Almas – Interview with Frank, Crystal and Josh

Almas – Interview with Frank, Crystal and Josh

Ralph Beauchamp

Almas is an all-original female-fronted hard rock band from New Munster, Wisconsin, with an extensive touring history and multiple active rock radio charting singles. The band consists of Crystal Teigland [Lead Vocalist]Frank Slivka [Founding Member/Lead Guitarist]and Josh Szukovsky [Guitarist]. The band just released their hot new single “Lifeline” via Wake Up! Music rock. The song is packed with driving vocals, fiery guitar riffs, and bold beats. In addition, the rhythm of “Lifeline” is full of energy and the melody has a strong texture.

Almas Producer Kile Odell (A Light Divided/Plush) took the band to the next level. Lifeline is helmed by Kile Odell, who uses his expertise as a producer, mixer and mastering engineer to achieve a pristine sound quality that makes it stand out in the contemporary rock scene. “It’s so good! Sick riffs and a great lick. “Lifeline” was the first song written in the studio and kicked off our new era. This is the song we’ve been waiting for this entire release cycle. Frank said of the single.

Almas It has a rich history of tourism and festivals. They continue to excel on the road. Almas Their live shows are filled with unbridled energy and vibrant enthusiasm that take no prisoners. The band has performed with bands such as Saliva, Slipknot, Ice Nine Kills and Falling In Reverse. They also tour with Smile Empty Soul and a bunch of top artists. Almas is a killer band ready to destroy the pinnacle of music.

Frank, Crystal and Josh took time out of their busy schedules to give AMP an in-depth interview.

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

frank: The band was established in 2016.

crystal: Josh and I have been working together since 2017.

AMP: Your new single “Lifeline” is melodic and catchy. What was the inspiration behind this song?

crystal: It was the first song we wrote in the studio and the first song we wrote with our producer Kile Odell. We had never written anything outside of the band before. He incorporated some of his techniques, such as bass drops. It was super overwhelming at first. His writing style is different from what we are used to. We were only in the studio for two weeks and it felt like a pivotal moment. We didn’t know if we would be able to record one song, five songs or no songs.

In terms of the route we wanted to take, Lifeline was heavily impacted by mental health issues. It’s about not having to go through life alone. There are people you can rely on and are willing to help.

AMP: Speaking of Kile, how was that experience?

crystal: marvelous! He’s our secret weapon now. Kyle is another member of the band. When we came to the studio, we originally wrote five songs and we probably used half of them. He asked if he could drop the rest because he didn’t hear Almas He wants to discover who we really are and bring it to light. It was a great time for us.

frank: Kyle really helped us define ourselves and find out who we really are. We need outside perspectives, people who think outside the box. He is that person.

Josh: We were a little concerned about giving that power to people outside of the band. The way he works is crazy. Initially, we had a hard time, but then we sat down with him and he explained that he didn’t hear the real us. Kyle wants us to find out who Almas yes. That’s all we need. From that point on, things started to take off, and we wrote “Lifeline” after that.

AMP: The band promotes mental health in your songs. What other themes are incorporated into your music?

frank: Lots of positive images. The record we released was about being in the storm. The next project will be about the calm after the storm. We are always trying to send a positive message.

Josh: Whenever we write something, it’s always about the personal feelings we’re experiencing at the moment. You can tell our last record dealt with mental health issues. Some of us were struggling at the time. What I love about music is that as an artist you can put those emotions into a song and hopefully other people can relate to it. Maybe your song can help someone cope and feel better.

frank: Walking 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 storyboarding?

frank: We always love crazy ideas. Our “Cage” video features water. “Burn Out” is a hit. So we joked about the “lifeline” of air and airplanes. That’s how the idea started. Originally, it was conducted on a passenger plane. There will be a car accident and everyone will look for a “lifeline” but it turns out to be just a nightmare. The only problem is we can’t buy airliners. We do have the ability to acquire fighter jets and helicopters. So, we changed directions. We have always been a huge supporter of veterans, especially given their high suicide rates. This also feeds into the storyline.

Josh: We always get these crazy ideas when we’re just joking around. Someone throws out an item that everyone loves, and we try to figure out the logistics from there.

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

Josh: “Falling In Reverse” with a female vocalist has a Halestorm inflection.

AMP: What do you think is the main ingredient of a band’s energy?

crystal: We don’t give up. It’s all about going big or going home. This includes tours, videos and the entire ideology behind the band. Also, musically we want to be ourselves and not compete with any other group. We just want to push our creativity. We like to push our limits.

frank: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth going overboard! This is our motto.

AMP: We recently featured another Wisconsin band, Versus Me. Are there any other bands from the state we should be looking at?

crystal: Loyalty lines are a big undertaking. It was great to play against me. There’s “Left of Reason,” “Trash Panda” and “Would You Rather?” They are a great group.

AMP: You’ve toured with an elite group of artists such as Saliva and Slipknot. Was there any trip that was particularly memorable?

crystal: When it comes to touring. We play festivals with a lot of artists rather than a full tour. We’re happy to hit the road with our saliva. We played with them a few times and they were great. As for the actual tour, we played with Smile Empty Soul and learned a lot. They are incredible people. Both humble and talented. Even their tour manager Alfonso was great.

Josh: I know I speak for all three of us when I say the tour we did with A Light Divided was great. From the moment we met them, they became our best friends. Plus, they are killer musicians. Miss those guys.

frank: They’re the reason we’re obsessed with Kiel O’Dell. Thank you, Split Light.

crystal: Once again, we salute our silver-tongued brothers. They were on the trip we just finished. It’s short but very compelling and we look forward to many more dates with them. Really cool band.

AMP: What’s next for Almas?

crystal: More tours. We are already preparing for another round of dates. The first part is some US shows and the second part is a yet to be announced UK tour. We are looking forward to our first trip to England and Scotland. It will be brilliant.

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