Vocalist/guitarist Mick Leonardy and guitar player Rich Brinkerhoff set out to create a new project after breaking off from Divit (Nitro Records), an east bay punk band they started in their teenage years. Although Divit created a lot of buzz after returning to their home from the Vans Warped Tour, Mick and Rich wanted to take their hard rock/punk sound into new directions. After a few auditions it was obvious that bass player Adam Schuman, and his brother- John Schuman on drums was going to be perfect for their sound.The result is an army of guitars and vocals fitting like puzzle pieces with a solid rhythm section. The Schuman brothers lay down bass and drums reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilots grooves, a sound forged after years of playing together under the same roof. On top of this foundation are brilliant and aggressive lead guitar parts, courtesy of Rich Brinkerhoff. His instantly memorable riffs forge a perfect mixture of hooks and reckless six string sound that pays homage to The Pixies, Rival Schools, and early U2. All of this sets the pace for Mick Leonardy- singing songs of heartache, lust, co-dependency, all wrapped with an ironic sense of hope. His voice hits a listener hard- whether delivering anger or anguish. His sense of melody is intense and extremely accessible to even the most aristocratic music snobs. It is with these elements that Cold Hot Crash delivers rock music that San Francisco hasn’t seen in years.In less than a year and a half, Cold Hot Crash has managed to release a full length album, perform at (and sell out) countless venues in the bay area, and clench the title of “Best local band†in Live 105’s Not So Silent Night event- earning them the opportunity to open for The Shins, Modest Mouse, The Raconteurs, and The Killers. Their momentum and fan base continues to grow as more and more people attend their live performances. Catch one of their shows soon, you’ll see why Cold Hot Crash doesn’t just attract hard rock fans, they attract music fans.
