Expatriate

Australian experimental rock outfit Expatriate derived their moniker from an overlapping motif running through the members’ formative years. Lead vocalist Ben King spent his childhood in Jakarta, where an international high school placed him among peers drawn from every continent. That global immersion in sound and culture accompanied the family’s return to Australia during his early adolescence. After briefly enrolling in political studies at Sydney University, King redirected his focus toward music as a vocation. Fellow musician Chris Kollias, raised by Greek immigrant parents, navigated both ancestral traditions and local youth scenes in Australia. The two first crossed paths at a Sydney hotel, where shared personal histories and musical affinities quickly surfaced. Completing the lineup was Kollias’s roommate Damian Press, whose keyboard and sound-design skills helped anchor the project; together they adopted the name Expatriate and commenced regular songwriting. Their debut EP, Lovers le Strange, appeared in October 2005. Its singles secured consistent radio rotation, which in turn secured nationwide touring opportunities. By 2006 the group was fronting sold-out Australian headline dates, soon supplemented by shows in the U.K. and Canada. Jim Kerr’s invitation to support Simple Minds on the Australian portion of their world tour that year placed Expatriate in front of larger crowds. Momentum made a full-length debut essential. Joined that summer by new bassist Dave Molland, the band recorded and mixed In the Midst of This in Seattle; the album reached stores in April 2007.