Hailing from New Munster, Wisconsin, rock band The Almas have just released their new single "Lifeline."
The track deals with mental health issues, which is a cause that the band feels strongly about and they consistently advocate for mental health awareness.
The Almas will be heading out on their first UK Tour in July and then have two shows in August: Rock 2 Stop 22 in Broadhead, Wisconsin on August 16th and 17th and Havoc Fest in Jackson, Michigan on August 23rd and 24th.
Rock Life recently got a chance to speak with The Almas' vocalist Crystal Teigland and lead guitarist and founder Frank Slifka.
Rock Life: How did the "Lifeline" single come together?
Crystal Teigland: That was the first song that we wrote together with our producer Kile Odell in the studio. We recorded a song that we came in with and he suggested to us to try writing in the moment in the studio under that kind of pressure and see what we could come up with.
"Lifeline" then stemmed from that kind of pressure of being in the studio and the experience that we were going through at the time. There were a lot of stress-related things going on and we ended up writing a song that is very mental health-based. It's all about reaching out and asking people to help you through a situation.
RL: Did you go in knowing what you wanted the video for it to be like?
Frank Slifka: [laughs] No!
CT: We knew we wanted planes of some sort to be involved because we wanted to dedicate the track to Rock 2 Stop 22, the veteran's suicide awareness organization that we actively promote and support.
Before that, we had done a video for "Cage" that included a lot of water elements that included burning out a fire so it was like oh, we should do something with air for this next one! Frank has always wanted to be a pilot so we decided to incorporate planes.
FS: Yeah, it was initially supposed to be in a passenger jet and the whole idea was that you fall asleep but don't know it and the plane is crashing and you're screaming for a lifeline. You think it's all ending for you and then you wake up and the plane hasn't even taken off yet.
That was the initial thought for the video, but then we had an opportunity to get a fighter jet and a helicopter so we ended up changing it a little bit.
CT: That was a cool opportunity we didn't want to miss out on.
FS: We worked with what we we were lucky enough to have.
RL: And have you been happy with the response so far?
CT: We didn't really know what to expect as a response so we were overjoyed with all of the support and love. The people are going crazy for it. We're still getting messages like oh my goodness, your video is so cool!
FS: Yeah, people keep asking if we actually flew the plane! It's like uh, no.
CT: Oh no! Frank was definitely not allowed to fly the plane.
FS: I would have crashed it instantly!
RL: Mental health awareness is such a important cause for your band. Is that something that fans come up and thank you for?
CT: Absolutely! We have fans that come up and say that they were going through a really rough time and our message of encouragement and overall performance really helped them get out of their head and focus on themselves in that moment. It allowed them to have a great time.
We also have a lot of fans come up and say they really enjoy that we express that level of care and concern for the struggles that people go through. We always try our best to create an environment that people can be comfortable and happy and liven it up a bit.
RL: It's not easy to navigate the current music industry. What do you feel is the best thing you guys have done to stay out there and keep that fanbase coming out?
FS: Just the old school way of doing things. Word-of-mouth is still one of the strongest ways of doing things. Social media is great and all, but people talking about the show is what works. Like Crystal said, we try to create a positive environment and people talking about that really helps.
I physically love being in front of people and want to meet them. It's one thing to chat for30 seconds on your phone, but when you meet them it's a lasting thing for life. That experience remains in their memory forever.
RL: I imagine it's cool to visit new places and get that feedback as well.
FS: Absolutely!
CT: We're very excited about this UK Tour. It's a new opportunity for us. We've never been overseas before. The most we've done outside of the country is Frank and I in Mexico noodling on a acoustic guitar in front of some of his family. The band also played a festival in Canada back in 2019. Being able to hop the pond and try our hands at these shows is going to be really cool.
FS: Just the logistics of all of it is going to be pretty intense too. We've got to rethink how we're going to do parts of our set. Just seeing how we can rework things without sacrificing the show at all is going to be an adventure.
RL: And what is next for you?
CT: Right after the UK Tour we're going to head right back into the studio with Mr. Odell and then after that we've got two shows in August. We've got Rock 2 Stop 22 as well as Havoc Fest and from there we're heading down to Florida for a cruise and we plan to tour past that as well.
FS: Basically just more music and more tours.
RL: And what can people expect from a Almas show?
FS: You can expect a high energy rock show. We're still using some loud amps and we have a cool stage. Little bits of our set are kind of cheesy if you're into that. Just some downright honest rock and roll.
RL: You've shared the stage with some big rock bands. What was the best thing you learned from watching them?
CT: I definitely think crowd interaction is one of the things I like to watch. Just how other bands do it. I still to this day have stage fright every once in awhile so just watching how other bands keep themselves so calm and collected while in the spotlight onstage is helpful.
FS: The thing I've taken away from any bigger band that I've met is that they are no different than you or I and it's humbling to think that we've all been in the same shoes. We are all on the same ship. To me that's reassuring and I appreciate that.
RL: Music is the one thing that everyone can agree on.
FS: I agree. Music makes everyone feel a certain way. I love having and sharing that experience with other people. To know what I'm doing is making you feel something is great. I like that. It's the greatest thing to influence someone and also see how they can influence you in return.
RL: Anything you'd like to add?
CT: The general follow, like, subscribe and share on all social platforms. You can find us at @almastheband and on our website at almastheband.com.
Tickets for Havoc fest are available at apexsportsjxn.com/havoc-fest/.
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