Many WCHS students aren’t aware that their classmates have created a Screamo band. Screamo is a style of music that evolved from the Emo genre in the 1990s. It consists of hardcore punk beats and screaming, hence the name. However, not just any music with screaming can be considered “Screamo.” Screamo is extremely dynamic, with constant switches in tempo and chaotic sounds adding to the complex themes of pain, death and romance that commonly appear in this style of music.
WCHS seniors Marwa Davis and Julian Freisinger are founding members of the Screamo band “Expiration Date,” which started in June 2023 and has been going since.
WCHS senior and the band’s guitarist Davis was drawn to the genre of Screamo by its unique style and the strong community of listeners, all connected through the music. Davis finds there is no other genre like Screamo which is why she and other fans enjoy it.
“ Screamo is a heavier music genre brought together by a strong angsty community of people with shared interests in music and people it attracts,” Davis said. “It is unique in that it’s something so different from the mainstream, but holds a lot of power and meaning to the people a part of said community.”
WCHS senior and drummer Freisinger discovered the genre through that same community that drew Davis in. He came across it accidentally on YouTube, through the posts of Screamo artists and grew to love it.
“Screamo is just a blend of plenty of things but to me, it’s the most fun style of playing on the drums,” Freisinger said. “I discovered it through YouTube recommendations mostly, a couple of EPs and LPs just popped up and I listened and so it went.”
Expiration Date prides itself on writing their songs. Lead singer Jonny Fuertes is the main writer for the band, often writing about his personal experiences in hopes of connecting with the Screamo community.
“I don’t write the lyrics for the band,” Davis said. “Our singer Jonny tends to write about his experience with loss and the importance of abstaining from substances.”
One of Davis’ favorite parts of being in the band is performing for a live audience. It brings Davis so much joy to share the work of her and her bandmates with people in the Screamo community who really resonate with their music.
“We perform live shows a few times every couple of months,” Davis said. “It’s super rewarding to have an audience that generally enjoys the music that I and my friends came together and wrote while messing around in Julian’s basement.”
