Tell me about how xCurraheex formed (Did you get the name from watching Band of Brothers?) What does the name represent to you, if anything? (Please say running up and down a mountain whilst repeating the phrase!)

Smit - CURRAHEE did come from the TV show BAND OF BROTHERS and the meaning behind it means 'A band of brothers sticking together through tough times' as used in the show. As we practice in a gym i think it would be more suiting that we did run up & down a mountain at some point haha.

Mike - yeah that is where we got the name from, and it kind of fits us as we are a close groups of friends, plus we do actually run up and down a mountain, we dont practise, we just do that.
 

How old are you all & What do you do for fun outside the band? (not technically fun but also work/college)

SMIT (myself) is 26, MIKE is 27, GAV is 24 & JON is 22. We're all working class heroes and that takes up alot of our time but we fit the band around our work pattern.
 
Assuming your intentions were to form a straight edge youth crew band, what sorts of bands were you influenced by? Did you have any initial goals?

Smit - Our intentions were never to really start a youth crew band as such but definately along the lines of fast punk/hardcore. 3/4 of the band are all about youth crew bands and we're huge fans of YOUTH OF TODAY, BOLD, WARZONE, INSTED & UNIFORM CHOICE etc and it wasn't intentional that we would be a Straight Edge band, but the members who got together were all Edge and we went from there. All we want to do is play shows, release records and tour. You're only young once so we better do it right haha.

Mike – we didnt really set out to be like anyone, we did want to be youth crew but we didnt have goals to be a certain style, we just practised, and kept what ever songs came out and sounded half decent.

What’s the Manchester hardcore scene like at the moment? Are there many good venues and decent promoters?

Smit - Manchester has many great venues and especially for hardcore but the problem is that the venues are getting really expensive and therefore ticket prices have risen so that has majorly affected the turn outs at shows. We had a great promoter in Marios at Say It To My Face but he recently has taken time out from it all but he's done a great job for the Manchester scene and other Cities too. At the moment we have other promoters but they're not doing much and if they are then they charge ridiculous entry prices.

Mike - its not that good at the minute, we have some good shows every now and then, there are alot of really good venues, but prices keep going up, which means ticket prices go up, and i wouldnt say there are any good promoters, there used to be though. there is a promoter now who is pretty clueless, im not naming any names,
but i think alot of people know who im on about, he does nothing for the local scene and is bascially just in to to try and make some money.

Your just releasing your 7” (Why We Fight) on Commitment records and playing your record release show (tomorrow), How did working with C.R. come about? Were you stoked when you first saw it?  

Smit - Mike has been in touch with Robert Commitment for a while now and after a recording disaster set us back, Robert has gladly put the record out for us. We're so happy that things are going great with this record because we think we deserve it. It sounds great and theirs alot more like it planned for 2010.

Mike - well ive been talking to robert from commitment for a while now, it actually nearly didnt come out on commitment, we recorded it twice, the first time it came out really dead and dull sounding it just didnt do anything for us, so after we re recorded i sent the tracks to robert and he was really into it, and it just went from there.
i was so excited when i got the email about him wanting to realease it, and now the final product looks so good, were all really pleased with the sound and the artwork, it looks mint.
 
Javi has done some awesome artwork for it I see (he designed my first shirt), I have always loved crucial art work, one of the main things that appealed to me about the hardcore scene was the DIY spirit and being able to build a community, What keeps you interested in hardcore?
 
Smit - Javi has done a great job with our artwork and we couldn't thank him enough for it. He and Robert at Commitment Records are what keep us doing what we're doing because they introduce us to more and more bands of our style and we get intouch with them and we all get along and its great that we all share our views on hardcore, straight edge, vegetarianism and even culture. Its the unity we have with other hardcore fans that keep it interesting.

Mike - id have to say the people keep me in hardcore, i meet so many different kinds of people, some not so good, but the majority are amazing people, and its good to keep travelling around playing shows and hanging out with those new people, and javi does artwork for some of our friends in europe, so its good to keep it all tight like that.

Do xcurraheex get a good response at shows and are kids receptive to the message?

Smit - We do get a good response at shows but it all depends on the time and place. When we started out we were fresh faced and a new style to what was happening at the time in Manchester and with a big straight edge scene at the time, shows were great for us. In recent years the straight edge scene has got so small and i think us being a straight band dosn't appeal to many people anymore- Its a shame!
If we have any message for the up and coming fans of hardcore then i would say... Listen to Minor Threat and dont break the rules haha.

Mike - the atmoshpere on the night, but usually when theres a rise in sxe kids people are really into us for some reason, then they all sellout and its pretty quiet for a while, just ups and downs really.
quite alot get the message and its good to see them singing along to the straight edge songs, but most just see us as a normal hardcore band and not a sxe band.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the UK hardcore scene? Which bands are you excited about?

Smit - The hardcore in the UK right now is booming! So many bands have come through and it's great to see.
Bands to look out for in 2010 are BROKEN TEETH, NEVER AGAIN, BREAKING POINT, BAYS & ABOLITION.
Youth crew hasn't been popular for a while but we will do our own thing and hope to get it back where it should be.

Who would win in a fight between Floorpunch and Battery?
Smit - I would say Battery! I think FP are too drunk these days to put up much of a fight haha.
I could'v gave you a cheesey answer like i think Battery would win because they would last longer :)

Mike - haha i have no idea, id have to say fp, be fun to watch that one.

At what age did you become aware of the straight edge movement? Was it something you could already relate to?

Smit - I was aware of straight edge when i first went to a hardcore show when i was 16 but i didnt choose that path myself until i was 18. I was into my punk music from an early age through living with people older than me but i started getting into my own music like hearing Gorilla Biscuits and Youth Of Today i was hooked immedietely. I've never done drugs but my drinking stopped that day i read the lyrics.

Mike - i became aware of it at about 18 i think, but it never really interested me, i was too busy drinking and what not, and i only decided to go sxe at age 20, after realising that i was just wasting my time doing what i was doing.
 
What does living straight edge mean to you? Has this changed over time for you?

Smit - Straight Edge has never changed for me. It was all about having a clean lifestyle and staying from drugs and alcohol. That has always been the same and that will never change.

Mike - no its always stayed the same for me, to me it just means clean living, free of drugs/alcohol, im not really that into fucking myself up ha, and its always best to have control over your body.
 
What are your thoughts on the movement becoming more popularised and growing, is that something you would like to see, a more mainstream embrace?

Smit - I would love the scene to be huge! Packed out venues with raised fists with marked X's on :)
That is not likely to happen in Manchester but as for big labelled hardcore bands coming to town, they will get a big crowd. The big shows are now packed with 16-18 year olds which is great and it shows that hardcore is getting more popular. But will it stay like that? They should nickname the Manchester scene Yoyo haha.

Mike - well looking at the state of the uk at the minute i dont think it would hurt for more people to give up drugs and beer so i guess it would be good to see it become more mainstream, but then as it grows it will obvously attract idiots who will give it a bad time, as most things do.
 
What would you like kids to take away from hearing xCurraheex and what have you got planned for the future?

Smit - I would like the new kids on the block to hear us and have the same impression i did when i first heard straight edge music... And thats stick to it, get involved and start up your own band. If you agree with the message we're giving out then step up and carry on what was started so many years ago.
We have a bigger fan base around Europe than we do in the UK so we are saving up our holidays from work and hitting the mainland in the summer. Leading up to that we hope to hit you with another record.
 
Mike - well really they dont have to take anything away, if they just turn up to the show and have a good time then im happy. As for the future were just gonna keep going, tour more, hopefully make another record and just keep playing shows as much as we can.

Any final thoughts, rumours you want to start or random comments you feel compelled to add?

Mike - i think people should buy the new broken teeth demo on 7", its pretty good, did you hear that those guys suck each other off at practise? maybe thats something to spread around.

Smit - (I like Mikes answer about Broken Teeths demo for this part haha)