Nothing gets a hardcore band noticed faster than simply putting your band out there by playing as many shows as you can and putting out as many releases as you can.  In two short years, Cross Me have done just that.  They’ve played shows across the country and dropped three releases.  They play a brand of hardcore that is familiar, but they make it unique.  Before mosh parts, you won’t here so drawn out feedback or a mosh call.  The shit just hits and makes you want to start throwing Tyson like haymakers (check out their latest flexi release Mind Prison/Content for an example of what I’m sayin’).  I expect the Milwaukee quintet to continue putting out badass music for a long time, and it was no surprise to me that Bridge 9 snatched these guys up before they released an LP.  I had a chance to talk to Jimmy from Cross Me about their upcoming EP, Midwest life, and hardcore in general.  Check it out.

Midwest hardcore has been blowing up lately, and your new label Bridge 9 even has a handful of bands on the roster from the Midwest like Expire and recent signings Bent Life and True Love.  How would you describe Midwest hardcore and how does it compare to other styles of hardcore?

Midwest hardcore is definitely thriving right now. I feel that in the Midwest, no matter where you are shows are more of a rarity. Which in turn makes people more hungry to go to shows, and promote them, and make them as sick as they can. Because you don’t know when the next badass show will be. As corny as it sounds, Midwest shows vibe differently than any other because Its more of a special thing you know?

I’ve never been to Milwaukee before.  What’s the hardcore scene like there?

The Milwaukee hardcore scene is on the rise. A few years back, if there was 10 people at a show, it would be considered a sick show. Milwaukee needed a promoter who genuinely cares about hardcore and was psyched on bringing cool tours through town. Ever since our bassist Jake started taking care of things it’s been awesome.

I live in Orange County, California and all I know about Wisconsin is that it’s famous for cheese and the Green Bay Packers.  What’s a typical day like in the Badger State?

Haha, Wisconsin’s awesome man. I might have a bias opinion because I’ve lived here my whole life, but I feel like we all have a pretty good time. The summers here are bad ass, we BBQ, play sports, swim, act like dumbasses, etc. The Wisconsin winters consist of staying inside, trying to escape the cold, getting fat, and watching the Packers.

 

In Southern California people circle pit constantly, but when I lived on the east coast, no one circle pitted.  Do people circle pit in the Midwest?

Circle pits definitely happen, but I wouldn’t say it’s popular. I really only see it happen for thrash/metal/crossover bands.

I saw on your bandcamp page that the average age of the members of Cross Me is 20!  That’s super young!  How did you get into hardcore?

I got into hardcore just by going to local shows, and checking out anything my friends or older dudes told me to check out.

Cross Me has been a band since 2013, and in that short time you’ve already signed to Bridge 9 and played a handful of shows across the country including Rainfest this year.  What’s the wildest show Cross Me has played?

We’ve played our fair share of memorable shows and our fair share of god awful ones. Some bangers worth mentioning are Heartfest, the time we played Anchors Up (RIP), and honestly Rainfest is up there too.

I know when bands spend a lot of time on the road, there’s a lot of down time.  What’s the best prank you or one of your band mates has played on someone while touring?

We’ve done some gnarly shit to each other, but a lot of it I can’t say openly haha. There are a few “harmless” pranks that I can think of, but honestly it all runs together after a while. I remember someone throwing pee on Jake while he was in the shower. We went through this period where we froze each others shoes. We prank call, a lot… It might seem childish, but nothing burns time in the van better than prank calls over the stereo speakers.

Stages dives, sing alongs, or the mosh.  Which is your favorite?

Mosh all day baby.

Cross Me has released a demo and a seven inch so far, and has a 7″ planned for release this fall.  How do the songs on the upcoming EP differ from your previous releases?

We’re keeping a lot of the same elements that our previous releases have, but we’re also throwing in a lot of stuff we haven’t tried yet. Different styled riifs, drum patterns, ect. All the while focusing more on song structure and making songs over all more catchy.

What are Cross Me’s plans for after the 7″ drops?

We plan on releasing it this fall, and after that we’re looking to do some sort of support tour. Then who knows!

When can we expect to see a full length from Cross Me?

We’d like to have it out by spring of next year

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Big thank you to Expire and Flatspot Records for being the biggest help in the world when we were first trying to get the ball rolling. I can confidently say we wouldnt be doing a whole hell of a lot without those group of dudes.