovechild of two other bands, which bands would’ve had sex? And which position were you conceived in?
Expire: Wouldn't be sex. It would be an emo kid masturbating to Madball and accidentally cumming on his own face.
 
PRT: You’ve recently released a new album called “Pretty Low”. Does that describe your state of mind when you were making the album?
Expire: It definitely describe some of the thought process behind the record lyrically. It fit the vibe of the record.
 
PRT: The album is once again being released through Bridge Nine, one of the most respected hardcore labels out there. What was the first thing that went through your head when you heard they wanted to sign you guys?
Expire: I remembered buying Think I Care's "World Asylum" and thinking how much I loved that record. Then thinking that the same label would be putting out my band's record. Fucking sick.
 
PRT: The new album definitely sounds a lot heavier than “Pendulum Swings”. Is that something you set out to achieve or did the new material just turn out that way?
Expire: Absolutely. We all consciously wanted to write a heavier record and took more time writing to make sure every song showcased that.
 
PRT: Can you tell me a little bit more about the album cover? All you see is part of a woman’s face and her shoulder yet somehow it has this intensity to it
Expire: We wanted to related it to the album name and that was our initial thought from the get go. A very thin, fragile looking woman. Our friend Mike Watson took a crack at the and nailed the feel we wanted.

PRT: Do you think there’s something to it that bands from the East or West coast have it slightly easier to get noticed than a band from a smaller scene like the Midwest? Or is it all just about hard work and writing good songs?
Expire: Hard work and good songs definitely play a part but no one can deny that coast bands have an upper hand based on history and the sheer amount of people. Midwest kids have to travel further and want it more to be able to see the bands they love or put together successful tours. It's just the way it is.
 
PRT: I read an older interview where you talked about touring in the US versus Europe. Now, most bands keep things neutral and say that ‘it’s different’. You on the other hand said you get treated like kings in Europe but that the shows are a lot better in the US… which made this European wonder about why exactly shows in the US are better?
Expire: I definitely used to think that. Shows have picked up for us in Europe though so I can't really stick by that statement anymore. I think we just enjoy shows in the states more because it's a lot of our friends and we're in our comfort zone.
 
PRT: What’s up next for you guys? Full time touring for the rest of the year?
Expire: We're off for the rest of December then hitting it right away in January with an east coast run. Can't stop the train.