THE ALMAS – AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK, CRYSTAL AND JOSH

By Ralph Beauchamp

The Almas are an all original female-fronted hard rock band hailing from New Munster, Wisconsin with an extensive tour history and multiple Active Rock Radio charting singles. The band is composed of Crystal Teigland [Lead Vocalist], Frank Slifka [Founding Member/Lead Guitarist], and Josh Sukowski [Guitarist]. The band just released their hard hitting new single entitled “Lifeline” via Wake Up! Music Rocks. The track delivers galvanic vocals, fiery guitars riffs and an emboldened backbeat. In addition, “Lifeline” has a vibrant cadence with extremely melodic textures

The Almas utilized producer Kile Odell (A Light Divided/Plush) to take the band to the next level. Helmed by Kile Odell, who lent his expertise as producer, mixer, and mastering engineer, “Lifeline” achieves a pristine sonic quality that sets it apart in the contemporary rock landscape. “It’s a banger! Sick riffs and awesome licks. ‘Lifeline’ was the first song written in the studio to start us in our new Era. This is the song we’ve been waiting this entire release cycle for,” says Frank when talking about the single.

The Almas have an extensive tour and festival history. They constantly excel on the road. The Almas leave no prisoners as their live shows are full of unbridled energy and dynamic enthusiasm. The group have shared the stage with the like of Saliva, Slipknot, Ice Nine kills and Falling In Reverse. They have also toured with Smile Empty Soul and a bevy of top tier artists. The Almas are a killer band who are poised the destroy the musical stratosphere.

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

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

FRANK: The band started in 2016. We’ve been heavily touring since 2019. I’m the only original/founding member There have been a few member changes throughout the years.

CRYSTAL: Josh and I have been around since 2017.

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

CRYSTAL: This was the first song we wrote in the studio and the first one we wrote with our producer Kile Odell. We have never written outside the band before. He incorporated some his techniques such as bass drops. At first it was super 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, five or no songs.

As far as 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 lean on and who are willing to help.

AMP: Speaking of Kile, how was that experience?

CRYSTAL: Phenomenal! He’s now our secret weapon. Kile is an additional member of the band. When we came to the studio, we originally had five songs written and we used maybe a half of one. He asked if it was okay to scrap the rest because he didn’t hear The Almas in what we brought in. He wanted to discover who we really were and bring that to light. It was a formabible time for us.

FRANK: Kile really helped us define ourselves and figure out our true selves. We needed that outward perspective, somebody outside the box. He was that guy.

JOSH: We were a little apprehensive about giving someone outside the band that kind of power. It’s crazy the way he works. Initially, we had a tough time with it but afterwards we sat down with him and he explained that he didn’t hear the real us. Kile wanted us to figure out who The Almas are. That’s all we needed. From there, everything took off and we wrote “Lifeline” right after that.

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

FRANK: A lot of images of positivity. The record we are putting out is about being in the storm. The next project will be about the calm after the tempest. We are always trying to push a positive message.

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

FRANK: 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?

FRANK: We always like crazy ideas. Our video for “Cage” featured water. “Burn Out” had fire. So, jokingly, we talked about air and planes for “Lifeline”. That’s what kicked off the idea. Originally, it was going 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 we couldn’t get a passenger plane. We did have the ability to get a fighter jet and a helicopter. So, we switched gears. We have always been huge supporters of our veterans, especially concerning their high suicide rate. That also got into the story line.

JOSH: It’s always these crazy ideas we get when we are just joking around. Someone tosses one out that everybody likes and from there we try to figure out the logistics.

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

JOSH: A female fronted Falling In Reverse with Halestorm inflections.

AMP: What do you feel is the main ingredient of the band’s dynamic?

CRYSTAL: We don’t quit. Everything is either go big or go home. That’s with touring, videos and the whole ideology behind the band. Also, musically we want to be ourselves without feeling competitive towards any other group. We just want to push ourselves concerning our own creativity. We love to push our limits.

FRANK: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing! That’s our mantra.

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

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

AMP: You’ve toured with an elite group of artists like Saliva and Slipknot. Any tour particularly stands out as memorable?

CRYSTAL: When it comes to touring. a lot of those artists we played at festival appearances with, not full tours. We would love to hit the road with Saliva. We played with them a handful of times and they’re fantastic. As to actual tours, we played with Smile Empty Soul and we learned so much. They are incredible people. Both humble and talented. Even their tour manager, Alphonso, was amazing.

JOSH: I know I speak for the three of us when I say 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 tour mates we ever had. Plus, they are killer musicians. Miss those guys.

FRANK: They were the reason we got hooked up with Kile Odell. Thank you, A Light Divided.

CRYSTAL: One more shoutout to our brothers in Silvertongue. They were on the tour we just finished. It was short but quite notable and we are looking 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. Part one is some US shows but part two is a yet unannounced tour of the UK. We are looking forward to our first trip to England and Scotland. It will be glorious.

US Tour:
Friday, 6/21 | Rockford, IL – Whiskey’s Roadhouse
Saturday, 6/22 | West Chicago, IL – The WC Social Club
Sunday, 6/23 | West Allis, WI – Da Bar
Thursday, 6/27 | Portage, WI – Studio 301
Friday, 6/28 | Fort Madison, IA – Vinnie’s Longbranch
Saturday, 6/29 | Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
Sunday, 6/30 | Omaha, NE – Beach House Bar & Grill
Tuesday, 7/2 | Shawnee, OK – The Ritz
Wednesday, 7/3 | Tulsa, OK – The Soundpony Bar
Thursday, 7/4 | Bentonville, AR – Meteor Guitar Gallery
Friday, 7/5 | Little Rock, AR – Stickyz Rock ‘N’ Roll Chicken Shack
Saturday, 7/6 | Olive Branch, MS – Mississippi Ale House
Tuesday, 7/9 | Cincinnati, OH – Legends Bar and Venue
Wednesday, 7/10 | Newark, OH – The Newark Hub
Thursday, 7/11 | Millvale, PA – Mr. Small’s Funhouse
Friday, 7/12 | Gettysburg, PA – Gettysburg Town Center
UK Tour: July 19th-27th
Saturday, 8/17 | Brodhead, WI – Rock2Stop22
Friday, 8/23 | Jackson, MI – HAVOC Fest
Cruise: September 9th-13th
[5-Day, 4-Night Cruise out of Miami, Florida on the MSC Magnifica]

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