The band Cold Fronts is proof that music has the power to bring old-time rivals together in harmony. And though their name might hint at a darker sound, their bright, catchy indie pop tunes might be a good way to bring a ray of sunshine through dismal, cloudy days and possibly incite spontaneous sing-alongs. The house show lovin’ crew recently won our Featured Artist(s) Poll so we had chance to throw our get-to-know-you questions at Cold Fronts’ Craig Almquist, which you can check out below. You can also catch them live this Tuesday, June 21 at Kung Fu Necktie.
The Deli: How did the band start?
Craig Almquist: We’ve known each other since high school, but were in rival bands. Also coincidentally, we kind of hated each other because most of us also dated/stole each other’s girlfriends. It actually really only formed in January after we ended up all living in Philadelphia, and we decided to drop our beef.
TD: Where did the band name Cold Fronts come from?
CA: Thought it was a cool name. Plus Philly be cold.
TD: What are your biggest musical influences?
CA: Planes and trains, partying, movies, taking it to the next level, women, the weather, being poor… This list could go on for pages.
TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?
CA: The Powder Kegs, Odd Future… We listen to a lot of classics like Gang of Four, Wu-Tang, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Cooke, and The Beach Boys.
TD: What’s the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?
CA: Our guitarist, Shaky Jake, once saw the Grateful Dead when he was only six weeks old. And unfortunately, the first record I bought was probably Astro Lounge (The Smash Mouth album).
TD: What do you love about Philly?
CA: Ed’s Pizza, weather, the house shows, bike lanes, The Rathaus.
TD: What do you hate about Philly?
CA: Biddies, weather and the public transportation, beer distributer hours, our jobs.
TD: What are your plans for 2011?
CA: Drop a trail of 7"s and play a lot of fun shows, start a bidding war between Rough Trade and Sub-Pop.
TD: What was your most memorable live show?
CA: We’ve had too many unforgettable stunts to pick just one show. When we debuted at our practice space the RATHAUS, Craig chipped his tooth on the first song. At the final Flop House show the crowd rushed the stage as we started the set and knocked all three amps and the cymbals on the ground. There was a RATHAUS show where Shaky Jake launched off stage and crowd-surfed. We love playing live shows.
TD: What’s your favorite thing to get at the deli?
CA: Beer and cigs.
– The Deli Staff