The Almas Won an Award for ‘Rock Group of the Year’
Originally published in Milwaukee Magazine 10/31/23Wisconsin rock band The Almas didn’t know what to expect when attending the 2023 Josie Music Awards, an independent music award ceremony in Nashville. “It was at the Grand Ole Opry (House), and it looked gorgeous,” says lead vocalist Crystal Teigland. “We were like, ‘Wow, we’re in over our heads.’”
But their music didn’t go over the heads of judges. On Oct. 22, The Almas won “Rock Group of the Year,” beating 12 other nominees and thousands of submissions. Overall, nearly 140 artists, creatives and managers from across the country received awards.
When the time came for the group’s award category to be announced, and the chances of hearing their name became more and more real, they scrambled to put together an acceptance speech.
“When we sat down and heard the first person make a speech, my heart sank,” says lead guitarist Frank Slifka. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I gotta come up with something!’”
Founded in 2015, the Josie Awards celebrate everyone in independent music – including artists, managers, photographers, songwriters, and music video directors.
Although it’s also used as a genre descriptor, independent (indie) music refers to music that is written, recorded and distributed without the aid of a commercial record label. As more indie artists create and release music, the Josie Awards fill a growing need for recognizing and uplifting independent music and the people who make it possible.
An indie hard rock band, The Almas consist of Teigland, Slifka, guitarist Josh Sukowski and drummer Andrew Ehredt. They practice in New Munster, an unincorporated community between Burlington and Twin Lakes in Kenosha County. Despite their small-town stomping grounds, the band has made their way through the United States, traversing nearly 40,000 miles in 2022 alone.
“We have a very busy and intense tour schedule this year,” Teigland says. “I think we’re at about 140 shows for the year so far.”
The group is used to the tour life – lots of driving, hauling equipment, performing with high energy, and then hitting the road again. They don’t get much privacy or time at home, but touring allows the band to reach new audiences, meet new fans and travel the country.
When The Almas aren’t on the road, they’re in the studio recording music. “We used to sit and jam out songs by ourselves in a room,” Slifka says. “But with the most recent EP, we went down to Nashville and recorded with producer Kile Odell. We wrote our songs in the studio, collaborating with Kile. He really dialed in the band’s new sound. Plus, I like working under pressure.”
When Slifka first joined the local music scene in southeastern Wisconsin, he didn’t hear a lot of the music he wanted to play. “There were a lot of punk and metal bands in the scene,” he says. “And being a rock band, especially a female-fronted rock band, was very scarce. But that has since changed, and there are a lot of rock bands and a lot of female-fronted rock bands in the scene. And it’s turned into a very, very good rock environment, I’d say.”
When The Almas come home, they’ll take advantage of the much-needed time and space to relax. But local music lovers will have at least one more opportunity this year to see The Almas close to home: The group is coming to the Brat Stop in Kenosha on Nov. 17 and sharing the stage with Pittsburgh’s Reign of Z.
