The Almas
Interview conducted on June 3, 2021
By Dan Locke
The Almas are an international touring hard rock band from New Munster, Wisconsin. Formed in 2016, the band released their eponymous EP and a year later the full-length album ‘Back To Bad’. Their music has a very large and refreshingly organic sound that follows in the many traditions of the yester-year of Rock N Roll, thus gaining them the reputation of being a hard rock version of Fleetwood Mac, just dirtier.
Crystal Teigland – Vocals
Frank Slifka – Lead Guitar
Josh Sukowski – Rhythm Guitar
Chris Arndt – Bass Guitar
Andrew Ehredt – Drums
Interviewee: Frank Slifka (lead guitarist)
What is your upbringing?
Well, I was born and raised in Burlington, Wisconsin in a Catholic home. Lived here my whole life. I’m a country boy at heart with a big city mentality.
How did you discover music?
When I was young my dad would always play records from the 30’s or tapes of 50’s Rock N Roll. You know, the true oldies. We would dance around the living room all the time. Plus, my family would always watch musicals, mainly anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I guess music has always been a part of my life, I just didn’t realize it till much later when I first heard AC/DC’s Back in Black. It wasn’t till listening to the album that I wanted to feel the way that album made me feel all the time.
How did you start to write music?
It all started when my parents got me my first guitar when I was 13. Like everyone, I learned and attempted to play a bunch of covers and amongst trying to play these songs I found myself doodling and coming up with bits and pieces of what would become my first songs.
Your band was formed in 2016. How did your band form?
I was in another project at the time and I simply didn’t see a future for myself in that band anymore. I was also battling bad alcohol addiction and I felt if I was going to get over my addiction, I needed to start everything over. I had to redefine who I was and do things the most honest way possible.
How did you get your band’s name?
The word ‘alma’ means soul in the Spanish language. When I started the band, I felt like I was trying to find my ‘soul’ again. Hence the name, The Almas.
Describe your music.
Jokingly we always say the band is like a hard rock version of Fleetwood Mac, just dirtier.
Really, we are your simple old school, classic Rock N Roll band with cranked Marshalls and female leads.
What was your first performance at like?
As a band? It was in a small basement for a friend’s birthday party. Very dark, rocked out next to a water heater. Humble beginnings I’d say.
You have shared the stage with the likes of Saliva, Wayland, Shallow Side, Dizzy Reed, Tantric, Max Weinberg, and Janet Gardner. Has any band ever given you some words of wisdom?
For me personally, it was from Jake E. Lee. If you didn’t know, he wrote/played guitar for Ozzy most notably the song, Bark at The Moon. We started talking about Hagstrom guitars, which I am very loyal to, and he mentioned that when he saw my guitars he said, “It’s hard to be unique and you nailed it, keep being unique.” Those words let me know deep down that the band and I were on the right track.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Each member of the band is a BMI member. As you probably already know, BMI doesn’t cover all the bases, however. We are currently all signing up for Sound Exchange which covers all the non-mechanical royalties. Which if you are not familiar are non-interactive digital sound recordings. “Noninteractive” meaning you can’t choose your song like Sirus XM, and the free version of Pandora.
What makes a good songwriter?
The word “good” is very subjective. What I feel makes a “proficient” songwriter is anyone who is in-tune with their emotions and has the ability to express them in a matter that others can understand.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
The band’s first original song was entitled Bad Habits. Matter of fact there have been multiple recordings of the song, a demo, and an EP version. We actually have plans to re-release a version of the self-titled EP, which will include Bad Habits and a few new songs.
What is the process of writing your music?
One thing to note is that the band always writes as a collective. Someone usually has a guitar riff or a cool chord progression and we jam it. Usually, by the end of practice, we will have a skeleton of a song. From that point, members are always throwing new ideas at the song and we slowly mold it into a completed piece of art. Never does a single member come into practice having a whole song written. We are true believers of “the moment” and we believe that each member in that rooms brings an energy that can only be felt when we are all together.
Tell me about your new album “Truth Sells”?
“Truth Sells” is The Almas second full-length album. We did most of the writing during the pandemic since touring wasn’t exactly viable at the time. We felt that people nowadays simply want the truth, honest and raw, good or bad. There is a subconscious longing for true human interaction and not one that is coming through a screen. When we set out to write this album, we first thought that the record needed to be a cohesive-sounding album. What I mean by this is we felt that songs needed to have a similar feel, sounds, vibe if you will. However, we found ourselves unable to do so, because we felt trapped in a box that we were keeping ourselves in. So, we wound up just writing songs that we felt in the moment. Inevitably the songs are going to have our sound because we are the ones writing them. We wanted the lyrics and songs to be honest and truthful about our perspective on the world without being controversial but leaving the song open for interpretation.
What is your favorite track on your album?
I feel like these changes all the time, haha. It’s always a toss-up between Casual Encounters and Chemistry. Casual Encounters is a fun catchy song. Reminds me of the 80’s. Just good old rock. However, Chemistry has a lot of dynamics and when writing it really pushed my creativity in a way. It had to be haunting but not depressing with a sense of resolve or hopefulness.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I think it’s too easy. Let me explain. Streaming is super convenient to look up a single and add it to the ever-growing favorite playlist. It’s awesome that I can peace out to Mozart one second and the next second I can headbang till I have a headache. This is all well and good but I feel people are only listening to singles and not checking out anything else by the band. Before, if you liked a song the only way to listen to it was to buy the album and then you could listen to the other songs. Listening to music was an event. You had to take the time to clean the record and put it on. You had to take the cd out and fire up the player. That’s all gone now. It has ruined ‘the album’. People don’t take the time to look at the album art anymore, matter of fact it doesn’t even matter to people. A bands album was an entire work of art, from the musician who recorded it to the artist who drew the cover.
Because of streaming, the artist barely even gets paid for their music and what we are getting paid is almost an insult. Like I said, it’s so easy.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
If you aren’t a musician, you never would have known, that’s for sure. I doubt the younger generation even knows that symbol as a number sign.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Vinyl all day. When playing a record, it’s a ritual. It takes time and, in that time, comes appreciation. There is something so cool in knowing the music I am listening to is coming from a needle that is vibrating in the groove of the record and being amplified. If you unplugged the speakers and turned off the stereo you can still hear the music coming from that needle. It doesn’t get any more real than that.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
“Your Feet’s Too Big” by Fats Waller. It’s an old old song from the early 30’s big band era. That was my dad’s favorite song to play on vinyl for me when I was younger. Every time I think of vinyl, I remember my dad putting that record on.
You are an original touring band from New Munster, Wisconsin. Which has toured all around the nation. How is touring now?
Now that things are starting to open up after the pandemic, not bad at all. We are getting back in the swing of things. We already toured the South and East Coast in early spring. That tour was about a month-long. Since then, we have played a few short runs here and there. We are hoping to get three more-month long tours in this year or at least 100 shows for the year.
How was it going on tour with Bourbon House on the Give it tour?
This was our first-ever co-headlining tour, so it was a little different for us. It was eye-opening to see how other bands go about touring. Bands can definitely learn a lot from each other in that respect.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I don’t believe covid killed live music, I think it created a demand for it. Since covid, live steaming is always going to be a thing now but I don’t think it will ever replace live music but I do think we will be seeing live streaming in conjunction with a live performance.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Who says I’m self-quarantining?
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Well, I was considered an essential worker, so I never was out of work during the lockdown. Besides playing in a band, I am currently an appliance repair technician. So, to answer your question I was still very active during the lockdown. I did start a few different diets and a relaxed workout regimen, however.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Not necessarily, but I did find some time to rebuild my 1966 Ford Mustang considering the band wasn’t playing out at all.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
Well obviously, there will be fewer bands using Facebook as way of promoting their music. I suppose if you have the licensing rights to your recorded songs there will not be an issue or change. In my opinion on the Facebook live music experience, I think it’s a good thing that they won’t allow “concerts” or shows. It forces the people to turn their eyes to the real world and go find some live music if that’s what they truly desire. This is going to force bands and musicians to step up their game and come up with new and creative ways of spreading their music to the masses.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
The point is we HAVE to go out to a venue and get the fans the old-school way. I am of the opinion fans will always be fans. It’s not a matter of keeping them, but it’s a matter of how do bands get MORE fans. There has only ever been one true and honest way of doing that, and that includes getting out there and talking with people, being relatable, and physically being Infront of them
Is pay-to-play still a thing? Now pay to play also means things like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Oh, it’s a thing alright. Sadly, you have to spend money to make money. Now this doesn’t mean any band with a rich member can just buy onto a tour or get a billion listens. As a band you still have to prove yourself to even be considered to buy onto a tour. You can pay all you want to be a on playlist but if you don’t have a good polished song it doesn’t matter. You still have to put in the hard work to gain a good reputation and a lot of hard work to save the money to use the ‘buy on’ effectively.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I think having the technology is neat, but I firmly believe there is nothing better than seeing a concert in the flesh. Not only is it about the music or the performer but the social interaction with others. I mean what is a concert without a drunk person dancing around and shoving you – haha.
Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?
If the funds are allocated to the venues properly, I would assume that the support would be helpful in the very short term. However; there is no sustainability. The real issue lies in the long-term closures and restrictions that are causing these venues to encounter financial hardship. As we all know, smaller venues struggle to begin with. Those are the venues that will close, and those are the ones that need the most help.
Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist? The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/relief-resources. Have you applied for it yet?
No, I was not aware that such a thing existed. I will have to look into it.
In the past, if a musician stops doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice-over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
Honestly, if I weren’t doing music, I would like to do guitar and amplifier repair. I have always had a knack for repair and custom work. Or – I would go back to my old job of being a live audio and light technician. I would stay in music somehow.
What is your happy place?
My happy place is knowing that everything is running smoothly and the job is done – then, I can relax.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year, a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million), Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalog to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax-friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sell your back catalog if someone like Universal is willing to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Honestly, if there were some hard times and life required me to do so, then yes. But – if big major labels such as Universal are looking to buy my back catalog, then that means I have encountered some form of financial success. Hopefully, I have the wherewithal to invest my “fortune” so it doesn’t come down to selling the rights to my songs.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to the independent artist?
Well, it depends on why they were deleted. Is it because of inactivity? Violation of Spotify’s terms and conditions? Spotify needs independent artists because they use the money from those artists to pay the major artists to be on their platform. Otherwise, people would not use the platform – or so I’ve heard…
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
No. I could care less.
Did you hear that on May 1st, 400 people attend a test concert in Portugal? People attending the social distance open-air concert underwent rapid antigen tests upon arrival and had to mask?
I had no clue. But, if that’s what it takes to hold an event of that size, then by all means… let’s do it.
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners with Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival for July 23-25 Event in Mansfield, OH, Louder Than Life Set for September 23-26 with Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration in Louisville, KY, Welcome to Rockville Expands To 4 Days and Shifts from Spring to November 11-14 in Daytona Beach, FL, Aftershock Set for October 7-10 in Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
Of course, I’d be willing to play! Whatever precautions are already set by the events I would gladly follow. However, personally, I would have no required precautions to perform or attend. If a person felt the need to wear a mask or be socially distanced, maybe there could be a designated area for them.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thank you for taking the time and asking some very well-thought-out questions. If you want to check out The Almas’ music or follow the band, simply search “almastheband” on any of your social or streaming platforms. Make sure to stay updated, because the band WILL be coming to your state in 2021!
