Ex Astris

Ex Astris might not have their full lineup set in stone but that hasn’t hindered their chances at becoming one of 7 Cities’ newest shining stars.  While the story of their start is somewhat of a joke (and involving lyrics inspired from a can of some other energy drink), their abundance of talent is not.  With Andrew as the lead vocalist, Tavish on guitar, Mark on drums and Joseph filling in on bass, this powerful screamo unit might just surprise you with how established they’ve become in an incredibly short period of time (they just formed in mid-October of last year).  When you listen to their first single “Life Vests” you would hardly guess that Ex Astris has only just played their first show – at Club Relevant with Motionless In White and fellow local band From the Sky – less than 2 weeks ago!  Almost as remarkable is the fact that this is Andrew’s first band and, though they’ve been writing music together for the past couple years, Mark and Tavish haven’t been in any serious groups either.

The guys are influenced musically by a wide array of artists ranging from pop bands to Oceana to Dallas Taylor (ex-Underoath and current frontman of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster) and take cues for their live performances from other local bands and touring artists that they’ve had the opportunity to see live.  All you might need is a look at their performance schedule to prove Ex Astris’ dedication to making a name for themselves – they’re playing their next show with heavy-hitters Alesana, Drop Dead Gorgeous and Fear Before.  Despite the fact that music is about 99% of their lives, you’d be surprised to learn of the other things that keep this York County, VA quartette busy; as Andrew claims, “If we’re not making music we’re either job hunting or eating Spicy Chicken Go Wraps from Wendy’s, Tavish is acting or memorizing lines, Mark is talking about drums and Joseph is hiking through the mountains.”

Another interesting tidbit of information is the story behind their name – how they came up with it and what it means.  When asked about it Andrew said, “Basically, Joseph and Tavish were looking for a sweet band name.  They followed the format that The Fall of Troy used and eventually came across Ex Astris after eliminating some other choices.  Ex Astris is Latin for ‘from the stars’ – (laughing)  It’s sweet.”  Their name isn’t all that’s sweet – their music has just the right mixture of hardcore influence and melodic undertones to force the listener to take notice (and turn it up!)  While Ex Astris wishes they could move to Florida and tour continuously (why? “It’s the Sunshine State!”), they are quite content with booking several shows in the 7 Cities area and throughout Virginia in the near future so make sure you check them out and be one of the first to experience this up-and-coming screamo sensation!