Earlier this year, Las Vegas experimental post-hardcore act Apex of Apathy released one of the most promising full-length debuts of 2013 with The Flying Machine. Including sounds from not only post-hardcore, but genres such as pop-punk, progressive rock, and alternative rock as well, the album was a seriously satisfying listen that burst at the seams with potential.

Only a few months removed from the introduction of The Flying Machine, Apex are already setting their sights towards the future with plans to release a brand new EP, entitled Saltwater, before the year comes to a close. We had the chance to speak with brothers Adam and Alex Byrd, the group’s drummer/vocalist and bass guitarist respectively, about how the forthcoming record is shaping up along with other topics such as touring and the memorable moments it entails, so follow the jump to get all of the details.

For those who have yet to hear Apex of Apathy, could you talk about how the band came together?

Adam: At our start in 2008 when I was fifteen years old, Apex of Apathy was just a title that my friend Brandon and I had given a to a project of ours that consisted of the two of us writing pop-punk songs for vocals and acoustic guitar. Soon after the start of the band, our friend Blake agreed to play drums with us and we started playing shows here in Vegas in October of 2009. A few months later, my brother Alex came home from college and started playing bass for us.

As far as where we’re at now, it’s taken us about five years, some shifting genre-wise, and countless member changes to be at a point now, with Zach and Morgan, where we feel like we’re getting close to being the best band we can be. The only remaining members from our original full line-up are Alex and I, although Brandon remains a big part of the band by writing some of our best lyrics and helping us out with merch at shows here in Vegas and on the road.

It’s been almost four months since the release of your debut album, The Flying Machine. What are your feelings on the record now that its release cycle is over and you’re focusing on other efforts?

Adam: Although we’ve gone through some significant changes as people and musicians since the release, the songs on The Flying Machine will always have a special place in our hearts, and we don’t plan on abandoning or forgetting about them any time soon. With that being said, we’re enthusiastic about jumping off from that release and working on something that will be even more exciting for us.

You mentioned to me that you have plans for a new EP. Are there any details you can share concerning that yet?

Adam: I can tell you that the EP will be entitled Saltwater, it’s going to be seven tracks long, and that it’s going to be concept-based in a way that not only relates to, but is a direct part of the story that is told in The Flying Machine.

What type of sound are you aiming to achieve on the forthcoming record?

Alex: The sound that we’ve found while writing Saltwater is completely different than anything we’ve done up until this point, and we’re a little nervous about how it will be received by fans of our other music. Our taste and general outlook as a band has been growing and the more we discover as listeners, the more we want to explore what we can create.

Listening to Saltwater, people will be able to hear a slightly less aggressive and more explorative side of what we can do, while still being able to enjoy our specific writing texture that will always carry over no matter what genre we play. People can expect some TTNG sounding riffs (look them up if you’ve never heard of them), some post rock stuff, more ambience, and also some jazz here and there. Having said that, I still think most people will call this EP “post-hardcore,” which we are totally okay with.

You recently parted ways with your label, Home Front Records. What made you decide to go independent?

Adam: We love the guys from Home Front Records, but we’ve decided to start looking towards labels that fit us better stylistically.

You just finished up your fourth tour, and from what was posted on your Facebook, it sounded rather hectic. What was the most challenging obstacle you faced while on the road?

Adam: There was one point on the tour when we were driving on an unpaved one-lane road on the top of a hill in Washington and hit a dead end, forced to find a way to turn around and go back the way we came (I should also mention it was about 2 in the morning). Considering that we were driving a 12 passenger van with a trailer attached, that wasn’t going to be easy. In the process of trying to make a U-turn, there was a point where one of the front tires of our van went off the road, and the van almost fell over the edge of the cliff. Luckily, that didn’t happen, and we were able to get the van turned around after detaching the trailer and moving it by hand so the van would have a little bit more room to maneuver.

Finally, at 3 in the morning, we got to the farm that we were sleeping at that night, and we all passed out on the floor immediately. Even with the near death experience and plenty of other bad-luck moments, we had an amazing time on the tour and all of the struggle we had to deal with just ended up bringing us closer and making the good times that much better.

Speaking of touring, can we expect to see you playing shows again before 2013 comes to a close?

Alex: We have a show coming up here in Vegas on July 19^th and then we plan on doing one more local show later this year to mark the release of the new EP. We’re also doing a tour in early November with one of our favorite bands.

Anything else you’d like to add?

First, we want to thank you, Michael, for taking the time to interview us. Secondly, I want to encourage everyone reading this to go check out the following releases from other Las Vegas bands:

Amarionette – Amarionette

Alaska – Everything is Fine

Garbage Tree – Amicis (not yet released)

Thank you!

Stay in touch with Apex of Apathy on Facebook, grab a free download of The Flying Machine on Bandcamp, and be sure to check out the preorder bundle for the Saltwater EP on the band’s official webstore.

Written and conducted by: Michael Giegerich (Follow him on Twitter)

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Mike Giegerich

Mike Giegerich is a freelance journalist with an affinity for the hip-hop scene. His top-five favorite records of all time are Future's last five releases. Feel free to blow up his mentions on Twitter.

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