This week at RockRevolt, we are talking to Cold Cold Sweats, a group hailing from the historic Muscle Shoals region of North Alabama.
Recently releasing their first album, the band is on the verge of becoming what might be the area’s next “big band.”
Who are you and what is your role in the band?
I’m Rhyal Knight, and I play the guit-fiddle and keys in the band, as well as taking on the lead vocals, though all of our little voices can be heard in our live performances and on the album.
How did the band get started?
Well, I was shifting in and out through various projects that built around songs I had written in my bedroom. At the time, I had arranged most of the songs and it was more as a singer songwriter construct. After everything eventually fell out with the people I had been working with for years, I drunkenly stumbled across the lead guitarist Danny Wilkerson and drummer Brady Johnson outside a local venue one night, and asked to bum a cig. Around that same week I had been taking a philosophy class that bass player Josh Hall was taking as well, and I knew he had played bass so I asked if he’d be interested in jamming. We ended up all getting together in the local University band rooms late at night and the magic sparked from the first notes. So in essence the idea of the project had been around for some time, but Cold Cold Sweats took its true form once the four of us came together. We all contribute to the writing process and formulation of the songs, and for the first time I feel apart of something where everyone plays an equal and crucial role.
How has the response to your new album “Free State of Winston” been?
We kinda were pretty quiet with the release of the album, so its mostly been listened to by those who attended our album release show and some fans in other cities we have played. So far everyone seems to really dig the sounds, and thinks we have something going here.
Where did the name for the album come from?
My grandmother has a lake house in backwoods country in Winston County, Alabama, that is very secluded: no cell phone service, and it became our getaway to write and bond. During the Civil War, Winston County seceded from the Confederacy and The Union and was thus known as “The Free State of Winston.” It is sort of a double meaning, in that we wrote a lot of the music for the album there, so it related to a freed state of mind that the lyrics speak of.
Band Name inspiration?
One of the guys I used to play with came up with the name, and I liked it, so it stuck. But in hindsight I think it is relative to our life in several avenues.
Did you grow up in Alabama? If so, how did that influence your music/sound?
Bama born and raised, baby! Growing up I was exposed to everything from Hank Williams to Journey and beyond. Around Muscle Shoals there is talk of the spirit in the river who “has songs” so I think it would be ignorant to try and deny that the swampy banks of Tennessee River and the mystic native vibe hasn’t worked its way into our music. As far as the traditional Muscle Shoals Sound, there are definitely some remnants of it in there, and I think it’s farfetched to deny its influence, being around it our whole lives.
Being a band from Muscle Shoals, how has that shaped the way audiences perceive your music?
The Florence music scene is quite interesting (Florence is right across the bridge from Muscle Shoals, apart of the “quad cities area”, which includes Muscle Shoals”), the majority of local shows take place in Florence. The scene is a colorful one as it ranges from modern styles of indie and alternative rock, to a healthy metal scene, as well as plenty of room for folkier projects and even electronic and rap. I’d like to think we are liked amongst Shoals folk, the people have been very kind and responsive at our shows and the crowds seem to grow each time we play in town.
Any particular influences from the Shoals area? (cough Jason Isbell cough)
Obviously the Swampers laid down some seriously tasty jams, and seeing them around town still gives me that feeling of seeing a celebrity, though they never act like that: very humble and welcoming group of people. Of course I have always been a fan of Jason Isbell, the guy is a hell of a songwriter and I always preferred him when listening to Drive-By Truckers’ records. John Paul White, of the Civil Wars, has also been someone I’ve always admired as a songwriter and composer, even before the success of The Civil Wars. In my opinion, up and comer Dylan Leblanc steals the cake for me. I cling to his melancholy, yet hopeful, composition style.
Favorite memory from a show you’ve played or a place you’ve travelled?
We really love playing in Athens, GA, obviously it is a Mecca for new, bad ass music in all genres, but that town just has a unique vibe. It’s almost like you feel you’re out of the south as far as the progressive attitudes of the town, while still having all the Southern hospitality.
What is next for the band?
We are about to film a music video for our upcoming single “Red Herring,” and we will be running a PR campaign for that, hopefully further spreading our name and this album to some more ears. We will be embarking on an East Coast tour in December. We plan to tour heavily in 2016, as well as making time to record the plethora of new material we have in the vault. Keep your oranges peeled for Cold Cold Sweats!
Anything else you want to add?
You can download our first single “Cinderella’s Heels” via Soundcloud linked to our website, and can stream the whole album for free on Spotify, and if you like it, purchase it on iTunes.
