For Houston band xBarrymorex, what started out as a joke quickly turned into something real. “At some point, Derek made a joke to Nick about starting a straight edge pop-punk band,” bassist Chris tells No Echo.
From there, things moved fast. With members already connected through the local scene and various past projects, the lineup came together naturally. “We’ve all known each other and played shows together in different bands for a while, so it snowballed pretty quickly.”
So, what does Chris call what xBarrymorex is doing? “Houston straight edge easycore," says Chris. He tells No Echo that the band mines influence from melodic, positive hardcore acts like Gorilla Biscuits and Shelter, while blending in the bounce and hooks of early-2000s pop-punk acts like Saves the Day and New Found Glory.
“That easycore label sort of became true over time,” Chris explains. “We wanted to channel those melodic and positive hardcore bands, but also bring in that pop-punk energy that’s tied to hardcore.” The result can be heard on xBarrymorex's 2026 demo:
On the lyrical front, vocalist Kyle points to themes of individuality and resilience as central to the demo. “The songs are about thinking for yourself and finding comfort and positivity when faced with hardships,” he says. Those ideas pull from a wide range of influences, including years spent in the hardcore community, current events, and even classic literature.
Despite only playing a handful of shows so far, the response has already been encouraging. “We’ve gotten a really positive reaction, which has been nice,” Kyle adds.
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xBarrymorex on social media: Instagram
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