Three of the band's members died in a car accident in 2003, after which no attempt was made to continue using the band name in any capacity.

During the early 2000s the band rose to prominence in the US Pacific Northwest scene with a combination of energetic live shows and extremely well received singles.

The band drew their influence from early British punk bands like The Undertones, Buzzcocks, The Jam, The Boys and The Only Ones, as well as power pop acts like Nick Lowe. The Exploding Hearts led a revival of 1970s-era power pop and new wave in the Seattle and Portland area along with bands like The Briefs and the Epoxies on the then-Seattle-based Dirtnap Records. They released only one album, Guitar Romantic, during their existence as a band.

On July 20, 2003 the band was in a car accident which claimed the lives of three members. Their touring van flipped over on Interstate 5 just north of Eugene, Oregon while en route from San Francisco to Portland. Jeremy Gage and Adam Cox were thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Matthew Fitzgerald, died at a hospital. Terry Six and band manager Rachelle Ramos both survived with minor injuries. The band ceased to exist in the aftermath of the accident.

Their song "Your Shadow" is featured in the EA skateboarding video game Skate.

Their song "Modern Kicks" was listed as the 290th greatest song of the 2000s decade and their album Guitar Romantic deemed the 60th best album of the same decade by Pitchfork Media.

Terry Six went on to front and play guitar for the Portland-based power pop band, The Nice Boys. Other members of the band include three former members of the Portland-based The Riffs: guitarist Gabe Lageson, bassist Colin Jarrell, and drummer Alan Mansfield. They have released a 7" single on Discourage Records entitled "You Won't See Me Anymore" b/w "Lipstick Love" and a S/T full length album on Birdman Records.