Jump to content

The Exploding Hearts

From Alfawiki
The Exploding Hearts
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded2001 in Portland, Oregon, United States
FounderAdam Cox, Matt Fitzgerald, Terry Six, Jeremy Gage
Defunct2003 (original lineup)
Headquarters
Portland
,
United States
ProductsMusic albums and singles

The Exploding Hearts emerged as an American band blending punk rock and power pop, originating in Portland, Oregon, United States, in 2001. The core members during their original phase consisted of lead singer and guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, guitarist Terry Six, and drummer Jeremy Gage.

Tragically, soon after the release of their first full-length album, Guitar Romantic, Cox, Fitzgerald, and Gage lost their lives in a car crash on July 20, 2003, which led to the group’s dissolution. In 2023, Terry Six, the sole surviving founding member, revived the Exploding Hearts name by taking on lead vocal duties.

History

After forming in 2001, the band quickly became a notable presence within the US Pacific Northwest music community. Their style drew heavily from early British punk influences including Buzzcocks, The Clash, The Jam, The Boys, and The Only Ones, alongside Irish punk act The Undertones and power pop icons like Nick Lowe. Adam Cox brought New Orleans musician King Louie Bankston into the group after hearing Bankston’s track "I'm a Pretender" during a phone conversation. This collaboration resulted in a songwriting partnership that contributed significantly to Guitar Romantic.

Alongside bands such as The Briefs and the Epoxies—both associated with Seattle’s Dirtnap Records—The Exploding Hearts played a key role in revitalizing 1970s-style power pop and new wave sounds within the Portland and Seattle scenes. Their fusion of punk energy with catchy power pop hooks, coupled with dynamic live shows, earned them attention across the West Coast and coverage in publications like Maximumrocknroll and Shredding Paper. Their debut album, Guitar Romantic, was released in April 2003. Shortly following this release, Bankston parted ways with the band.

July 2003 accident

On July 20, 2003, while traveling back to Portland via Interstate 5 after a performance at San Francisco's Bottom of the Hill, the band’s van was involved in a crash near Eugene, Oregon. Reports indicated that Matt Fitzgerald, who was driving, fell asleep at the wheel causing the accident. Adam Cox (aged 23) and Jeremy Gage (aged 21) were thrown from the vehicle and died instantly; Fitzgerald (20) succumbed to injuries later at a hospital. Guitarist Terry Six (21) and manager Rachell Ramos (35) sustained only minor injuries. The band ceased activity following this devastating event.

In 2006, Dirtnap Records issued a compilation album commemorating their work. Their track "Modern Kicks" was placed at number 290 among the decade's top songs in 2009,[1] while their album Guitar Romantic was ranked as the 60th best album of that decade by Pitchfork Media.[2]

Post-Exploding Hearts projects

Following the band's end, Terry Six collaborated with former members of Portland’s The Riffs to create the power pop group The Nice Boys, which released a 7" single through Discourage Records and a self-titled album via Birdman Records. Six also reunited musically with ex-Exploding Hearts member King Louie Bankston in the duo Terry & Louie, producing ...A Thousand Guitars in 2015.[3] Bankston died on February 13, 2022.[3]

Revival

In 2023, Terry Six brought back material from Exploding Hearts for live performances with a lineup featuring himself on lead vocals and guitar, drummer John Tyree, bassist Chad Savage (both formerly of Terry & Louie), and guitarist Murat Aktürk. The group is slated to appear under the Exploding Hearts moniker at the Mosswood Meltdown festival in Oakland, California, scheduled for July 2025. Their debut performance at Pappy & Harriet’s garnered widespread praise. Additional upcoming engagements include sold-out shows at the Funtastic Dracula Carnival as well as concerts in London alongside The Speedways, among other venues across Europe.

Current members

  • Terry Six – guitars (2001–2003; 2023–present), lead vocals (2023–present)
  • Murat Aktürk – guitars (2023–present)
  • John Tyree – drums, percussion (2023–present)
  • Chad Savage – bass (2023–present)

Former members

  • Adam Cox – lead vocals, guitars (2001–2003; deceased)
  • King Louie Bankston – keyboards (2001–2002; passed away 2022)
  • Jim Evans – bass (2001–2002)
  • Matt Bunza – drums (2001)
  • Jeremy Gage – drums, percussion (2001–2003; deceased)
  • Matt Fitzgerald – bass (2002–2003; deceased)

Albums

  • Guitar Romantic (CD/LP, 2003): Issued by Screaming Apple Records on LP (limited to 1000 copies) and Dirtnap Records on CD (released March 24, 2003; 2300 copies).
  • Shattered (CD, 2006): A Dirtnap Records compilation gathering all singles and previously unreleased final studio tracks, complemented by a five-song live video set from their penultimate concert at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco.

Singles

  • "(Making) Teenage Faces" (2002): Released by Warning Records on vinyl with an initial run of 500 copies in white and black variants; features "Your Shadow" as the b-side. A planned third pressing was canceled following the accident.
  • "Modern Kicks" (2003): Issued by Pelado Records featuring an alternate version from the album; pressed in quantities of 700 black and 200 mixed color vinyl copies. B-side includes "Busy Signals."
  • "I'm a Pretender" (2003): Also released through Pelado Records.

Compilations

  • Dirtnap Across the Northwest (2003): Includes The Exploding Hearts’ rendition of FU2’s "Sniffin' Glue."

Demos

  • Original Demo (2001): An unreleased three-track demo recorded with original drummer Matt Bunza, containing early versions of “So Bored” and “Black and Blue,” plus a cover of Paul Collins' Beat’s “Walkin out on Love.”
  • The Pink Demo (2002): An unreleased five-song demo engineered by Pat Kearns; most tracks later appeared on Shattered, including a previously unreleased take on “Still Crazy.”

The track "Your Shadow" appears in EA’s skateboarding video game Skate.

Filmography

A documentary chronicling the band’s story is currently in production with plans for future release.

External links

  1. ↑ Pitchfork
  2. ↑ Pitchfork
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named P4Kbank
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=The_Exploding_Hearts&oldid=83711"