Former Plaids bandmates Joe Caithness and Matthew Green have reunited as Eyam Cross, a long-distance recording project drawing inspiration from the noisier, more experimental side of '80s and early '90s emo.
With Caithness based in Nottingham and Green in London, the duo have embraced a different approach to making music, leaving behind the demanding rehearsal and touring schedules of their previous band. "Eyam Cross isn't so much Plaids 2.0 but a post-Plaids project," Caithness tells me, explaining that the pair wanted to explore musical ideas they hadn't pursued in their previous band.
While Plaids incorporated elements of 2000s post-hardcore and bands like Minor Threat and Dag Nasty, Eyam Cross leans further into a denser, less structured sound, explains Joe. "As much as I love the melodic and super tight sound of early '80s harDCore, there is something to be said about the far-out hippie vibes of The Hated and Moss Icon, where improvisation and density are more present than just hardcore with different vocals and chords.
On the Eyam Cross Bandcamp page, they refer to themselves as "anglo-celtic emotional hardcore." Interesting.
The project's debut two-song release, It's Always the Quiet Ones, explores contrasting emotions of grief and renewal. Opening track "An Empty Screen" was written during lockdown following the suicide of a friend, while "Cloth in Your Hand" addresses leaving old projects behind to make room for something new.
The recordings also feature former Plaids drummer Nick and bassist Phil Booth, who helped record and produce the vocals at JT Soar. Drums were recorded by Boulty at Stuck On A Name.
Looking ahead, Eyam Cross hope to release several short EPs over the next year, potentially collecting the material for a vinyl release. "We're hoping that if people dig these two songs, we'll keep writing over the next year and release a few two-to-four-track EPs until we have enough material for a physical release," Joe says. "We'd love to put together a sort of 'year one' vinyl collection featuring those releases alongside some new songs. Not being a touring band (do those even exist in the 2026 economy?!) might make that difficult, but we're at peace with that."
For now, the project offers the former bandmates an opportunity to reconnect creatively without the demands of their old touring schedule.
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