Matt Curreri is the songwriter at the center of the Exfriends. Born in Los Angeles, raised in Virginia, schooled in Indiana, Curreri ended up in San Diego by way of New York City.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Matt spent three years in New York City, writing and recording songs in a damp Chinatown basement. He then became reacquainted with fellow Notre Dame graduate Joanie Mendenhall, a classical piano player who talked Matt into taking her home to California. Mendenhall (formerly the bassist for Twice Starved) was 4 when she began studying piano, though she mostly composes using a guitar. The Encinitas native currently teaches piano at Giacoletti Music, as well as recording solo work.
The duo hooked up with a group of musicians to fillout the Exfriends: Ray Suen, Tyler Ward, and Kevin Gossett, all of whom are also teachers, either of private music classes or at local schools.
In May 2008, occasional violinist/mandolin player Ray Suen became a permanent member of the Killers.