Behind the Music: An Interview with Adam and Ryan of Cold Weather Kids

Today on Hawk-IT Interviews, I have the privilege of interviewing a band called Cold Weather Kids. Cold Weather Kids is an indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California, formed by Adam Allison and Ryan Scottie. I conducted a Q&A session with the members to discuss their backgrounds, musical journey, the band, and their music. I hope you enjoy reading this.

Amit Ahuja: To start at the very beginning, can you take us back to your earliest years and paint a vivid picture of where you each grew up? What were your hometowns like, the communities you were surrounded by, and the general atmosphere—socially, emotionally, andculturally—that shaped your childhood and teenage years?

Adam - I grew up in Royal Oak Michigan, which was a complete suburbia. We had a decent downtown strip, and we were surrounded by both the richer and poorer suburbs of the area. Royal Oak was very much right in the middle. And looking back, I think being in that kind of “middle rich” area really gave me the best of both worlds. Detroit is obviously a music/art capital of America, but there were tons of awesome music venues in the surrounding cities as well. Like Pine Knob, the Royal Oak Theatre, etc. These are venues that massive and small artists alike are going to hit on their way through town - so it led to the ability to see your favorite bands, and discover new ones all the time.

Because of a lot of this influence, we had a ton of arts kids too. Tons of the artsy-hipstery-incubus-loving burnout types, which made things kind of awesome in hindsight. Back then I was straddling two worlds - being a jock and being an arts kid. And so I got to really enjoy both of those simultaneously. So I was going to see Fall Out Boy and TBS, but I was also going to see Ben Kenney as well. There was always a lot of opportunity to see a lot of art and music around you, and experience kids who loved all types of music too.

Ryan - I’m your typical midwestern kid from the 90’s born outside of the city limits of Chicago (but close enough to still be considered “from” there) My parents met at the merchandise mart located in downtown Chicago where my mother worked, and my father was an electronic handyman. My father was a Chicago sports guy, so Micheal Jordan was basically God my whole childhood. 


When my family decided on a change of scenery we didn’t go too far. Just north and colder to Wisconsin which is where I would graduate high school in the odd tourist town known as “Wisconsin Dells” (google image it, you’ll be surprised) So, I went from grade school to high school graduate surrounded by water parks, golf courses, massive hotels, and a lot of cheese.

Musically, there actually was a pretty active Midwest underground scene when I started going to shows and eventually integrating into my first bands. As a teenager we’d do everything from local family diners (WHAT THE F IS UP DENNYS?) to every VFW hall around the Wisconsin state.

Amit Ahuja: Looking back with the perspective you have now, in what ways do you feel you're upbringing, and early life experiences helped shape who you

are today? How did those formative years influence your values, worldview, emotional resilience, and ultimately the way you approach

creativity and self-expression?

Adam - Sheesh what a nice light question lol. Well, I think I’ve had 2 major approaches to creativity in my life, and they are complete opposites of each other. When I was growing up and discovering myself as a songwriter, I felt like I had to “get it out.” Ryan and I both describe ourselves as “big feelings” kind of guys - we’re both extremely emotional, and wear our heart on our sleeves. It’s like we both have the normal emotional spectrum, but it’s just dialed up to 11 for us. So in my teens and twenties, it felt like I had to just get it out of my heart. If inspiration hit me, I would write poems, songs, instrumental pieces, etc. Anything that matched my emotions in the moment. Mostly emo acoustic songs that combined early Imogen Heap, Inside Wants Out era John Mayer, and angsty Taking Back Sunday. But the approach to creativity was always very heavy, very personal, and extremely attached. I would spend sometimes a whole summer just working out one song for hours and hours every single day, trying to make the most perfect song I could possibly think of, with the most intense, dramatic lyrics I could think of. With the most dramatic, intense chords and feelings I could think of. Some of my best art came out of this, but it also made everything very hard. When you write like this, you end living and dying on every line of every song, which is just too damn much man. It was very self-centered, and very self-serving. At the time, I also thought I wanted to write songs for other people, and work on music with other people. But having this heavy, self-absorbed mindset makes that almost impossible. I didn’t want to write music for other people and be a famous songwriter… what I actually wanted was for the whole world to hear how big and important I thought my feelings were. This whole era really got me nowhere. But in my late twenties, I worked at a recording studio with someone who became a very close friend of mine, and I started producing bands. And since I wasn’t so personally invested in other bands songs, I saw what this overly-masturbatory approach did to music. It blew my mind.

Because when you’re producing bands, and trying to be a guiding hand for creativity, you watch a lot of music get ruined in the name of personal feelings. Which just isn’t a good reason to take a good idea and make a shit song. So I promised myself I would take “the heaviness” out of my own creativity, and out came CWK. And a few things started happening once we/I ditched the masturbatory heavy approach - first off, we started finishing projects. Which used to be very difficult. Second, the music got a lot better really quickly. And it has continued to do so. We still work at it. We still listen for “when does a song feel done” or “when does a part feel fantastic.” That’s still there. But we also don’t try to overdo it, and we’re open to changing parts if it just doesn’t hit right.

Ryan - I’m going to put a lot of this answer personally on my parents. My mother was more the creative one and helped me see the world from more “blank canvas” point-of-view and I was the painter. My father was more of the networking and communication. He understood that you need to be likeable as well as skilled to really separate yourself when it came to securing opportunities. My mother would support that view with her quote “It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know” Of course you had to build up some skill to be competent in whatever you were working on… but you could be the most bad-ass player in the world for a particular instrument, if you’re not cool or fun to work with… You’re probably not going to get the call in the end.

Amit Ahuja: Can you walk us through each of your personal musical journeys? When did music first enter your lives in a meaningful way, and was there a specific moment, memory, or experience that truly ignited your passion for creating music rather than just listening to it?

Adam - Music entered my life in a meaningful way very early. In elementary school, I was obsessed with Pink Floyd, The Who, Aerosmith, and tons of classic rock bands. The Wall, Quadrophenia, Toys in The Attic, Van Halen I and II… I was so into that stuff for a long time. Even then, every Christmas was just albums I wanted. And in middle school I started being in bands, and then naturally writing songs came next. I wanted to emulate whoever my hero was at the time - so I had a bunch of songs that sounded like Motley Crue ripoffs, and then when I got into high school I started making pop punk songs as I got into Blink, Green Day, Yellowcard, MCR, and Fall Out Boy. Later high school and college, I started writing jazzy acoustic ballads and became obsessed with John Mayer and Jason Mraz. So ever since I started listening to music I got hooked on making it. And whatever I was listening to informed what I was writing at the time.

Ryan - Being an anime kid early in middle school I wasn’t really sure what kind of genre I even liked at the time musically. I found that I would make mixes of mostly theme songs of shows I watched. (a lot of J Pop and Rock)

It wouldn’t be until about 8th grade that I finally started to discover the rock genre. My younger sister is the one who turned me onto Fall Out Boy’s “From Under the Cork Tree” (record dropped when I was 15) and that still to this day is my all-time favorite record.

Until that point, I had been much more of a visual artist. Drawing and Animation were the initial artistic focuses for me. But around the time I made that initial pop punk discovery I also befriended a local band from my high school and started tagging along at their shows for a while. Their drummer/singer would be one of my early influences in wanting to go down this road of where we are now.

Amit Ahuja: What led Ryan to take up the bass while Adam gravitated toward the guitar? Was there a specific moment, experience, or influence that set you on those paths? Are there particular bass players or guitarists who inspired you to start playing and helped shape your individual styles? And when it comes to singing, how did that evolve for each of you—was it always something you were drawn to, or did it develop naturally as the band grew? Are there any vocalists you both admire who influenced your interest in singing as well?

Adam - Eddie Van Halen. The first time I heard eruption, I was almost overwhelmed with how beautiful I thought it was. And I wanted to do that. So I started learning guitar. My next major influence was definitely John Mayer… I was really drawn to how smooth his playing is. And I love his chord choices in general. He has an ability to be subtle about how technical he is that I’ve always loved. With regards to singing, it kind of started because I had a lot of ideas, and a lot of opinions, and always envisioned myself as the one to deliver the ideas. It’s called lead singer syndrome because most lead singers have a certain arrogance to them, and I definitely did when I was younger. So I started singing in my bands, even if I wasn’t the best singer in the room. The first two singers that captivated me were probably Gerard Way and Adam Lazzara - their natural singing voices just draw you in. They can deliver any song and make it sound super emotional. I’ve always loved that. They have a certain high screamy roughness kind of thing that’s so captivating to me.

Ryan - So, from my last answer, I’m primarily a drummer. That’s where most of my experience comes from musically. Cold Weather Kids is only the second band I’ve ever played bass for and it was kinda a “learn as I go” thing because I wanted to get into a band again once I have moved west to LA. (more on that later)

I have been touring drummer in a couple bands over the years. (Whispered Hallows,Devon Kay & the Solutions, Direct Hit!, The Eradicator) while also having a mic to do backup vocals. 

When I started to dabble into song writing the singing part developed more and so did the desire to be “out front” to sing the songs rather than in the back keeping the beat.

I credit Adam a lot in my musical development in these areas. When we met, he was already quite the accomplished vocalist and guitar player. So, the balance of being able to provide all of the rhythmic elements to his songwriting really helped our friendship develop quick when we first started.

Amit Ahuja: What initially drew you toward the genre you ocus on today? Beyond the musical elements like intensity, structure, and emotional weight, what was it about the visual aesthetic, cultural identity, and sense of community within those scenes that truly resonated with you?

Adam - You’ll laugh, but I’ve always loved the intensity, structure, and emotional weight above all else. I’ve never cared much about visual aesthetic, or cultural identity. I’m not a big concert-goer, I don’t like crowds, mosh pits freak me out… I love culture and seeing a sub-culture emerge and reading about it’s history and what not, but you’ll never find me at an underground show smoking a cigarette or at Coachella in a pile of people just stoked to be there high on the vibe.

Ryan - I found the “Emo Culture” in the early 2000’s and totally dove in. Straightened hair, skinny jeans, piercings, which would later give way to tattoos. As the quote goes, “It was never a phase mom” I’m still jamming the same records, still writing the same kind of music, still as into the gear and band culture. I would say the only place we deviate from that stereotype is our subject matter, we don’t much care to write about broken hearts or past relationships.

Amit Ahuja: Were there particular bands, songs, or artists

that connected with you on a deeply personal level early on? How did those influences inspire you to start learning instruments, writing your own music, and eventually pursuing the idea of forming a band?

Adam - My biggest influences early on were definitely Van Halen for guitar, Yellowcard, Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy for being a teenager and writing songs, and then John Mayer and Jason Mraz later on when I was trying to be more songwriter-y… the usual suspects if you will. I’m not special and I don’t pretend to be (anymore, lol). I’ve already talked about it, but Van Halen is what got me to pick up a guitar, the pop punk bands made me want to be in bands. And John Mayer/Jason Mraz made me want to write technical pop songs.

Ryan - Fall Out Boy & Yellowcard, the two “big” ones that shaped the foundation of who I am musically. Still evident in our writing today for sure.

I touched earlier on my story of befriending someone from my high school who was a drummer singer who’s inspired that same fire in me. His band “Sorry About Your Couch” gave me the passion to find my own band to drum for. By 17 I would find my first serious band and ride that wave for about six years growing to the point where we made a couple Warped Tour appearances.

Amit Ahuja: Take us back to the very beginning of Cold Weather Kids. How did the band first come together, and what circumstances, shared values, or creative goals brought you together at that moment? What made it feel right to officially begin this journey as a group?

Adam - So Ryan and I had written a lot of music together already, and we knew we also connected on that front. We had made bands in the past… but we both kind of suffered from the same “omg I’m such an artist” problem that I’ve already mentioned. We were both writing very dramatic, very heavy, very masturbatory music that didn’t make a lot of sense… but did make us feel good about ourselves. And CWK is the result of all of our lessons learned. So right before we made the band, we were both in a different band together. And that band imploded due to having some toxic personalities. Ryan and I basically got back together and said “Hey, you want to give this another go and not be so dumb about it?” And we both said yes. And that’s kind of been that ever since.

Ryan - Sometimes one project coming to an end means the start of something new. Thus was the case for us. I had been looking to make music with Adam for a while after we both had moved to LA but our work schedules were tough. He had joined a band and was gigging a bit. That went on for a year or so, then their bass player had to exit which is where my bass journey began. Unfortunately, Adam was a bit burnt out for several reasons with that project. He’d exit the band about 2 months after I joined. I pushed through another year but began to also develop internal problems with the singer. So, the dominoes fell the way they did and I ended up quitting that project as well BUT the very same day the drummer from that project agreed to start something new with Adam and I.

Amit Ahuja: When Cold Weather Kids was first forming, what was the original vision for your sound, message, and overall identity? Looking at where you are creatively today, how closely does that early vision align with what you’ve become—and where has it evolved?

Adam - Ryan and I knew we wanted to be in a band again, and we knew a big mistake we’d always made in the past was trying way too hard. So we wanted to make songs that didn’t sound like we were trying so hard… we just wanted to make something fun. I think a big tell of “are you doing the right thing” when you’re in a band is which songs you have the most fun playing live. If it’s the covers, then I think it’s a sign to reconsider your approach to writing. And so we started making music again in the style of what we actually loved, instead of trying to do something more.

Ryan - The previous project was geared more towards indie rock and that just wasn’t doing it for Adam and me. So, we went back to what we’d always played and enjoyed the most in bands starting with covers from Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, and Taking Back Sunday. We’re just truly those emo kids from the early 2000’s that are still doing the genre today because we really love high energy rock with driven guitars and great drum parts. No other way to put it.

Amit Ahuja: In the early stages, did you experiment with different band names? What ultimately led you to choose and stick with the name Cold Weather Kids and what made it feel like the name that truly represented who you are?

Adam - Not really. Our drummer came up with the name, and it stuck. We moved on.
Ryan - Sonic Scene Kids a typo? Either way cool name causes Sonic Rules lol**

In college Adam and I had a musical project called “Glass Castles” It was also the name of one of the songs he had written for the project. That’s really about it. We were just trying (way too hard) to be fancy.

Amit Ahuja: The name Cold Weather Kids feels intentional

and evocative, carrying a sense of atmosphere and meaning rather than something chosen at random. Can you walk us through the inspiration

behind the name and what originally drew you to it? What does each part of the name represent to you individually and collectively, and how has its

meaning evolved over time?

Adam - No big thing here honestly. Our first drummer Eric came up with it because we were all from colder climates. It stuck.


Ryan - I must credit our original drummer Eric with this one. He had the name he was sitting on for a while, and it just clicked with me big time. Adam was raised in Michigan, me in Chicago/Wisconsin and Eric was from Colorado. It just fit as a good sounding name, and it was very literal.

Amit Ahuja: How does the name connect to your philosophy as a band and the way you see yourselves creatively and personally? In what ways does it reflect your sense of identity, your shared history, and the emotional or lived

experiences that shape your songwriting and sound?

Adam - It doesn’t. We like the name. It’s just a name though.
Ryan - Not much honestly, it’s something that much more literal and sounds good rather than a reflection of values or culture. Perhaps you can hear the Midwest Emo influence in our writing even though we live in LA now?

Amit Ahuja: Finally, how do you feel the name Cold Weather Kids captures the world you’re trying to create through your music—the moods, textures, and narratives you explore—and the feelings or ideas you hope listeners take away when they step into that world?

Adam - Well, I don’t think the name captures the world we’re trying to create. But I think I can speak to some of the moods Ryan and I have talked about creating visually. In the name of not being serious, and in being all things feel good and fun, we landed on the vibe of “Punk Rock Super Mario Sunshine.” So what world do I want reflected? The feel good world of Super Mario Sunshine, with a Yellowcard soundtrack.
Ryan - I always have a visual in my head of some kid bundled up against the cold and you can see the puffs of exhales cause his breath is that much warmer than the air. But our music is blasting in the headphones. The world can be cold, maybe none more obvious than right now? So, our whole aim is not ignore these issues but rather make fun of them as well as ourselves in the process. It’s all so serious and if you want to write that way then by all means. But for us, it’s when we get a release, when we can laugh freely, when we can lose ourselves in the energy.

Amit Ahuja: When it comes to songwriting, this question

is specifically for the vocalists: can you walk us through your lyrical inspiration? Do your lyrics draw primarily from personal experiences,

relationships, and internal struggles, or are they influenced by stories you’ve encountered and more abstract ideas? How do these sources inform your writing, and what does your creative process look like when you’re translating those influences into lyrics?

Adam - I can speak more to our creative process and how we have our ideas. So something that really bothers me is when people try to be way too crafty with their lyrics. I love poetry, but I hate not knowing what you’re talking about. Some people can get away with wildly impressionistic poetry… but it’s a bit tougher in the pop punk genre in my opinion. Also, it’s important to remember that when a line doesn’t “read like art” it can still sing fantastically. So when Ryan and I are writing, we’re trying to pull in our emotions, tell a direct story, land on a line that communicates our intention right then, and move on. Sometimes you have to spend some more time on a line or a song, but we work very hard to not overthink things. It keeps things lighter in terms of the creative process - which lets us keep going. And if it bothers us later, we come back and fix it. But we try not to get hung up on trying to “be fancy.” To speak to our process in general, Ryan is an idea factory and I’m an editor. So we’ve kind of fallen into this pattern where Ryan has a lot of ideas, and I pull together my favorite ideas he has, an we start embellishing them and molding them together. This goes for both lyrically and musically. Ryan is very much the “songwriter” and I’m very much the “producer” in the band - although sometimes we do still trade roles.

Ryan - I’ll narrow it down here but I’ll let Adam really expand in this because I’ve adapted more his philosophy over the years when it comes to lyrics. We’re the type to write about an idea rather than an experience but we’ve definitely had personal songs make the cut as well. But most of our best work is because we really dove into an idea and developed it rather than make it really personal.

Amit Ahuja: Could you dive deeper into some specific songs — like Pop Punk Fuck Up, Count to Ten, Race You Extinction, and Stolen Summer— and unpack the stories behind them? We’d love to hear more about the emotions, experiences, and ideas you were exploring while writing each track. What moments, chapters of your lives, or particular states of mind do these songs reflect, and how do they connect to where you were personally and creatively at the time?

Adam - Ryan wrote all of those! These are all about the capturing a feeling, and just writing a song that tells the story of that feeling. Count to ten is being so mad that you don’t know what to do with your body. Race you to extinction is about the feeling of helplessness watching a bunch of assholes run the world. Pop punk fuck up is about being an emo kid who just still wants to vibe out and be an emo kid, even though we’re now in our thirties and forties. All of these songs also really capture what we go for when we write - we spend time getting the vibe right, we take the time to make the lyrics make sense and say what we want them to, but these aren’t necessarily deeply personal songs. They’re more about shared experiences.


Ryan - Besides Extinction, these are all songs where both of us really dove into every word to try and make it as strong as possible. Anger, aging, the struggle for income, the struggle to feel like we can actually DO something to make change. These are all topics, rather than personal experiences. But we feel like WITHIN these topics there’s a lot of opportunity for listeners to relate their own story within the topic we write about. Thus, making it more personal to them as the listener.

Amit Ahuja: When you’re in the process of creating music, does it feel more like an emotional release, a form of self-discovery, a confrontation with inner struggles, or a combination of all three? How does that feeling influence what ultimately makes its way into your songs?

Adam - Funny you mention all of that - because I don’t really feel it’s any of those for me. I used to, but I’ve worked very hard to eliminate the “heaviness” of songwriting. The “drama” if you will. Those kinds of things don’t make me want to keep coming back to music anymore - so for me, it’s about having fun, and figuring out the puzzle of the song. It feels amazing when all of the pieces come together and you feel like the song is being the best it can be. That’s the fun of it. So what does it feel like? I guess it just feels fun. It didn’t used to feel fun - it used to feel like an emotional labor. Now it’s just fun.

Ryan - Absolutely an emotional release. As an artist I’ve embraced that this is my creative outlet. I’ve used it in the past as I was growing into an adult to discover more about myself or work through some grief but right now in my life as a father and a husband, it serves more as outlet for me to have something personal to myself while my overall life view has shifted towards more of my family.

Amit Ahuja: Is there a particular message, emotion, or takeaway you hope listeners walk away with after experiencing your music? Or do you prefer to leave the meaning open-ended so fans can interpret and connect with the songs in their own personal way?

Adam - I want listeners to just have a good time. No stress. Punk rock super Mario sunshine. Maybe relate to some of the themes. That’s it for me.

Ryan - No stress. Make every environment better cause you’re in it. Everyone’s got problems. Nobody cares.

I think writing about topics rather than personal experiences helps to give the listener more claim to the song for their own experiences.

Amit Ahuja: What advice or insight would you offer to

musicians who are dealing with rejection, setbacks, or self-doubt? How can artists push through disappointment and transform those challenges into motivation and long-term growth?

Adam - I think Ryan and I’s messages will really differ here - but my whole thing is stop trying so damn hard and get out of your own damn way. I think Elizabeth Gilbert got it right in her book Big Magic. Take inspiration when it comes. Enjoy the process. Listen to what your artistic sense is telling you. I think a lot of people make the mistake thinking that if they have success in art, they will find joy. I’ve met extremely successful people in the arts. It does not bring joy. It might bring money. So chill the fuck out, and stop trying so hard to do something incredible. Just do… something. And maybe it’ll be incredible. Maybe it won’t be. Have the humility to accept that too.

Ryan - When the haters start to get loud you know you’re doing something right. Keep going.

Struggle creates hunger, struggle creates a good story or source to write from. Small victories everyday amount to a big change in growth when a whole year passes. 

Have a clear look at what you may be willing to give up to try and achieve the musical success (time, energy, expense, travel, etc etc)

Amit Ahuja: In 2026, what do you feel is the most challenging part of being a band? Beyond making the music itself, what pressures, obstacles, or

realities have become especially difficult to navigate in today’s industry — whether that’s staying creatively fulfilled, reaching audiences, sustaining momentum, or balancing art with the demands of modern platforms and expectations?

Adam - Socials, man. I hate social media. I don’t participate in it. I don’t look good in it. I don’t want to do it. It sucks, it’s toxic, it’s frustrating - that’s the worst part. I’m grateful I don’t have to touch socials for this band.

Ryan - From our experience? The death of the local scene. It’s so expensive to do anything in the world right now that it’s hard to imagine people will come out to a local show for 20+$ admission where they probably don’t know a lot of the bands that are playing. That also doesn’t account for travel, food, or whatever else costs money to “go out”

In the last two years alone we’ve personally seen crowds half the size, ticket prices up, and any crowd that does come is there for ONE band to support probably as a friend or family member and then they immediately leave once the set is done, more often than not the band performing will also do this. It’s a bummer to see in real time.

Amit Ahuja: Looking ahead, what exciting projects, tours,

collaborations or creative goals do you have on the horizon? What feels like the next major milestone for Sonic Scene Kids, and what are you personally most excited about right now?

Adam - I’m excited about our next record. It’s felt good to allow it to come together, we have an awesome set of songs we want to get to. I can’t wait. And hopefully, it’ll feel just as good as the first EP did. Who knows. That’s part of what’s exciting about it.

Ryan - We have a full length record that we’re slowly plugging away at. This and some cool LA shows are about it for us at the moment.

Amit Ahuja: Who are three people who have profoundly

shaped your life—artistically, personally, or professionally? What impact did they have, and how do their lessons continue to resonate with

you today?

Adam - My parents were super supportive when I was younger. Bought me guitars… took me to practice, etc. Full points to them. Danny, the owner of the recording studio I worked at, is probably the person who taught me the most about music and songwriting. Really changed my perspective on a lot of things in music. And then of course, Ryan. Without him, I don’t make music.

Ryan - I’m lucky to have had great parents (even as boomers) They were present, gave me every opportunity I could think of, didn’t give up on me when I fucked up (even when I went to jail) and their guidance definitely helped me be independent in a very unforgiving world.

Notable historical figures on culture, style, influence? In no particular order: Micheal Jordan, Elton John, Micheal Jackson, Karen Carpenter, Aaron Gilespie, Freddie Mercury, Prince, Elvis, Ray Charles.

Amit Ahuja: Outside of music, what other forms of art or

storytelling inspires you all. Are there films, books, television series, podcasts, or visual art that resonate deeply with you—and what is it about those mediums, whether emotional depth, narrative structure, or craftsmanship, that fuels your creativity?

Adam - I love a great movie, I love something unique, etc. I love a great book. I’m into Sci/Fi/Romantasy stuff that all the girlies are reading these days. As far as resonates, honestly? I love going to a museum in a place I know very little about, and understanding the history of a place. That’s an art that really resonates with me. I have started to find people and cultures really interesting and beautiful as I’ve gotten older.

Ryan - Personally I’m highly influenced by Japanese culture. I adore anime, I took 3 years of the language in college. I’ve been an exchange student and have vacationed 3 times. I love Japanese tattoos and traditional art. So much so that I’ve had an artist from Tokyo design our last EP cover. (Nukui Bogard)

Amit Ahuja: Many artists talk about the close connection

between creativity and mental health. Can you share your experiences navigating that balance, both within your musical journey and your

personal lives? What tools, support systems, or practices have helped you maintain that balance, and what advice would you give young artists

learning to protect their well-being while chasing their dreams?

Adam - This is only from my own personal experience, so take it or leave it, but in my opinion, if working on your creativity greatly hurts your mental health, you will only end up hating your creativity. That was my journey. I was depressed, I loved being depressed, I thought being a struggling artist was so damn cool so I made sure I struggled and was unhappy with every part of my creativity because I thought that all of that was what was needed to be a creative person. I thought that suffering was the point, not something you sometimes went through. It took me a long time to realize that your creativity does NOT have to pay for your life. You don’t have be famous to call yourself an artist. You don’t have write for big artists to call yourself a songwriter. So in my opinion? Stop trying to live and die on everything you do. Have a day job. Hell, have a whole second career. I do. And it’s made my music better, not worse.

Ryan - Everything in moderation. Too much of anything is too much. It’s hard to tour and rough it. Body comfort is a bigger thing for us now that we’re all in our later 30’s. I had my days as drummer sleeping on floors and various couches but to be completely honest im at a point where that kind of discomfort isn’t work the 30-40 minutes of fun on stage to perform. This is something we’re honest without ourselves about. I mentioned in an answer earlier about being clear about what you’re willing to give up in order to work on something. 

Our motto as a band is simply “no stress” we love to create music; we do love playing shows but all of us in this group have significant others and I myself have kids. I’m not willing to give up time with them as they grow up to go play a dive bar in a state no one knows me, that’s no shade at all towards anybody doing that, these are just my personal priorities right now in my life as it pertains to taking care of my personal health.
Oh and yoga. Not joking. Yoga is amazing.

Amt Ahuja: Finally, as we wrap things up, what thoughts

or reflections would you guys like to leave with your fans—and with anyone out there chasing a dream? Is there a message, lesson, or truth that feels especially important to share right now?

Adam - I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t said… so I guess I would add on be honest with yourself. CWK is not famous, but we do have listeners. We did get a small record deal. We do have people at our shows. None of this happened for me until I was honest with myself about my approach to music, my own unhappiness, and finally took time to get out of my own way. Ryan and I joke about it a lot, but nothing worked until we stopped trying so damn hard. So… be free. Be honest. Get rid of the drama.

Ryan - Change is constant. Your goal is the first thing in front of you. Small victories consistently amount to great change.

The general stuff like take care of each other, don’t be a dick, don’t suppress or try to control anyone.

Amit Ahuja: Thanks to Adam and Ryan of Cold Weather Kids for sharing their story with us.

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