THE ALMAS – AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK, CRYSTAL AND JOSH

THE ALMAS – AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK, CRYSTAL AND JOSH

By Ralph Beauchamp

Almas is an original female-fronted hard rock band hailing from New Munster, Wisconsin with an extensive touring history and multiple singles on Active Rock Radio. The band consists of Crystal Teigland [Lead Vocalist]Frank Slifka [Founding Member/Lead Guitarist]and Josh Sukowski [Guitarist]. The band just released their new single titled 'Lifeline' via Wake Up! Music Rocks. The track offers galvanic vocals, fiery guitar riffs and a dynamic backbeat. Additionally, “Lifeline” has a lively beat with highly melodic textures

Almas tapped producer Kile Odell (A Light Divided/Plush) to take the band to the next level. Led by Kile Odell, who lent his expertise as a producer, mixer and mastering engineer, “Lifeline” achieves a pristine sonic quality that sets it apart in the modern rock landscape. “It's bang! Sick riffs and awesome licks. 'Lifeline' was the first song written in the studio and launched us into our new era. This is the song we've been waiting for all its release cycle.” says Frank when talking about the single.

Almas they have an extensive touring and festival history. They consistently excel on the road. Almas leave no prisoners as their live shows are full of unbridled energy and dynamic excitement. The group shared the stage with Saliva, Slipknot, Ice Nine kills and Falling In Reverse. They have also toured with Smile Empty Soul and a group of top artists. Almas are a killer band ready to destroy the music stratosphere.

Frank, Crystal and Josh took time out of their busy schedules to sit down with AMP for this in-depth interview.

AMP: Can you give us a little history of the band?

SINCERE: The band started in 2016. We have been touring heavily since 2019. I am the only original/founding member. There have been a few member changes over the years.

CRYSTAL: Josh and I have been here since 2017.

AMP: Your new single “Lifeline” is melodically exciting. What was the inspiration behind the song?

CRYSTAL: This was the first song we wrote in the studio and the first we wrote with our producer Kile Odell. We haven't written outside of the band before. He incorporated some of his techniques such as bass. At first it was extremely overwhelming. He has a different writing style than what we are used to. We only had two weeks in the studio and it felt like crunch time. We didn't know if we would be able to record one song, five songs or none at all.

In terms of where we wanted to take the track, “Lifeline” is heavily influenced by mental health issues. It's about not having to go through life alone. There are people you can rely on who are willing to help.

AMP: Speaking of Kile, what was that experience like?

CRYSTAL: Apparent! It is now our secret weapon. Kile is an additional band member. When we came into the studio, we had originally written five songs and used maybe half of one. He asked if it was okay to dismiss the rest because he didn't listen Almas In what we brought. He wanted to find out who we really were and bring it to light. It was an incredible moment for us.

SINCERE: Kile really helped us define ourselves and understand our true selves. We needed that outside perspective, someone outside the box. It was this guy.

I AM JOKING: We were a little apprehensive about giving someone outside of the band that kind of power. It's crazy the way it works. At first, we had a hard time with him, but then we sat down with him and he explained that he didn't hear the real us. Kile wanted us to figure out who Almas is. That's all we needed. From there, everything took off and we wrote 'Lifeline' soon after.

AMP: The band advocates for mental health in your songs. What other themes do you incorporate into your music?

SINCERE: Lots of images of positivity. The record we're putting out is that we're in the storm. The next project will be about the calm after the storm. We always try to give a positive message.

I AM JOKING: Whenever we write something, it's always about the personal feelings we're experiencing at the moment. You can say our last record was about mental health issues. Some of us were struggling at the time. What I love about music is the fact that as an artist you can put those feelings into songs hoping that other people can relate to it. Maybe your song can help someone cope and feel better.

SINCERE: Going into the studio now finds us in a better place. So the next record will have a more upbeat vibe.

AMP: The video for “Lifeline” is impressive. Who came up with the storyboard?

SINCERE: We always love crazy ideas. Our video for “Cage” featured water. “Burn Out” had fire. So, jokingly, we talked about air and airplanes for “Lifeline.” That's what started the idea. Originally, it was to take place on a passenger plane. There would be a crash and everyone would be looking for a “lifeline”, but it turned out to be just a bad dream. The only problem was that we couldn't get a passenger plane. We had the ability to take a fighter jet and a helicopter. So we shifted gears. We've always been a huge supporter of our veterans, especially when it comes to their high suicide rate. This also made it into the story line.

I AM JOKING: It's always these crazy ideas we get when we're joking around. Someone throws one that everyone likes and we try to figure out the logistics from there.

AMP: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before?

I AM JOKING: A reverse-falling faceted female with Halestorm gradients.

AMP: What do you think is the key ingredient to the band dynamic?

CRYSTAL: We do not give up. Everything either goes big or goes home. This is the case with the tours, the videos and the whole ideology behind the band. Also, musically we want to be ourselves without feeling competitive against any other group. We just want to push ourselves in terms of our creativity. We like to push our limits.

SINCERE: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing it! This is our mantra.

AMP: We recently featured another Wisconsin band, Versus Me. Any other bands from the state we should check out?

CRYSTAL: Lines of Loyalty is big. Versus Me is great. There's Left of Reason, Trash Pandas and Would You Kindly?. They are all amazing teams.

AMP: You've toured with an elite group of artists like Saliva and Slipknot. Does any tour stand out as particularly memorable?

CRYSTAL: When it comes to touring. with a lot of these artists we've played festival shows with, not full tours. We would love to hit the road with Salio. We've played with them a few times and they're fantastic. In terms of actual touring, we played with Smile Empty Soul and learned so much. They are incredible people. Both humble and talented. Even their tour manager, Alphonso, was amazing.

I AM JOKING: I know I speak for the three of us when I say that the tour we did with A Light Divided was great. They became our best friends from the moment we met them. They were the best companions we ever had. Plus, they are killer musicians. I miss these guys.

SINCERE: It was the reason we stuck with Kile Odell. Thanks, A Light Divided.

CRYSTAL: Another shout out to our brothers at Silvertongue. He was on the tour we just finished. It was short but quite remarkable and we look forward to more dates with them. Really cool band.

AMP: What's next for The Almas?

CRYSTAL: More tours. We are already gearing up for another round of dates. The first part is some US shows, but the second part is yet another unannounced UK tour. We are looking forward to our first trip to England and Scotland. It will be glorious.

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