Music
Press
Aug 19 - 2005
Vivian Huyn checks out the best of the Luna Park festival.
“The pick of the Come Together 2’s up-and-comers are the so-new-they’re-still-shrink-wrapped Expatriate. The Sydney band do 80’s gloom pop with a touch of Morissey-style contemplation.”
- The Sydney Morning Herald
Review of Faker support at The Annandale, Friday July 8
Review by Brooke Robinson
“The exceptional stage presence of Sydney band Expatriate belies their relative inexperience. Lead by intriguing front man Ben King, the band achieve what is desired by most; that is, to take an entirely original spin on sounds of the past (in this case the brooding, dark energy of 80s guitar bands). More pertinently, what’s most incomparable about Expatriate is their ability to produce a quietly dramatic sound, one that skirts the obvious danger of superfluidity as sometimes present in others of the same aesthetic such as Muse.”
- The Brag 18:07:05
Sub Heading
'From labels to DJ's to indie rockers, these are the movers and shakers who are coming up from Down Under.
'Expatriate'
Smart-ass new wave indie from Sydney.
Hear: Killer Kat (Dew Process)
-Includes photo of EP cover - NME - Jan 2006
Discography
EP release date 31/10/05 via Dew Process/Universal (Australia)
EP to be released in North America (Canada via Interscope/Universal) + UK/Europe (tbc) mid to late 2006.
Photos
Bio
Expatriate frontman, Ben King, grew up amidst the chaos of Jakarta. By day ensconced in the walled fortress of a United Nations meets Dazed and Confused International school where air conditioning replaces water as the main source of survival, where sons and daughters of spies, Japanese corporate idols, regime merchants, Texan zealots and American think tankers are the norm. By night, traversing the crazy city streets of Jakarta, all bright lights and dark places, chaos amidst order, skyscrapers and squats and skinny police with big machine guns. It’s a story of young love lost and displacement. An expatriate repatriated. It’s these contradictions that permeate through their music. Dark and light, desperation and hope, hate and love, loneliness and belonging.
10 years later Ben hangs out at airports, watches planes, listens to air traffic control and dreams of becoming a pilot. Then forms Expatriate. The cool, calm and collected Chris Kollias (dubbed the 'live drum machine') keeps the band steady while Damian Press is the technical mastermind, taking care of all Expatriate’s production in the band’s Petersham headquarters, Ginsberg Studios, ably assisted by a wise cat named Ginsberg.
They recorded their EP in Ginsberg, spending weeks mixing the tracks and creating the many layers that is their trademark. Entitled 'Lovers le Strange' the 5 track EP (and 'that' cover photo) was released on October 31st, 2005. The first single, 'The Spaces Between' spent 6 weeks on high rotation on national broadcaster Triple J. Expatriate ended the year with a performance at Homebake on the Dome stage, pretty special for a band only 1 year old!
At the close of 2005 the band had toured the nation three times and played to enthusiastic crowds who took the EP home to sleep in their stereos for the summer. 2006 has already built on the bands start. The second single off the EP 'Killer Kat' gained high rotation on Triple J. A national headline tour (their first) took place in February that sold out. A quick trip overseas in March to London, Toronto, NYC, LA and Austin brought the band to the atttention of many Upon hearing their music, Jim Kerr personally invited the band to support Simple Minds (UK) on the Australian leg of their world tour during May. In June, Expatriate will begin recording their debut record in Seattle with John Goodmanson (Death Cab for Cutie, Blonde Redhead, Von Bondies) in June of 2006.
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